RIP Phife Dawg from Tribe Called Quest
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The Cast Of ‘Hamilton’ Paid Tribute To Phife Dawg During A Recent Performance
The loss of A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg has affected people in many worlds, from musicians to sports stars, and even this local news anchor. Now you can add Broadway’s most popular musical, Hamilton, to the list of entertainers paying tribute to the fallen MC.
The show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, tweeted out that during Wednesday’s matinee performance of the number “Yorktown,” Hamilton screamed, “Can I kick it?” with Mulligan responding, “Yes ya can!” A nice tribute to someone as influential as Phife Dawg, but the Hamilton crew weren’t done yet. At the evening performance, during the same “Yorktown” number, Hamilton screamed, “Here we go yo, here we go yo,” to the audience, referencing Tribe’s biggest hit, “Scenario.”
It should come as no surprise that Hamilton would find a way to pay tribute to the ATCQ rapper, Lin-Manuel Miranda has said that the rap group played an integral part in his life. Miranda told Billboard that the only fight he’s ever been in was with his friend who bought the last cassette single of “Scenario” at the record store when the two were in middle school. He also went on to describe Phife as “apologetically himself,” and added, “He took the things that you think would discount someone from being able to have a career as an MC and made them superpowers.”
The loss of A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg has affected people in many worlds, from musicians to sports stars, and even this local news anchor. Now you can add Broadway’s most popular musical, Hamilton, to the list of entertainers paying tribute to the fallen MC.
The show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, tweeted out that during Wednesday’s matinee performance of the number “Yorktown,” Hamilton screamed, “Can I kick it?” with Mulligan responding, “Yes ya can!” A nice tribute to someone as influential as Phife Dawg, but the Hamilton crew weren’t done yet. At the evening performance, during the same “Yorktown” number, Hamilton screamed, “Here we go yo, here we go yo,” to the audience, referencing Tribe’s biggest hit, “Scenario.”
It should come as no surprise that Hamilton would find a way to pay tribute to the ATCQ rapper, Lin-Manuel Miranda has said that the rap group played an integral part in his life. Miranda told Billboard that the only fight he’s ever been in was with his friend who bought the last cassette single of “Scenario” at the record store when the two were in middle school. He also went on to describe Phife as “apologetically himself,” and added, “He took the things that you think would discount someone from being able to have a career as an MC and made them superpowers.”
http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/2...e?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter
The loss of A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg has affected people in many worlds, from musicians to sports stars, and even this local news anchor. Now you can add Broadway’s most popular musical, Hamilton, to the list of entertainers paying tribute to the fallen MC.
The show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, tweeted out that during Wednesday’s matinee performance of the number “Yorktown,” Hamilton screamed, “Can I kick it?” with Mulligan responding, “Yes ya can!” A nice tribute to someone as influential as Phife Dawg, but the Hamilton crew weren’t done yet. At the evening performance, during the same “Yorktown” number, Hamilton screamed, “Here we go yo, here we go yo,” to the audience, referencing Tribe’s biggest hit, “Scenario.”
It should come as no surprise that Hamilton would find a way to pay tribute to the ATCQ rapper, Lin-Manuel Miranda has said that the rap group played an integral part in his life. Miranda told Billboard that the only fight he’s ever been in was with his friend who bought the last cassette single of “Scenario” at the record store when the two were in middle school. He also went on to describe Phife as “apologetically himself,” and added, “He took the things that you think would discount someone from being able to have a career as an MC and made them superpowers.”
The loss of A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg has affected people in many worlds, from musicians to sports stars, and even this local news anchor. Now you can add Broadway’s most popular musical, Hamilton, to the list of entertainers paying tribute to the fallen MC.
The show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, tweeted out that during Wednesday’s matinee performance of the number “Yorktown,” Hamilton screamed, “Can I kick it?” with Mulligan responding, “Yes ya can!” A nice tribute to someone as influential as Phife Dawg, but the Hamilton crew weren’t done yet. At the evening performance, during the same “Yorktown” number, Hamilton screamed, “Here we go yo, here we go yo,” to the audience, referencing Tribe’s biggest hit, “Scenario.”
It should come as no surprise that Hamilton would find a way to pay tribute to the ATCQ rapper, Lin-Manuel Miranda has said that the rap group played an integral part in his life. Miranda told Billboard that the only fight he’s ever been in was with his friend who bought the last cassette single of “Scenario” at the record store when the two were in middle school. He also went on to describe Phife as “apologetically himself,” and added, “He took the things that you think would discount someone from being able to have a career as an MC and made them superpowers.”
http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/2...e?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7271874/lin-manuel-miranda-phife-dawg-interview
Dawg: He Was 'So Unapologetically Himself'
3/23/2016 by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda photographed on July 20, 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City.
ERIC OGDEN
More than perhaps any other art form, music is intertwined with memory. Over time, the songs that soundtrack your formative years come to represent specific, long-gone places, times and feelings. This phenomenon was visible all over social media on Wednesday, as A Tribe Called Quest rapper Phife Dawg --who died Tuesday at age 45 due to complications from diabetes -- was mourned by hip-hop legends and fans alike on deeply personal terms. For every tweet citing a classic Phife couplet, there was another recalling that school dance where you and your first girlfriend East Coast-stomped to "Scenario." Lin-Manuel Miranda, the star and creator of the hip-hop-infused Broadway musical Hamilton,tweeted several Phife lyrics, and even toasted the Queens rapper at Wednesday's (March 23) matinee show, incorporating a bit of Tribe's "Can I Kick It?" into one number. But in an interview with Billboard, he spoke about how Phife and Tribe's music has been an integral part of his life, from school fights and yearbook covers to friends' weddings.
The only fistfight I've ever been in in my life was with my friend Michael over the last cassette single of [A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 hit "Scenario"] at Nobody Beats the Wiz on 96th and Broadway. I was in middle school, and on half-days, we'd take the crosstown bus over there. There was one left in the store, and Michael was like, "I knew them first!" And I was like, "But I like the song more!"
At the nerdy public school we went to, our yearbook cover was based on [1993 Tribe Called Quest album] Midnight Marauders. Our brilliant yearbook staff my senior year said, "We need a small shot of your head facing forward. Don't ask why, we just need it." Then the reveal was that the cover of our yearbook was the Midnight Marauderscover, with the heads of all the seniors just the way Tribe have all their favorite MCs. But they actually punked me because it's everyone's current headshots, and then there's one headshot that's a picture of me from seventh grade -- they have a baby picture of me next to everyone's grown-up heads! It was really the most thrilling hip-hop thing to ever happen to our school. That was about four years after the album came out, but it shows you what a formative album that was in all our lives.
