A sold-out crowd gathered at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Friday night (May 17) to honor the late Phife Dawg. As part of the tribute event — appropriately dubbed A Tribute To A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders — the City of Oakland proclaimed May 17 “Phife Dawg Day.”
UnderCover Presents Executive Director Lyz Luke, who spearheaded the ambitious UnderCover Presents event, read the mayor’s proclamation alongside We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service producer Starita, Phife’s mother Cheryl Boyce Taylor and Phife’s widow Deisha Head Taylor. HipHopDX was on site to capture the momentous occasion.
“A Tribe Called Quest is being celebrated this week with Bay Area bands, producers and artists celebrating the group’s groundbreaking album Midnight Marauders,” Starita read. “Now, therefore be it, we proclaim Friday, May 17, 2019 is Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor Day.”
Phife spent the last 15 years of his life in the Oakland area where his wife is originally from. During that time, the Queens native worked with Starita on not only the last ever Tribe album but also Phife’s solo material.
The tribute event at the YBCA boasted performances from some of the Bay Area’s finest, including Karega Bailey, MJ’s Brass Boppers, DJ Platurn and rap powerhouse RyanNicole. The event wraps up on Saturday (May 18).
Check back for the full story on the event next week, which will include updates on Phife’s solo album and more.
The best out the group. Much respect due. Most important verse that change my life because I started to make it out:
Oh yo he’s acting stank, really on a regal?
A man of the fame not a man of the people
Believe that if you want to but I tell you this much
Riding on the train with no dough, sucks
Release that Forever solo joint please! The people are ready for it.
You on point (Oakland) Phife ? What to MC Hammer Death Row album ?
Could you explain your second sentence because it means next to nothing to me. Perhaps I’m being slow. Thanks.
Meanwhile they renaming streets and pulling down any statues of white people. But hey, no conspiracry there, nothing to see here, goyim.
Yeah, cause Hip Hop and statues of oppressing people are one in the same. If your not Hip Hop and joining people of all races, colors, creeds… stay quiet.
-Hip Hop Kulture
Aint that right Phife?
Record number of homelessness in CA is in Oakland and San Fran, and these idiots in local government couldn’t care less. They’re too busy ripping off the citizens. Stay focused of honoring dead rappers tho.
Not the place dummy. Homelessness and honoring a hiphop legend literally have zero to do with each other. Keep grasping for shit to complain about though. I’m sure that will keep you happy.
If you’d written your comment better I would have an easier time discerning what you were trying to say. But to me it sounds like bitching and moaning about irrelevant issues. How’re you going to read an article about honoring a dead artist and write a comment about how the officials need to fix homelessness. It was a nice gesture, leave all that bull shit at the door.