Just one week after Whodini member John “Ecstasy” Fletcher passed away, the pioneering Hip Hop community has suffered another monumental loss.
On Wednesday (December 30), DJ Premier shared an Instagram post mourning the death of Adolfo “Shabba-Doo” Quiñones, better known as “Ozone” from the quintessential Hip Hop films Breakin’ and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.
“One Of Our Greatest Street Dancers/Choreographer And HIP HOP ICON and Star of the Hit Movie ‘BREAKIN’ As The Character ‘OZONE’ Has Passed,” he captioned a photo of Shabba-Doo. “R.I.P. Shabba Doo…Crazy Thing Is He Posted On IG Yesterday That He Was Feeling Better…Your Legacy Will Not Be Forgotten…@officialshabbadoo.”
According to Shabba-Do’s last Instagram post, the 65-year-old feared he was battling COVID-19 but had just tested negative for the virus.
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“Good news y’all,” he captioned a photo of himself laying in bed. “I’m feeling all better I’m just a wee bit sluggish from my cold, but the good news is I’m Covid 19 negative! Woo hoo!!! I awoke this morning to a gift from my pal, George “DJ 360MIX” Jett! Thanks man! Anyway, I’m excited lots of catching up to do. Let’s gooo!
“Thank you to everyone for your kind, sweet, and loving get well wishes and thoughts. Oh, I didn’t sleep in my beanie and glasses, lol, I donned them cause my vanity kicked in and didn’t want you to see my bed head, and crusty eyes, haha… Have a great day peeps.”
He ended his post with the hashtags, “#covidwarrior #covidscare #lol.”
Born on May 11, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, Shabba-Doo was a member of The Original Lockers dance crew alongside founder Don “Campbellock” Campbell, Fred “Rerun” Berry and Toni Basil.
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Along with the crew, Shabba-Doo helped popularize the dance style known as locking, which was accidentally created when Campbell was struggling to do the “Robot Shuffle” and stopped at a particular point, leading to a locking effect. Soon, he was incorporating the move into all of his performances and Shabba-Doo quickly caught on.
Shabba-Doo’s big break came in 1984 when he landed the role of Ozone in the cult classic film Breakin’. The plot revolved around a young dancer who’s enthralled by two street dancers — Ozone and Turbo — she stumbled upon in Venice Beach. She convinces them to form a dance troupe and enter a competition that typically doesn’t accept that kind of dance, but they end up blowing the judges’ minds with their innovative style.
The success of the film led to Shabba-Doo’s role in the sequel Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, which was released that same year. From there, he appeared in Rave – Dancing To A Different Beat, which he also directed, as well as television shows such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show,Married… with Children, Miami Vice and Saturday Night Live.
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In addition to acting, Shabba-Doo’s served as a choreographer to numerous artist, including Lionel Richie, Madonna and Luther Vandross. He was also a primary dancer and main choreographer for Madonna’s Who’s That Girl? Tour in 1987.
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In 2006, choreographed Three 6 Mafia’s performance of “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp” at the 78th Academy Awards where the Memphis legends became the first Hip Hop group ever to win an Oscar.
Shabba-Doo’s son Vashawn tells HipHopDX his father was getting ready to open a digital studio in January, so his death came as a surprise. Twitter is exploding with reactions from fans and peers alike, including Krush Groove star Shiela E., Ice-T (who played a club MC in Breakin‘ and Breakin’ 2), Snoop Dogg and R.A. The Rugged Man.
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DX sends our condolences to Shabba-Doo’s family and friends. Check out some of the reactions below.