I was at my friend's wedding last Saturday. I DJ-ed the afterparty, and the guaranteed way to get everyone on the floor is to play "Scenario." It's the guaranteed way to get everyone on the dance floor, rapping every word.
Tribe opened the door in terms of subject matter. They were just authentically themselves, and they rapped about their friendships and New York stories. It just felt like these were your friends and they got on and they were telling you what life was like on their side of things. And that's why we responded -- because they were real with us every time.
Phife was so unapologetically himself. He rapped about being diabetic, he rapped about being 5 feet tall. He took the things that you think would discount someone from being able to have a career as an MC and made them superpowers. One of my favorite lines: "I get loose off of orange juice" [from "Phony Rappers"]. That's Phife.
My Twitter feed today has just been Phife quotes. I could spend the day doing that and everyone will know what I'm talking about -- it’s just a cornerstone of hip-hop. I mourn the loss of Phife’s voice that interplay between him and Q-Tip. But I'm also grateful for it. Phife was 45 years old, and that is too, too young. He struggled with his health his entire life, but the things that he made are going to stay with us forever. You can't help but be grateful for that.
Dawg: He Was 'So Unapologetically Himself'
3/23/2016 by Lin-Manuel Miranda
- EMAIL ME
Lin-Manuel Miranda photographed on July 20, 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City.
ERIC OGDEN
More than perhaps any other art form, music is intertwined with memory. Over time, the songs that soundtrack your formative years come to represent specific, long-gone places, times and feelings. This phenomenon was visible all over social media on Wednesday, as A Tribe Called Quest rapper Phife Dawg --who died Tuesday at age 45 due to complications from diabetes -- was mourned by hip-hop legends and fans alike on deeply personal terms. For every tweet citing a classic Phife couplet, there was another recalling that school dance where you and your first girlfriend East Coast-stomped to "Scenario." Lin-Manuel Miranda, the star and creator of the hip-hop-infused Broadway musical Hamilton,tweeted several Phife lyrics, and even toasted the Queens rapper at Wednesday's (March 23) matinee show, incorporating a bit of Tribe's "Can I Kick It?" into one number. But in an interview with Billboard, he spoke about how Phife and Tribe's music has been an integral part of his life, from school fights and yearbook covers to friends' weddings.
The only fistfight I've ever been in in my life was with my friend Michael over the last cassette single of [A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 hit "Scenario"] at Nobody Beats the Wiz on 96th and Broadway. I was in middle school, and on half-days, we'd take the crosstown bus over there. There was one left in the store, and Michael was like, "I knew them first!" And I was like, "But I like the song more!"
At the nerdy public school we went to, our yearbook cover was based on [1993 Tribe Called Quest album] Midnight Marauders. Our brilliant yearbook staff my senior year said, "We need a small shot of your head facing forward. Don't ask why, we just need it." Then the reveal was that the cover of our yearbook was the Midnight Marauderscover, with the heads of all the seniors just the way Tribe have all their favorite MCs. But they actually punked me because it's everyone's current headshots, and then there's one headshot that's a picture of me from seventh grade -- they have a baby picture of me next to everyone's grown-up heads! It was really the most thrilling hip-hop thing to ever happen to our school. That was about four years after the album came out, but it shows you what a formative album that was in all our lives.
I was at my friend's wedding last Saturday. I DJ-ed the afterparty, and the guaranteed way to get everyone on the floor is to play "Scenario." It's the guaranteed way to get everyone on the dance floor, rapping every word.
Tribe opened the door in terms of subject matter. They were just authentically themselves, and they rapped about their friendships and New York stories. It just felt like these were your friends and they got on and they were telling you what life was like on their side of things. And that's why we responded -- because they were real with us every time.
Phife was so unapologetically himself. He rapped about being diabetic, he rapped about being 5 feet tall. He took the things that you think would discount someone from being able to have a career as an MC and made them superpowers. One of my favorite lines: "I get loose off of orange juice" [from "Phony Rappers"]. That's Phife.
My Twitter feed today has just been Phife quotes. I could spend the day doing that and everyone will know what I'm talking about -- it’s just a cornerstone of hip-hop. I mourn the loss of Phife’s voice that interplay between him and Q-Tip. But I'm also grateful for it. Phife was 45 years old, and that is too, too young. He struggled with his health his entire life, but the things that he made are going to stay with us forever. You can't help but be grateful for that.
Talib Kweli Reflects on Phife Dawg's Legacy: 'He Embodies the Very Best of Us' (Essay)
The Native Tongues crew is the reason why I rap today. Hip-hop was woven into the fabric of New York City when I was growing up and I was drawn to the magnetic beauty of graffiti and breakdancing, but the Native Tongues connected with me in a unique way. The music they made was for the mind, body and soul. The Jungle Brothers, De La Souland A Tribe Called Quest were the cool kids at the high school lunch table of my life. They are who I wanted to hang out with when I grew up.
It was De La Soul that got me into the Native Tongues. I went back and discovered the Jungle Brothers after. But it was A Tribe Called Quest that made the world want to be down with the clique. Q-Tip had inspired me since I first heard him on Jungle Brothers' "Black Is Black," and when "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo" dropped, I thought he was ATCQ’s only MC. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm... followed “El Segundo,” and Phife made his professional rhyming debut on songs like “Can I Kick It” and "Ham ‘N’ Eggs."
When Phife asked David Dinkins to be the mayor on “Can I Kick It,” I felt him. We had never imagined a black man could be mayor of New York, and I loved the way that Phife found a way to be political through his music. He didn't make a statement; he asked a question. "Ham 'N' Eggs" was my least favorite song from ATCQ's debut album, but when Phife came in like “drop the beat,” I felt like I knew him personally. Out of all the members of ATCQ, Phife dressed the most “normal.” Ali Shaheed, Jarobi and Tip looked like they may have been competing for who could take the most Afrocentric fashion chances, but Phife looked like a dude I went to high school with; he was way more understated. It seemed to me back then that he was the anchor of ATCQ, ready to reel the homies in when they went too far into outer space.
Rap groups sometimes have their heads in the clouds on their first album, and after experiencing how shady the record business can be, they come back down to earth a bit on their sophomore efforts. Listen to the differences in the beats and subject matter of the Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde and Labcabincalifornia, or Souls of Mischief’s 93 ‘Til Infinity versus No Man’s Land. De La Soul went as far as to declareDe La Soul Is Dead with their second album. After the lofty aspirations of People's Instinctive Travels, ATCQ used the bass to ground them. The Low End Theory was a celebration of the funk, soul and jazz bass samples that drove contemporary hip-hop, complete with a Ron Carter feature on “Verses From the Abstract.”
