CNN — Rapper Malik Taylor, better known to fans as Phife Dawg of the group ‘A Tribe Called Quest’, died Tuesday of complications from diabetes, according to a statement from his family and manager.
Taylor’s death was mourned on social media by both fans and famous celebrities on Wednesday.
Taylor, 45, had long suffered from health issues associated with his having Type 1 diabetes. In 2008, he underwent a kidney transplant, according to media sources.
Born in the Jamaica area of Queens in New York City, he became childhood friends with future group mate Q-Tip. The pair met at the age of 2 in church and would eventually become a part of A Tribe Called Quest, which was formed in 1985 with classmate Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
Their 1990 debut album “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm” featured the single “Can I Kick It” and Taylor’s high-pitched voice became a distinctive part of their sound. Their sophomore album, “The Low End Theory,” spurred the hit “Check the Rhime” which included the now iconic call and response “You on point Phife/All the time Tip.”
‘A Tribe Called Quest’, would go on to release five albums and become one of the most respected groups in hip hop.
Taylor told Rolling Stone magazine in 2015 that he was not even originally supposed to be part of the group, having appeared on the first album as a featured guest, according to news sources.
The group split in 1998 and both Phife Dawg and Q-Tip launched solo careers.