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.
“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.
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.
Yawn.
Wow did not see this coming. What a loss not only to his loved ones but to hiphop as a whole. At a loss of words honestly. RIP phiffe, definitely will be missed in this world
Too young to Die! RIP Brother!
Did you get the attention or likes you are looking for?? This a black site about black music… White people are welcome who enjoy Hip Hop but why come to the site?? You probably a sad no pussy getting black dude at home unemployed… KILL YOURSELF! A man has died fucktard!!
Damn RIP. Never saw the Tribe perform live when I was growing up. My parents are Haitian so they think rap music was the Devils music in the 80’s and 90’s but I did get to see ATQC perform on the yeezus tour when they came to Brooklyn Barclays center 3 years ago and they had everyone singing Scenario especially when busta rhymes came on stage. It was a legendary moment. I know he was going through some tough health issues but at least those issues are no longer there and he can rest easily now. Condolences to his love ones and close friends
Rest In Power to Phife an all those who will transition on today.. Lets Support quality Hiphop to honor his legacy
Look your trolling bullshit can take be funny but you are on a HIP HOP website and this man you disrespecting is legend so please fuck off and die. Btw mister cee is a homo which we all know
RIP
damn… cant believe this… almost shed a tear… Rest In Heaven legend, hiphop owes you.
Speechless…. RIP, def a legend in the game.
Join the discussion OOOH my goodness hes rhymes were one of my favourite (check the rhyme yo) RIP phife
“Mac Miller reacts” WELL GOOD WE GOT ALL THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE COVERED……………………………………………
I’m not a big fan of Mac miller but i like his tribute to Phife Dawg. Check it out in the singles section. People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. Use to kick it to bitches right after listening to Bonita AppleBum . I had nice lil win streak back in high school thanks to that song. RIP PHIFE
1 for the treble, 2 for the bass,
You know the style Tip, it’s time to flip this,
I like my beats hard like two day old shit,
Steady eating booty MCs like cheese grits,
My man Al B. Sure, he’s in effect mode,
Used to have a crush on Dawn from En Vogue,
It’s not like honey dip would wanna get with me,
But just in case I own more condoms than T.L.C,
Now the formula is this: me, Tip, and Ali,
For those who can’t count it goes 1-2-3,
The anti batty boy, big up is who I be,
Brothers find this hard to do but never me,
Some brothers try to diss but Malik, you see em bitchin,
Me no care about them dibby MC, my shit is hittin,
Trini gladiator, anti-hesitater,
Shaheed push the fader from here to Grenada,
Mr Energetic, who me sound pathetic?
When’s the last time you heard a funky diabetic?
YO PAY YALL RESPECTS AND POST YOUR FAVORITE PHIFE DIGGY LYRICS!!!!!
A yo swing swing swing to chop chop chop yo that’s the sound when mc’s get mopped don’t come around town without the hip in your hop because when the shit hits the fan that ass will get dropped!!!! R.I.P Phife Dawg
R.I.P. Phife Dawg, I can imagine a sick cypher in the sky with you, Big L, and Guru with J. Dilla on the 1s and 2s
Guy’s I want to applogize for being an OVER the hill desperate attention seeking wh*re . But please put your self in my shoes I’m in my mid 40s with no real life friends (to be honest most people think I’m a little bit weird and creepy) I have a shit menial job and I live with my elderly parents who are concerned that I have no wife or kids . And no dad I’m not (homosexual) .. Anyway moving on I would like to appologize for my earlier post and trying to make the tragic passing of an hiphop icon about me . I’m getting old and I need to move on from trolling hiphop sites .
“Cuz if you aint yourself you end up by your freaking self” real shit. Todays rappers need to recite this line and look themselves in the mirror
Yo, microphone check 1, 2 what is this? The 5-foot assassin with the roughneck business. RIP.
Phife RIP, you had some remember able quotes out there.
Rest in Peace Phife and may you suffer no longer. Thank you all for this piece on him and the stream of love shown all across Twitter.
I wrote a piece bringing to light the dangers of his condition as well as some of his best song solo and with ATCQ. Feel free to give it a look.
Great piece on Phife and remembering his wordplay. I just wrote one for my column bringing to light the struggles of his condition and a curation of classic Phife and ATCQ songs. Feel free to check it out at http://www.thebmex.com/#!Losing-a-Legend-You-on-Point-Phife/mhqg1/56f2c1750cf23c800ad01cf9
R.I.P. to a true legend. No gimmicks, no biting, just straight up ill.
:'(
Indeed, gnuccaplease. Indeed.
Hey Soren “FUCKTARD” Faker, you culture vulture. Get the fuck outta this comment section.
SoSomsn this is an article about a legend passing and all you can do is spew hate out? What do you do to advance the culture? If soresoren is a culture vulture as you say why keep coming to this site creating a paycheck for em? You sound like a culture leach…rip phife
Damn!! This is like losing my childhood. Rest in Peace/Power Phife Dawg. You inspired countless emcees and people of all walks of life. Typing this from Kenya so you know your effect was felt even in places you never managed to get to (Ongata Rongai to be precise). May you finally get to kick it where you’re at right now. God bless
RIP
Rip Phife Dawg…Mr Cee said he’s not goin 2 get a good nite sleep, yeah becuz u got a dude suckin ur dick u gay boy
Damn, this shit is crazy. All the dudes I grew up listening to are going.
It’s crazy 25 years later to know all the shit a lot of these rappers were going through like regular people in between making dope music back in the day when we didn’t know every aspect of their lives. The Low End Theory will forever be the shit.
I’m 28 and grew up listing to Phife. Rip man, so sad. Trying to brighten things up a bit, listen to the f.aggot Mr cee “I’m Not Gonna Be Able To Get A Good Nite Sleep”…………yeah, cus u got a dick in ya ass.
My heart sank as soon as I saw that headline. Shit’s sad, man. All the Tribe albums are amazing. RIP Phife
Nooo, not the Phifer! At least he’s stress free now. May he rest easily.
When people talk about the “Golden Age” of Hip Hop, it’s hard to argue that A Tribe Called Quest didn’t kick it off. They ushered in a new sound, a new technique of sampling and different subject matter. Phife Dawg help spearhead that movement, R.I.P. Phife… Your catalog is in constant rotation. “Check The Rhime”. –
God bless his soul.
never heard of him..too young to know but by the respect he is getting its obvious he was a legend..still is REST IN PIECE & GOD BLESS HIS FAMILY.
Hey…a young cat who’s not acting like a self important douche bag. Kudos to you kid. Check out A Tribe Called Quest “anthology” album and you’ll get an idea of Phife. Peace.
Fuck! RIP
Been waiting on that album. That J Dilla tribute track was incredible! Such a loss for HipHop. RIP.
Sad as shit man. ATCQ influenced hip hop on a whole other level. They brought in jazz flavors that people just doing at the time, and it changed production in hip hop forever. Phife came into his own on The Low End Theory. “Riding on the train with no dough, sucks!” RIP Phife Diggy.
Stop trollin and show some respect you bitch ass attention seeker. *Ignore this clown and fuck his life forever DONT RESPOND*
Dam… We lost another legend! I had the pleasure of watching Tribe perform on many occasions….
I float like gravity, never had a cavity, got more rhymes than the Winans got family/
No need to sweat Aresnio to gain some type of fame, no shame in my game, cause I always stay the same
Styles upon styles upon styles is what I have, you wannna diss the Phifer, but ya still don’t know the half….
We lost a great!! RIP Phife Dawg!
….”short, dark plus his voice is raspy”
peace, phife diggy