Whereas People's Instinctive Travels seemed to be more about Tip’s vision, Low End Theory brought balance to the group. Rhyming far more often, Phife came into his own on Low End Theory. The song "Butter" was a master class in story rap, and Tip and Phife rhyming back and forth on “Check the Rhime” like their Queens-bred heroes Run-D.M.C. was the stuff of legend. Phife even influenced the look of the group. Gone were the Afrocentric beads and daishikis; now ATCQ wore crisp athletic gear, Polo and Tommy Hilfiger, looking more like Phife and less like hip-hop hippies. Where Tip was abstract, Phife was more relatable. This balance set the group up to record one of the greatest pieces of music of all time: Midnight Marauders.
Midnight Marauders may be the album responsible for getting more people into hip-hop than any album before and after it. It’s a flawless piece of work, and the reputation that Phife began to build on Low End Theory was expanded on greatly while recordingMidnight Marauders. On the solo cut "8 Million Stories," Phife painted an eloquent picture of himself as the homie from around the way. With lyrics like “everybody knows I go to Georgia often” and “to top it off, Starks got ejected,” Phife let us into his life in a very personal way. Very early, Phife let us know that he was getting sick of NY and that sports was beginning to interest him more than hip-hop. When I first heard Phife rap “when’s the last time you heard a funky diabetic?” on “Oh My God,” I winced. It was so brutally and beautifully honest of a lyric, it made my body react.
Phife was the king of rapping about R&B singers. He used to have a crush on Dawn from En Vogue, he had more condoms than TLC, he told you to call Mr. Babyface so he can bring out the cool in you and the all true man, like Alexander O’Neal. He had the best metaphors for “finishing,” like when he said “bust off on your couch, now you got Seaman’s furniture.” But my favorite Phife verse is from a song on Midnight Marauderscalled “God Lives Through,” where he connects his success and his group’s success to the ultimate success of New York hip-hop. He shouts out the Queens rappers who were large at the time, showing that at the end of the day, he was all about the hip-hop community.
On a more personal level, I got to know Phife’s mom, Cheryl Boyce Taylor, while I was working at Nkiru Books in Brooklyn as a teen. Cheryl is an internationally known poet from Trinidad who raised Phife in Queens and used to come to poetry readings I would throw at the store. She talked about her son Malik with such pride; she was elated that hip-hop fans like myself revered him so much. I automatically thought of Cheryl when I heard of Phife’s passing, and she is in my prayers. I cannot imagine having to go through this as a parent, but I know she is strong and will remain so.
And even though Jarobi left ATCQ for a bit, his relationship with Phife only grew. They were tremendous friends and I know Jarobi is feeling this hard, so my prayers are going out to him and his family as well. Tip and Ali have to be experiencing an immense feeling of loss right now, my prayers are with them. I love those brothers. Phife’s wife, who gave him a kidney some years ago, must also be going through a lot; she is in my prayers as well.
The most exciting thing about Phife was watching him grow as an artist in front of us. He went from Tip’s homie to Phife Dawg to the Funky Diabetic to the Five Foot Assassin. He utilized his Trinidadian roots to add a Caribbean favor to his verses and commanded the respect of a giant even though he was smaller than most. When ATCQ broke up, Phife never stopped, recording great music with producers like Hi-Tek and J Dilla, and starting a business with DJ Rasta Root in Atlanta. He reinvented himself as a sports analysts and regularly appeared on sports programs.
Phife Dawg was authenticity in the flesh. Loyal to a fault and fiercely protective of this culture we call hip-hop, Phife embodies the very best of us. The Trini gladiator, the anti-hesitator -- Phife will forever be a part of the reason for the music I love and make a living from. And for that, I owe him the world.
The Native Tongues crew is the reason why I rap today. Hip-hop was woven into the fabric of New York City when I was growing up and I was drawn to the magnetic beauty of graffiti and breakdancing, but the Native Tongues connected with me in a unique way. The music they made was for the mind, body and soul. The Jungle Brothers, De La Souland A Tribe Called Quest were the cool kids at the high school lunch table of my life. They are who I wanted to hang out with when I grew up.
It was De La Soul that got me into the Native Tongues. I went back and discovered the Jungle Brothers after. But it was A Tribe Called Quest that made the world want to be down with the clique. Q-Tip had inspired me since I first heard him on Jungle Brothers' "Black Is Black," and when "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo" dropped, I thought he was ATCQ’s only MC. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm... followed “El Segundo,” and Phife made his professional rhyming debut on songs like “Can I Kick It” and "Ham ‘N’ Eggs."
When Phife asked David Dinkins to be the mayor on “Can I Kick It,” I felt him. We had never imagined a black man could be mayor of New York, and I loved the way that Phife found a way to be political through his music. He didn't make a statement; he asked a question. "Ham 'N' Eggs" was my least favorite song from ATCQ's debut album, but when Phife came in like “drop the beat,” I felt like I knew him personally. Out of all the members of ATCQ, Phife dressed the most “normal.” Ali Shaheed, Jarobi and Tip looked like they may have been competing for who could take the most Afrocentric fashion chances, but Phife looked like a dude I went to high school with; he was way more understated. It seemed to me back then that he was the anchor of ATCQ, ready to reel the homies in when they went too far into outer space.
Rap groups sometimes have their heads in the clouds on their first album, and after experiencing how shady the record business can be, they come back down to earth a bit on their sophomore efforts. Listen to the differences in the beats and subject matter of the Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde and Labcabincalifornia, or Souls of Mischief’s 93 ‘Til Infinity versus No Man’s Land. De La Soul went as far as to declareDe La Soul Is Dead with their second album. After the lofty aspirations of People's Instinctive Travels, ATCQ used the bass to ground them. The Low End Theory was a celebration of the funk, soul and jazz bass samples that drove contemporary hip-hop, complete with a Ron Carter feature on “Verses From the Abstract.”
Whereas People's Instinctive Travels seemed to be more about Tip’s vision, Low End Theory brought balance to the group. Rhyming far more often, Phife came into his own on Low End Theory. The song "Butter" was a master class in story rap, and Tip and Phife rhyming back and forth on “Check the Rhime” like their Queens-bred heroes Run-D.M.C. was the stuff of legend. Phife even influenced the look of the group. Gone were the Afrocentric beads and daishikis; now ATCQ wore crisp athletic gear, Polo and Tommy Hilfiger, looking more like Phife and less like hip-hop hippies. Where Tip was abstract, Phife was more relatable. This balance set the group up to record one of the greatest pieces of music of all time: Midnight Marauders.
