Phife Dawg, rapper and member of A Tribe Called Quest, has died aged 45.
The news first came from DJ Chuck Chillout who tweeted in the early hours of this morning. Just over an hour later the US producer Statik Selektah also confirmed it. Since then a flood of tributes from the music community have appeared online.
The Telegraph have reported that Malik Isaac Taylor, aka Phife Dawg, had been suffering with ill health resulting from his diabetes for several years and underwent a kidney transplant from his wife in 2008. A Tribe Called Quest are yet to comment.
Phife Dawg emerged with A Tribe Called Quest in the late '80s, alongside Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi, and contributed to all five of their studio records. He release his single solo album, 'Ventilation: Da LP', in 2000.
UPDATE: Phife Dawg’s family have released a statement: "Malik was our loving husband, father, brother and friend. We love him dearly. How he impacted all our lives will never be forgotten. His love for music and sports was only surpassed by his love of God and family."
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