Hip hop has lost one of its founding fathers. Phife Dawg, one of the founding members of legendary hip-hop collective A Tribe Called Quest, died Wednesday at 45 of complications from diabetes.
“We regret to share the news that on Tuesday March 22nd, 2016, [Phife Dawg] has passed away due to complications resulting from diabetes," spokesperson Carleen Donovan told USA TODAY on behalf of his family.
Born Malik Taylor in 1970, he founded A Tribe Called Quest in 1985 with Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. One of rap's landmark early acts, A Tribe Called Quest released five critically and commercially successful albums from 1990 to 1998, and were responsible for hits such as Bonita Applebum, Can I Kick It?, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Scenario and Check the Rhime.
After disbanding in 1998, the group reunited several times over the last decade to perform live, most recently bringing Can I Kick It? to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2015.
In recent years, he struggled with medical issues, battling diabetes and undergoing a kidney transplant in 2008.
“While I mourn the loss of my best friend and brother, I also will celebrate his incredible life and contribution to many people’s ears across the world," Dion Liverpool, Taylor's manager, told USA TODAY.
"Even with all his success, I have never met a person as humble as he. He taught me that maintaining a positive attitude and outlook can conquer anything. Now my brother is resting in greatness. I’m honored to have crossed paths with him."
The music community mourned the rapper's death Wednesday, as his contemporaries and fans remembered his life with tributes on social media.
USA TODAY has contacted A Tribe Called Quest's representatives for comment.