Midnight Marauders may be the album responsible for getting more people into hip-hop than any album before and after it. It’s a flawless piece of work, and the reputation that Phife began to build on Low End Theory was expanded on greatly while recordingMidnight Marauders. On the solo cut "8 Million Stories," Phife painted an eloquent picture of himself as the homie from around the way. With lyrics like “everybody knows I go to Georgia often” and “to top it off, Starks got ejected,” Phife let us into his life in a very personal way. Very early, Phife let us know that he was getting sick of NY and that sports was beginning to interest him more than hip-hop. When I first heard Phife rap “when’s the last time you heard a funky diabetic?” on “Oh My God,” I winced. It was so brutally and beautifully honest of a lyric, it made my body react.
Phife was the king of rapping about R&B singers. He used to have a crush on Dawn from En Vogue, he had more condoms than TLC, he told you to call Mr. Babyface so he can bring out the cool in you and the all true man, like Alexander O’Neal. He had the best metaphors for “finishing,” like when he said “bust off on your couch, now you got Seaman’s furniture.” But my favorite Phife verse is from a song on Midnight Marauderscalled “God Lives Through,” where he connects his success and his group’s success to the ultimate success of New York hip-hop. He shouts out the Queens rappers who were large at the time, showing that at the end of the day, he was all about the hip-hop community.
On a more personal level, I got to know Phife’s mom, Cheryl Boyce Taylor, while I was working at Nkiru Books in Brooklyn as a teen. Cheryl is an internationally known poet from Trinidad who raised Phife in Queens and used to come to poetry readings I would throw at the store. She talked about her son Malik with such pride; she was elated that hip-hop fans like myself revered him so much. I automatically thought of Cheryl when I heard of Phife’s passing, and she is in my prayers. I cannot imagine having to go through this as a parent, but I know she is strong and will remain so.
And even though Jarobi left ATCQ for a bit, his relationship with Phife only grew. They were tremendous friends and I know Jarobi is feeling this hard, so my prayers are going out to him and his family as well. Tip and Ali have to be experiencing an immense feeling of loss right now, my prayers are with them. I love those brothers. Phife’s wife, who gave him a kidney some years ago, must also be going through a lot; she is in my prayers as well.
The most exciting thing about Phife was watching him grow as an artist in front of us. He went from Tip’s homie to Phife Dawg to the Funky Diabetic to the Five Foot Assassin. He utilized his Trinidadian roots to add a Caribbean favor to his verses and commanded the respect of a giant even though he was smaller than most. When ATCQ broke up, Phife never stopped, recording great music with producers like Hi-Tek and J Dilla, and starting a business with DJ Rasta Root in Atlanta. He reinvented himself as a sports analysts and regularly appeared on sports programs.
Phife Dawg was authenticity in the flesh. Loyal to a fault and fiercely protective of this culture we call hip-hop, Phife embodies the very best of us. The Trini gladiator, the anti-hesitator -- Phife will forever be a part of the reason for the music I love and make a living from. And for that, I owe him the world.
'Long Live the Phifer': Hip-Hop Writers Reflect on Phife Dawg, the Lyrical Genius & Relatable Rapper
Phife Dawg's rhymes gave life to rap. The Queens-bred wordsmith -- who helped form the game-changing hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest alongside his high-school classmates Q-Tip and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad as well as Jarobi White -- was heralded on the mic for keeping it real while infusing his rhymes with his signature wit and humor.
On Tuesday, the rapper born Malik Taylor died due to complications from diabetes at the age of 45. To help put the hip-hop pioneer's life, personality and contributions into words, Billboard called on several esteemed journalists to share their memories of Phife Dawg and how the Five Foot Assassin was like a homie to us all.
Datwon Thomas, Editor-in-Chief, VIBE
"The feeling right now is of extreme loss... How do you evaluate someone whose vocal tone is a part of your personal sonic fabric? I've loved A Tribe Called Quest as a crew for so long that I routinely throw on various tracks whenever I deal with hardships, big wins or just plain cleaning the house. So to lose the life in the physical of Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor hits on a deeper level than just a fan of his music.
It's more like a family member whose words and rhythm helped you get through tough times. His status as Q-Tip's right arm in ATCQ is only trumped by the fact that he is a top-flight MC in his own right. The fact that he consistently repped his Trinidadian roots was huge for hip-hop and the islanders that loved the music and rarely saw/heard someone rep for them in "mainstream" hip-hop.
[Phife] was the blue collar rap star that rapped like he was having a conversation with you in a local barbershop. That's what endeared him to his loyal fans. Pick any video he's been in, from whatever era of Tribe's evolving wardrobe style and you can get a sports team logo on a hat, jacket, hoodie or t-shirt worn by The Phifer. Style engineer for street beat lovers, he was a champion of it and pretty much never wavered from that uniform.
To hear his presence on the mic was one that was of calm in the midst of craziness. Listen to how he sets the tone as the first to swing on the classic Tribe and Leaders of the New School posse cut "Scenario". Calm, clever and constructive with his flow and even iller with the visuals when the video directed by Spike Lee came out. [Full of] one liners, his legacy will be one of steady substance and realness beyond measure. Long live the Phifer."
Rob Markman, Artist Relations Manager, Genius
Phife Dawg was truly a lyrical genius. While Q-Tip was abstract and poetic with his verses, Phife’s one-liners were straightforward and raw -- it’s that balance that made A Tribe Called Quest so iconic.
Whether he was putting Bo Jackson on blast with his opening “Scenario” verse or professing his love for women of every shade on “Electric Relaxation,” Phife was witty and relatable. This morning Genius curated “10 Iconic Phife Dawg Lyrics We’ll Never Forget” and it was just so hard to narrow down.
Not only was Phife one of my favorites on the mic, he was a style icon. I remember bugging my parents for a Seton Hall jersey after Phife wore it in the “Check The Rhime” video. There will never be another.
Sowmya Krishnamurthy, Contributing Journalist for Village Voice, Billboard, XXLamong other publications
I was in elementary school at the apex of A Tribe Called Quest. All the cool, older kids bragged about how “bad” The Low End Theory was ("bad" meaning "good" in suburban, ‘90s lexicon) and I needed to get my hands on it. I remember selecting the CD in Columbia House’s mail order catalog -- in Magic Marker. Phife Dawg was such an integral part of the iconic group. His lyricism and wordplay still have us rewinding the bars 25 years later.
Jerry L. Barrow, Managing Editor, WatchLOUD.com
I wouldn’t say that Phife was the opposite of Q-Tip, but he was an ideal complement to him. Tip was always so in control, coloring within the lines and Phife would come along drawing mustaches on the Mona Lisa. His R-rated one-liners are some of the most quoted and memorable in the game without making you feel dirty.
