Phife Dawg (real name Malik Taylor), a member of American hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, died Wednesday at the age of 45.
Taylor had health issues for several years and underwent a kidney transplant in 2008. The musician had type 1 diabetes for most of his life — he even inserted it into his lyrics, calling himself “The Funky Diabetic” — but it’s not known if it was the ultimate cause of his death.
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Hip-hop royalty took to social media after the news broke; among the many condolences saturating Twitter and Instagram, Chuck D of Public Enemy and rapper Ludacris shared their feelings.
Taylor appeared on all five of Tribe’s studio albums.
A Tribe Called Quest formed in the late ’80s and grew into one of hip-hop’s most respected rap groups. They’re often credited for their thought-provoking lyrics and the infusion of jazz into their beats.
The group eventually signed with Jive Records and released their first studio album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, in 1990.
While health problems deterred Taylor from pursuing a solo career, he did release one album in 2000: Ventilation: Da LP.
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In an interview with Rolling Stone in November 2015, Taylor seemed optimistic about his future.
“I am in a good spot, but I have my good days and I have my bad days,” he said at the time. “But I’m more or less in a good spot, so I can’t really complain.”
At the time, Tribe re-released their debut album to mark its 25th anniversary and performed Can I Kick It on The Tonight Show. It was the last time the group would perform together.
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