Phife Dawg, American rap musician, Died at 45

  Music

Malik Isaac Taylor was born on November 20, 1970, and died on March 22, 2016.

He was better known by his stage name Phife Dawg (or simply Phife).

Malik Isaac Taylor was an American rapper.

He was of Trinidadian origin, and a member of the group A Tribe Called Quest with high school classmates Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (and for a short time Jarobi White).

Phife Dawg was also known as the “Five Foot Assassin” and “The Five Footer”, because he stood at 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m).

The Rapper was described as having a “self-deprecating swagger”, and his work with A Tribe Called Quest helped to challenge the “macho posturing” of rap and hip-hop music during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Reportedly his work has been cited as an influence on Kanye West, Jill Scott, The Roots and Common, while the 1991 album The Low-End Theory was considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums released.

Malik was diagnosed with diabetes in May 1990.

Phife Dawg was mentioned as being a “funky diabetic” in the single “Oh My God” from the group’s third album, Midnight Marauders.

He received a kidney transplant from his wife in 2008, after waiting on the list for two year, which was unsuccessful and by 2012 he once again required a transplant.

Phife Dawg passed away at 45 yrs old.