While Tip’s “flooded mind” was metaphorically ejaculating, Phife was busting a nut inside your eye to show you where he came from. He’s also the only MC I know to work the Barney dinosaur jingle into a verse and not sound crazy. Not to mention the leap he made in flow and content from People’s Instinctive Travels to Low End Theory gives him most improved MC emeritus status. Phife was also one of the handful of MCs like KRS-One and Heavy D to mix Jamaican/ Caribbean influences in his rhymes beforeand after it was trendy. He meant it. Phife Dawg was one of a kind and will be missed.
Kathy Iandoli, Writer/ Author who has contributed to Pitchfork, Maxim, Cosmo, Mass Appeal, among other publications
I accidentally fell in love with Phife Dawg. The year was 1992, and the Fu-Schnickensdropped their single “La Schmoove,” a joint filled with Adderall raps featuring a Phife cameo. A year prior, he became my favorite member of A Tribe Called Quest after the release of “Scenario,” but on “La Schmoove,” something felt different. He was always the most relatable member of ATCQ, but jumping on the Fu-Schnickens track, he was like the guest of honor. He stuck out. While the rest of the Fu was losing their shit rapping in that early ‘90s Das EFX branded high-sped flow, Phife strutted out in a striped sock hat (matching his undershirt) holding a bottle of water super casually. 20 years old (but he would still seek knowledge), out of everyone on that track, he really had nothing to prove. But his confidence, his charisma, his smooth delivery that cut through the Fu’s hysteria like a hot butter knife… It was just so dope. I would eventually be seven inches taller than that man, but damn was I enthralled.
I remember meeting him for the first time while on assignment many years later, and he was probably the nicest guy I have ever met (next to Jarobi). When he finally got his kidney in 2008, I cried a little for him. And that’s the mark of a true artist: someone who can create music that makes you feel like you really know them and root for them on the sidelines. Phife was that dude. Short in stature, with confidence as tall as the Freedom Tower, he allowed us to know him before there was Instagram or Twitter or any other voyeuristic means of reaching a fanbase. He spoke through his music. I didn’t really know him but I loved him. Rest well, Phife Diggy. You always had something to say.
Alvin "Aqua" Blanco, Deputy Editor, HipHopWired
Phife Dawg embodied the spirit of the hip-hop underdog who puffs out his chest and talks ish, but always backs it up lyrically. He effortlessly dropped quotables whose double meanings you might not catch until way later and ultimately left a body of work that proves without a doubt he wasn't anyone's sidekick. Saying Phife was the Scottie Pippen to Q-Tip's Michael Jordan has become cliché but when it comes to A Tribe Called Quest, you couldn't have one without the other, and the Five Foot Assassin was essential to the equation.
Andre Torres, Executive Editor, Genius and founder and former Editor-In-Chief ofWax Poetics
While Phife was somewhat absent from the first couple of Tribe singles, "Can I Kick It?" marked his official announcement to the world. His verse easily became one of my favorites on the album, and cemented him as an essential part of the ATQC dynamic.
I had already devoured People's Instinctive Paths by then so I knew the deal, but it was great to see everyone else waking up to Phife's laid-back style. He was the Everyman to Q-Tip's cerebral abstract vibes, bringing in pop culture references and grounding the group for the streets. Similar to Flavor Flav's role in Public Enemy, Phife played Flav to Tip's Chuck D. Adding much-needed levity to the group's boho aesthetic, Phife was the dude you wanted to kick it with.
I was never fortunate enough to meet him, but my former passion project of fifteen years Wax Poetics was able to secure a cover story with the group that will be running in a few months. I found out the writer turned the piece in just hours before Phife's passing. A strange turn of events, but one that will hopefully bring more attention to one of the greatest sidemen the culture's ever seen.
Rest In Power, Phife Dawg.
Miles Marshall Lewis, Former Editor at XXL, VIBE, BET and Ebony
"I first spoke to Phife down in his (then) hometown of Atlanta in 1998, working on a story to reveal A Tribe Called Quest’s breakup for The Source magazine, back when magazines could reveal breakups. I knew the ATL from college; we ate at Diddy’s (then) restaurant Justin’s, partied at Club 112 and recovered at Phife’s house. I expected to bond fast with ATCQ’s crate-digging, jazz-loving Q-Tip, but didn’t know how things would go with Phife. The only sport I’m versed in is boxing, not his beloved basketball. But it turns out hip-hop is a sport. That weekend, we spoke mostly about women “brown, yellow, Puerto Rican and Haitian” and the roots of rap and its commercial takeover, still relatively new back then.
Five months ago, 17 years after my breakup story on the group, I interviewed them all once again up at Sirius XM, in the booth of the Sway in the Morning show. We’re all about 45, but Phife looked the most aged, due to a 25-year battle with diabetes that ultimately took his life yesterday. But he had just as much to say about hip-hop and, this time around, social media. Instagram @iamthephifer was his drug of choice. I wished him well for their Jimmy Fallon performance that night before shooting our own Instagram selfie. I wish him well still. Rest in peace, Malik Taylor.
Miss Info, Hip-Hop Personality
Obviously Phife's passing hits me very hard. This was the group (alongside Run-D.M.C. and N.W.A) that really made me the hip-hop fan I am. And his life as an underdawg, pun intended, is one of the most dramatic struggles in the music's history.
I just said in an IG post of some incredible vintage photo of Phife, Tip, Heavy D and D-Nice, "I know that tastes change and style is wasted on the youth, but I hope that the future doesn't treat diamonds like Phife (and Heavy D) as artifacts to be displayed behind glass for class trips...what they gave is more like water or air, in finite amount and never not necessary.
And that's basically what I wonder the most...we have no place dictating what future fans should love and listen to, what will change them or inspire them...but ATCQ and Phife's voice specifically helped build more than one gen of thinkers and lovers...so I believe it should and can do the same over and over again.
Brian Coleman, Author of the Check the Technique book series (Tribe’s Low End Theory is covered in Volume 1, released in 2007 on Random House / Villard)
I didn’t know Phife well, but I think we all felt like we knew him – that’s what happens when artists speak to you honestly through their music. Phife was a very honest, intelligent, funny and at times self-deprecating guy. I interviewed him at length in 2001, initially for XXL’s “Classic Material” column, about his early years, up through 1991’sThe Low End Theory. The real meat of the interview appeared in my 2007 book Check the Technique, where I covered the group’s sophomore album in a great deal more depth.
