Hip Hop Legend Phife Dawg Of A Tribe Called Quest Has Passed Away

Sadly, it has been confirmed that Malik Taylor, the rapper better known as Phife Dawg from the legendary group A Tribe Called Quest, has died. The amazingly talented and quick-tongued lyricist was only 45-years-old.

DJ Chuck Chillout announced his death on Twitter late last Tuesday night.

RIP to phife dog of tribe called quest pic.twitter.com/f4t5fvg4WD

— DJ Chuck Chillout (@djchuckchillout) March 23, 2016

He was in Queens, New York and was childhood friends with Kamaal Ibn John Fareed aka Q-Tip. They would hook up with Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White to form A Tribe Called Quest. Their debut album “People’s Instinctive Paths and the Paths of Rhythm” was released on April 10, 1990.

Phife appeared on all five of the group’s albums. The group broke up in 1998 after they released their last album “Before The Love Movement.” Last year, the group reunited on Jimmy Fallon and performed their classic “Can I Kick It?”

All Together Now. #ATCQ25 backstage at @FallonTonight photo @ShayanAsgharnia https://t.co/rVv3xmHG2H pic.twitter.com/4n83FBauCI

— Okayplayer (@okayplayer) November 14, 2015

The cause of death is also unknown at this time, but Phife had a very public struggle with diabetes. He was first diagnosed with Type-I diabetes back around May of 1990. The rapper got a kidney transplant in 2008 to help treat his sickness.

An outpouring of emotion spilled on Twitter where #RIPPhife was the top-trending topic. Chuck D and Aesop Rock, Chuck D paid their respects to the one and only Phife Dawg.