Girls Dreams

Malik Taylor, the rapper best known as Phife Dawg and a core member of hip-hop pioneers A Tribe Called Quest, has died at the age of 45.

While no official statement had been released at press-time, multiple reports broke in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with producer Statikk Selektah confirming the news amidst an outpouring of tributes from within the hip-hop community. 

Confirmed. rest in peace Phife. Man. I'm out.

— Statik Selektah (@StatikSelekt) March 23, 2016

No cause of death has been revealed, though Taylor had been struggling with health issues for number of years after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes un 1990. The rap legend received a kidney transplant from his wife in 2008 following renal failure, and documented his struggle with the disease and his work as an advocate in the 2012 documentary Beats, Rhymes, and Life. 

DJ Chuck Chillout was one of the first to break the news on Twitter in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and was joined by Chuck D, Flying Lotus, El-P, and many others in paying tribute to the Five Foot Assassin on social media.

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

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

Phife-HipHop & Rap word Warrior, simple as that.Breathed it & lined rhyme into Sport.A true fire Social Narrator my bro #RIBeats ATCQforever

— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 23, 2016

REST IN PEACE TO THE INCREDIBLE PHIFE DAWG

— el-p (@therealelp) March 23, 2016

Phife!

— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) March 23, 2016

This is a developing story. Check back for updates, and read our full interview with Phife Dawg on ATCQ's 25th annivesary here. 

 

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