Looking back at my transcription from 2001, a couple things made me smile just now:
Phife was an around-the-way guy with incredible skills on the mic and a personality that lit up any stage he strutted across. He was someone you always loved hearing, but he wasn’t intimidating. In a lot of ways that’s as or even more powerful than someone with “God” status on the mic (Rakim, for example). It’s about relatability, and Phife had it for days. Decades, in fact. He was a great man, and all of his fans will miss him, now and for many, many years to come.
Phife Dawg's rhymes gave life to rap. The Queens-bred wordsmith -- who helped form the game-changing hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest alongside his high-school classmates Q-Tip and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad as well as Jarobi White -- was heralded on the mic for keeping it real while infusing his rhymes with his signature wit and humor.
On Tuesday, the rapper born Malik Taylor died due to complications from diabetes at the age of 45. To help put the hip-hop pioneer's life, personality and contributions into words, Billboard called on several esteemed journalists to share their memories of Phife Dawg and how the Five Foot Assassin was like a homie to us all.
Datwon Thomas, Editor-in-Chief, VIBE
"The feeling right now is of extreme loss... How do you evaluate someone whose vocal tone is a part of your personal sonic fabric? I've loved A Tribe Called Quest as a crew for so long that I routinely throw on various tracks whenever I deal with hardships, big wins or just plain cleaning the house. So to lose the life in the physical of Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor hits on a deeper level than just a fan of his music.
It's more like a family member whose words and rhythm helped you get through tough times. His status as Q-Tip's right arm in ATCQ is only trumped by the fact that he is a top-flight MC in his own right. The fact that he consistently repped his Trinidadian roots was huge for hip-hop and the islanders that loved the music and rarely saw/heard someone rep for them in "mainstream" hip-hop.
[Phife] was the blue collar rap star that rapped like he was having a conversation with you in a local barbershop. That's what endeared him to his loyal fans. Pick any video he's been in, from whatever era of Tribe's evolving wardrobe style and you can get a sports team logo on a hat, jacket, hoodie or t-shirt worn by The Phifer. Style engineer for street beat lovers, he was a champion of it and pretty much never wavered from that uniform.
To hear his presence on the mic was one that was of calm in the midst of craziness. Listen to how he sets the tone as the first to swing on the classic Tribe and Leaders of the New School posse cut "Scenario". Calm, clever and constructive with his flow and even iller with the visuals when the video directed by Spike Lee came out. [Full of] one liners, his legacy will be one of steady substance and realness beyond measure. Long live the Phifer."
Rob Markman, Artist Relations Manager, Genius
Phife Dawg was truly a lyrical genius. While Q-Tip was abstract and poetic with his verses, Phife’s one-liners were straightforward and raw -- it’s that balance that made A Tribe Called Quest so iconic.
Whether he was putting Bo Jackson on blast with his opening “Scenario” verse or professing his love for women of every shade on “Electric Relaxation,” Phife was witty and relatable. This morning Genius curated “10 Iconic Phife Dawg Lyrics We’ll Never Forget” and it was just so hard to narrow down.
Not only was Phife one of my favorites on the mic, he was a style icon. I remember bugging my parents for a Seton Hall jersey after Phife wore it in the “Check The Rhime” video. There will never be another.
Sowmya Krishnamurthy, Contributing Journalist for Village Voice, Billboard, XXLamong other publications
I was in elementary school at the apex of A Tribe Called Quest. All the cool, older kids bragged about how “bad” The Low End Theory was ("bad" meaning "good" in suburban, ‘90s lexicon) and I needed to get my hands on it. I remember selecting the CD in Columbia House’s mail order catalog -- in Magic Marker. Phife Dawg was such an integral part of the iconic group. His lyricism and wordplay still have us rewinding the bars 25 years later.
Jerry L. Barrow, Managing Editor, WatchLOUD.com
I wouldn’t say that Phife was the opposite of Q-Tip, but he was an ideal complement to him. Tip was always so in control, coloring within the lines and Phife would come along drawing mustaches on the Mona Lisa. His R-rated one-liners are some of the most quoted and memorable in the game without making you feel dirty.
While Tip’s “flooded mind” was metaphorically ejaculating, Phife was busting a nut inside your eye to show you where he came from. He’s also the only MC I know to work the Barney dinosaur jingle into a verse and not sound crazy. Not to mention the leap he made in flow and content from People’s Instinctive Travels to Low End Theory gives him most improved MC emeritus status. Phife was also one of the handful of MCs like KRS-One and Heavy D to mix Jamaican/ Caribbean influences in his rhymes beforeand after it was trendy. He meant it. Phife Dawg was one of a kind and will be missed.
Kathy Iandoli, Writer/ Author who has contributed to Pitchfork, Maxim, Cosmo, Mass Appeal, among other publications
I accidentally fell in love with Phife Dawg. The year was 1992, and the Fu-Schnickensdropped their single “La Schmoove,” a joint filled with Adderall raps featuring a Phife cameo. A year prior, he became my favorite member of A Tribe Called Quest after the release of “Scenario,” but on “La Schmoove,” something felt different. He was always the most relatable member of ATCQ, but jumping on the Fu-Schnickens track, he was like the guest of honor. He stuck out. While the rest of the Fu was losing their shit rapping in that early ‘90s Das EFX branded high-sped flow, Phife strutted out in a striped sock hat (matching his undershirt) holding a bottle of water super casually. 20 years old (but he would still seek knowledge), out of everyone on that track, he really had nothing to prove. But his confidence, his charisma, his smooth delivery that cut through the Fu’s hysteria like a hot butter knife… It was just so dope. I would eventually be seven inches taller than that man, but damn was I enthralled.
I remember meeting him for the first time while on assignment many years later, and he was probably the nicest guy I have ever met (next to Jarobi). When he finally got his kidney in 2008, I cried a little for him. And that’s the mark of a true artist: someone who can create music that makes you feel like you really know them and root for them on the sidelines. Phife was that dude. Short in stature, with confidence as tall as the Freedom Tower, he allowed us to know him before there was Instagram or Twitter or any other voyeuristic means of reaching a fanbase. He spoke through his music. I didn’t really know him but I loved him. Rest well, Phife Diggy. You always had something to say.
Alvin "Aqua" Blanco, Deputy Editor, HipHopWired
Phife Dawg embodied the spirit of the hip-hop underdog who puffs out his chest and talks ish, but always backs it up lyrically. He effortlessly dropped quotables whose double meanings you might not catch until way later and ultimately left a body of work that proves without a doubt he wasn't anyone's sidekick. Saying Phife was the Scottie Pippen to Q-Tip's Michael Jordan has become cliché but when it comes to A Tribe Called Quest, you couldn't have one without the other, and the Five Foot Assassin was essential to the equation.
