Phife Dawg, founding member of A Tribe Called Quest passed away yesterday (March 22), according to several posts on social media. He was 45.
DJ Chuck Chillout sent one of the first tweets about the passing of the A Tribe Called Quest rapper.
“Confirmed. rest in peace Phife. Man. I’m out,” Statik Selektah wrote on Twitter.
Although a cause of death has yet to be reported, Phife suffered from diabetes and had a kidney removed in 2008.
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“Man. Man o man. Rest in Peace King. #Phife#ATCQ#NativeTongues,” 9th Wonder wrote on Instagram.
A Tribe Called Quest released its debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm, in 1990. Although Q-TIp was featured as the lead rapper on the project, Phife (born Malik Taylor in Queens, New York) appeared on the hit single “Can I Kick It?” and the album-opening “Push It Along.”
Phife took a more prominent role on the group’s second album, the widely heralded The Low End Theory. Released in 1991, the project featured the singles “Check The Rhime,” “Jazz (We’ve Got)” and “Scenario.”
The group released its fifth and final album, The Love Movement, in 1998.
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Two years later, Phife released his solo album, Ventilation: Da LP.
In 2011, the Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest documentary on the group was released. It detailed Phife’s medical problems as well as the friction between Phife and Q-Tip that led to the dissolution of the group.
Following are reactions to Phife’s passing.
HipHopDX would like to send it condolences to Phife’s family and friends.
