UTFO
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UTFO (which stands for Untouchable Force Organization) was a rap group from the 1980s founded by R&B band, 'Full Force.' They consisted of 'Kangol Kid,' 'Educated Rapper' (also known as ("E.M.D."), 'Doctor Ice' and 'Mix Master Ice.' Their best known single is "Roxanne, Roxanne", a widely-acclaimed and acknowledged hip-hop classic, which created a sensation on the hip-hop scene soon after it was released and inspired numerous "answer" records, most notably by 'Marley Marl's protege 'Roxanne Shante.' Ironically, "Roxanne, Roxanne" was the B-Side filler for the lesser known single "Hangin' Out." Due to personal issues the 'Educated Rapper' ("E.M.D.") was absent for their sophomore effort, "Skeezer Pleezer," which produced one notable track in "Split Personality."
"E.M.D." made a welcome return for the group's successful 3rd release, "Lethal," which featured rock group 'Anthrax' in the title track. Notable songs (from this album) included "The Ride," a several-minute analogy between male anatomy and cars; "Diss," a collection of elaborate rhyming insults, and "Burnin Bed," a hilarious cautionary tale of what can happen to a brother who cheats.
Other hits released by the group include "Leader Of The Pack," "Bite It," "Pick Up The Pace," and the R&B tinged cult classic "Fairytale Lover."
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[edit] Innovations
[edit] Raps
'UTFO' pioneered and mastered the rap method of interdigitating three voices on two different recording tracks into one seamless lyric. This effect creates a strong presence for portions of the vocals, and an almost parenthetical presence for the remainder, much like this example from "The Ride:"
(Kangol Kid, track 1): Hello, my name is Kangol Kid. (Educated Rapper, track 2): You can call him "Kangol," if you choose. (Doctor Ice, track 1): I'm Doctor Ice. (Educated Rapper, track 2): How can you tell? (Doctor Ice, track 1): You can tell by the moves. (Educated Rapper, track 1): And I'm the Educated Rapper. (Kangol Kid, track 2): The brainiac. (Educated Rapper, track 2): And Mixmaster. (Mixmaster, track 2): woo-hah! (Kangol Kid, Educated Rapper and Doctor Ice, in unison, track 2): The four is back.
This finished effect sounds like:
Hello, my name is Kangol Kid (You can call him "Kangol," if you choose)
I'm Doctor Ice (How can you tell?) You can tell by the moves
And I'm the Educated Rapper (The brainiac)
(And Mixmaster) woo-hah (The four is back)
Many of these raps focused on communicating the presence of the individuals within the group, as in the above example.
[edit] Breakin
'UTFO' are also the first breakdancers to appear on the 'Phil Donahue' Show [1] [2].