Andre Torres, Executive Editor, Genius and founder and former Editor-In-Chief ofWax Poetics
While Phife was somewhat absent from the first couple of Tribe singles, "Can I Kick It?" marked his official announcement to the world. His verse easily became one of my favorites on the album, and cemented him as an essential part of the ATQC dynamic.
I had already devoured People's Instinctive Paths by then so I knew the deal, but it was great to see everyone else waking up to Phife's laid-back style. He was the Everyman to Q-Tip's cerebral abstract vibes, bringing in pop culture references and grounding the group for the streets. Similar to Flavor Flav's role in Public Enemy, Phife played Flav to Tip's Chuck D. Adding much-needed levity to the group's boho aesthetic, Phife was the dude you wanted to kick it with.
I was never fortunate enough to meet him, but my former passion project of fifteen years Wax Poetics was able to secure a cover story with the group that will be running in a few months. I found out the writer turned the piece in just hours before Phife's passing. A strange turn of events, but one that will hopefully bring more attention to one of the greatest sidemen the culture's ever seen.
Rest In Power, Phife Dawg.
Miles Marshall Lewis, Former Editor at XXL, VIBE, BET and Ebony
"I first spoke to Phife down in his (then) hometown of Atlanta in 1998, working on a story to reveal A Tribe Called Quest’s breakup for The Source magazine, back when magazines could reveal breakups. I knew the ATL from college; we ate at Diddy’s (then) restaurant Justin’s, partied at Club 112 and recovered at Phife’s house. I expected to bond fast with ATCQ’s crate-digging, jazz-loving Q-Tip, but didn’t know how things would go with Phife. The only sport I’m versed in is boxing, not his beloved basketball. But it turns out hip-hop is a sport. That weekend, we spoke mostly about women “brown, yellow, Puerto Rican and Haitian” and the roots of rap and its commercial takeover, still relatively new back then.
Five months ago, 17 years after my breakup story on the group, I interviewed them all once again up at Sirius XM, in the booth of the Sway in the Morning show. We’re all about 45, but Phife looked the most aged, due to a 25-year battle with diabetes that ultimately took his life yesterday. But he had just as much to say about hip-hop and, this time around, social media. Instagram @iamthephifer was his drug of choice. I wished him well for their Jimmy Fallon performance that night before shooting our own Instagram selfie. I wish him well still. Rest in peace, Malik Taylor.
Miss Info, Hip-Hop Personality
Obviously Phife's passing hits me very hard. This was the group (alongside Run-D.M.C. and N.W.A) that really made me the hip-hop fan I am. And his life as an underdawg, pun intended, is one of the most dramatic struggles in the music's history.
I just said in an IG post of some incredible vintage photo of Phife, Tip, Heavy D and D-Nice, "I know that tastes change and style is wasted on the youth, but I hope that the future doesn't treat diamonds like Phife (and Heavy D) as artifacts to be displayed behind glass for class trips...what they gave is more like water or air, in finite amount and never not necessary.
And that's basically what I wonder the most...we have no place dictating what future fans should love and listen to, what will change them or inspire them...but ATCQ and Phife's voice specifically helped build more than one gen of thinkers and lovers...so I believe it should and can do the same over and over again.
Brian Coleman, Author of the Check the Technique book series (Tribe’s Low End Theory is covered in Volume 1, released in 2007 on Random House / Villard)
I didn’t know Phife well, but I think we all felt like we knew him – that’s what happens when artists speak to you honestly through their music. Phife was a very honest, intelligent, funny and at times self-deprecating guy. I interviewed him at length in 2001, initially for XXL’s “Classic Material” column, about his early years, up through 1991’sThe Low End Theory. The real meat of the interview appeared in my 2007 book Check the Technique, where I covered the group’s sophomore album in a great deal more depth.
Looking back at my transcription from 2001, a couple things made me smile just now:
- (Note to myself, in the margins: “(he was) listening to Thriller when I called”)
- He mentioned that he was thinking about becoming a sports agent. Considering all his lyrical sports references, it certainly made sense. He admitted to being a basketball fan first and foremost, with football coming second. “In high school, I really wanted to play football or basketball, or at least coach.”
- He made a point of mentioning how good the Jungle Brothers’ Done By The Forces of Nature album was.
- He admitted that he didn’t take his rap career seriously on the group’s first record,Peoples’ Instinctive Travels and The Paths of Rhythm. He admitted, “I was being ignorant… I would have rather hung out with my boys on the street and got my hustle on than go to the studio… I was hardly around, not like I should have been.” He knew that Low End Theory was his “make up” chance, and he made the most of it, cementing his status as one of the great MCs of the ‘90s.
- He wouldn’t tell me the earliest name of the group, before they landed on A Tribe Called Quest (expanded from just Tribe). He mentioned that he was embarrassed by it, and towards the end of the interview I figured maybe I had warmed him up a bit, and that he would finally cop to it. So I asked again. “Chill, leave it alone,” he scolded. “I’m not admittin’ that one.” I apologized.
Phife was an around-the-way guy with incredible skills on the mic and a personality that lit up any stage he strutted across. He was someone you always loved hearing, but he wasn’t intimidating. In a lot of ways that’s as or even more powerful than someone with “God” status on the mic (Rakim, for example). It’s about relatability, and Phife had it for days. Decades, in fact. He was a great man, and all of his fans will miss him, now and for many, many years to come.
Rest in peace, Phife Dawg. You left your mark on this world via the music game. ATCQ was definitely an influential group. For the BGOL fam' that were a bit too young at the time (in the 90s) ... do yourself a favor and go back and listen to their albums. Some really dope shit. My brother's a few years younger than me, but I made sure to play their CASSETTE TAPES in the ride with him. He became a fan pretty quickly. Dope seeing all the RIP mentions & tributes in recent days. Hell ... just glancin' on Twitter & Facebook you can see the impact you & Q-Tip + Ali had on the game. People that I never even knew followed ANY type of hiphop are typing up your quotables.That's real. Rest in peace.
https://www.youtube.com/user/TribeCalledQuestVEVO/videos
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tribe_Called_Quest
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tribe_Called_Quest#Albums_2
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop trio that was formed in 1985,[2] and was composed of MC/producer Q-Tip, MC Phife Dawg aka Phife Diggy (Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album in 1991. He continued to contribute to the band sporadically before rejoining for their 2006 reunion. Along with De La Soul, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Many of their songs, such as "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Scenario", "Check the Rhime", "Jazz (We've Got)", "Award Tour" and "Electric Relaxation" are regarded as classics. The group released five albums between 1990 and 1998 and disbanded in 1998. In 2006, the group reunited and toured the US.
