Malik Taylor aka Phife Dawg of Tribe Called Quest lost his battle with diabetes today at age 45,confirmed by a family spokesperson.
The musician had been struggling with ill health and diabetes for several years, and received a kidney transplant from his wife in 2008.
Phife,born in 1970, he co-founded the rap group Tribe Called Quest in 1985 with his classmates Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
Their biggest hit came in 1991, with the single Can I Kick It?
Phife and his TCQ fam performed the hip hop classic on Jimmy Fallon’s , as they marked the 25th anniversary of their debut album People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.
News of Phife Dawg’s death emerged on Twitter, where producer and broadcaster DJ Chuck Chillout posted an RIP message in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Phife Dawg your style swagger consciousness and life will be missed. An official statement has not been issued.
#5footassassin #samecloth