The group is regarded as pioneers of alternative hip hop music, having helped to pave the way for many innovative artists.[3] John Bush of AllMusic called them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s,"[4] while the editors of About.com ranked them #4 on their list of the "25 Best Rap Groups of All Time."[5] In 2005, A Tribe Called Quest received a Special Achievement Award at the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.[6] In 2007, the group was formally honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors.
https://www.youtube.com/user/TribeCalledQuestVEVO/videos
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tribe_Called_Quest
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tribe_Called_Quest#Albums_2
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop trio that was formed in 1985,[2] and was composed of MC/producer Q-Tip, MC Phife Dawg aka Phife Diggy (Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album in 1991. He continued to contribute to the band sporadically before rejoining for their 2006 reunion. Along with De La Soul, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Many of their songs, such as "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Scenario", "Check the Rhime", "Jazz (We've Got)", "Award Tour" and "Electric Relaxation" are regarded as classics. The group released five albums between 1990 and 1998 and disbanded in 1998. In 2006, the group reunited and toured the US.
The group is regarded as pioneers of alternative hip hop music, having helped to pave the way for many innovative artists.[3] John Bush of AllMusic called them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s,"[4] while the editors of About.com ranked them #4 on their list of the "25 Best Rap Groups of All Time."[5] In 2005, A Tribe Called Quest received a Special Achievement Award at the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.[6] In 2007, the group was formally honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors.
RIP to the 5 foot assassin
Salute to a legend. May your journey be joyous and peaceful my brother! Bless you and thank you for leaving us with great music to remember you by! RIP until we meet again!
RIP PHIFE
Wow! Hard news to take. Numb. Just heard the news earlier this evening and have been playing ATCQ stuff for hours now.
Like someone said earlier ATCQ are our generation's Beatles, Rolling Stones, Zeppelin, Grateful Dead and all that.
Powerful powerful group. That's why Rappaport made that doc he made. Criticize that doc or not, the spirit and reason for which it was made I felt one hundred percent.
Somebody compared those two to Lennon and McCartney. I totally agree.
RIP Phife. I feel bad for Q-tip. I know he feels some type of way behind this. Life is too short for that beefing and selfishness or whatever.
Always have been my personal GOAT Hip Hop group for years now. Years.
That's gone forever now. No going back. The memories though, sad they may be, will always be with us.
Like someone said earlier ATCQ are our generation's Beatles, Rolling Stones, Zeppelin, Grateful Dead and all that.
Powerful powerful group. That's why Rappaport made that doc he made. Criticize that doc or not, the spirit and reason for which it was made I felt one hundred percent.
Somebody compared those two to Lennon and McCartney. I totally agree.
RIP Phife. I feel bad for Q-tip. I know he feels some type of way behind this. Life is too short for that beefing and selfishness or whatever.
Always have been my personal GOAT Hip Hop group for years now. Years.
That's gone forever now. No going back. The memories though, sad they may be, will always be with us.
sittin' here on my Seaman's furniture I just remembered-
I left my wallet in El Segundo...
RIP Phife
How did I 1st hear about it?
I was flippin' thru channels and when I hit the local ABC station "The View" was on at the moment Raven Simone stopped the blah-blah-blah to "take a moment to note & mourn the passing of Malik Isaac Taylor..."
I was like, "that name sounds familiar but who is she talkin' 'bout?"
And as she said "better known as.." I said it with her-
(she still don't get her stripes back-coon club card carrying member)
I left my wallet in El Segundo...
RIP Phife
How did I 1st hear about it?
I was flippin' thru channels and when I hit the local ABC station "The View" was on at the moment Raven Simone stopped the blah-blah-blah to "take a moment to note & mourn the passing of Malik Isaac Taylor..."
I was like, "that name sounds familiar but who is she talkin' 'bout?"
And as she said "better known as.." I said it with her-
(she still don't get her stripes back-coon club card carrying member)
Kidney failure. That stuff ain't no joke man. Think about it. Your kidneys break down and it's pretty much over. Sad devastating news to hear from a doctor.
First person I thought about was Walter Payton. Millionaires. Couldn't get a kidney. That's a long list and a tough one to crack.
Heard about his donated kidney going out on the Hot 97 show with Ebro. His wife did all she could when she donated her own kidney. That's love. That's real family.
Makes you think about a lot of things and reflect on the important things in life. Sad day. When death hits so close to home like this it just really makes you think about things.
I know Jarobi is losing it right now. His wife and family. Just sad. Yeah he's a celebrity that I never met. Never even saw one of their shows live. But sometimes a celeb or artist is so beloved that it hits you in the gut when they go.
Wow! Just woke up this morning. You know I dreamed about Phife passing last night? This is affecting so many people from that era or who respect that era deeply.
No diss or no shade but I just never ever liked gangster from the moment it blew up and took over. A little off subject but I always felt like Common did when he made "I Used To Love Her" back in 94. Yeah I liked certain tracks or groups or whatever producers, flows and all that. Lots of talent from the gangster side. I give props where due and acknowledge that.
But that's part of the reason why this seems to hit so hard. ATCQ and especially Phife just connected with people. Real everyday people both gangster and non gangster.
Just a little reflection and insight on the impact Phife and ATCQ as a group and this man's passing have all had on a generation of young people.
First person I thought about was Walter Payton. Millionaires. Couldn't get a kidney. That's a long list and a tough one to crack.
Heard about his donated kidney going out on the Hot 97 show with Ebro. His wife did all she could when she donated her own kidney. That's love. That's real family.
Makes you think about a lot of things and reflect on the important things in life. Sad day. When death hits so close to home like this it just really makes you think about things.
I know Jarobi is losing it right now. His wife and family. Just sad. Yeah he's a celebrity that I never met. Never even saw one of their shows live. But sometimes a celeb or artist is so beloved that it hits you in the gut when they go.
Wow! Just woke up this morning. You know I dreamed about Phife passing last night? This is affecting so many people from that era or who respect that era deeply.
No diss or no shade but I just never ever liked gangster from the moment it blew up and took over. A little off subject but I always felt like Common did when he made "I Used To Love Her" back in 94. Yeah I liked certain tracks or groups or whatever producers, flows and all that. Lots of talent from the gangster side. I give props where due and acknowledge that.
But that's part of the reason why this seems to hit so hard. ATCQ and especially Phife just connected with people. Real everyday people both gangster and non gangster.
Just a little reflection and insight on the impact Phife and ATCQ as a group and this man's passing have all had on a generation of young people.
Phife was a mad cool dude and I loved his flo..he will mos def be missed R.I.P Dawg 
