One of the Midnight Marauders has left us - Phife Dawg dead at the age of 45 years old
I am sure you must have heard the news by now.
However, I still can’t believe it. Phife Dawg is dead………….
The legendary rapper and wordsmith from the alternative/jazz hip group called - A Tribe Called Quest is no longer with us.
The 1st article that I ever wrote for this website was (Please click on the link below).
A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes & Life
The article was about the group called - A Tribe Called Quest. Such was the influence of their music over me.
As many people know I love all forms of black music – from Soul music to House music; from Hip Hop to Gospel and more in between. However, this group was well ahead of its times (A Tribe Called Quest).
The furor of the film that was made about the Hip-Hop group NWA, which was released in August 2015 and showed a different side to Hip Hop music.
Their version of HipHop music was brash, it was honest and lastly showed you or tried to show life for many living in the ghetto areas of South Central Los Angeles and other areas.
Musically, A Tribe Called Quest made better music than NWA who and together with the huge resurgence in West Coast HipHop - were ruling the roast.
However, in regards to A Tribe Called Quest, they tackled and talked about hip-hop music and social issues differently than with NWA in regards to their lives and what was happening around them.
There was no better sight in HipHop than seeing QTip and Phife Dawg seemingly trying to upstage each other either on stage or within recording a studio – but at the same time complimenting each other via the song that they were doing at the time for A Tribe Called Quest.
In my opinion and it's only my opinion – A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr are the two greatest HipHop Bands to come out of the gender of Hip Hop Music.
I KNOW THAT I AM GOING TO FLAME FOR MENTIONING THAT, BUT BOTH OF THEM MADE GREAT ALBUM AFTER ALBUM THAT CAN BE STILL DROPPED AT ANY HIP-HOP EVENT OR GIG TODAY.
Everything about these two bands was majestic and leaves you wanting them to be around right now.
In my opinion, they are still the yardstick that today’s Hip Hop artists and bands still need to aspire to. Please click on the Rolling Stones magazine which gives you the full story.
ROLLINGSTONE MAGAZINE REPORTS ON A TRIBE CALLED QUEST ARTIST - PHIFE DAWG AND HIS DEATH
However, the rapper that is Phife Dawg (his real name is – Malik Taylor – died on the 23rd of March 2016) – We have been told that he died of complications regarding the long-held illness he had with Type 2 Diabetes. He died at the age of 45 years old.
Born Malik Taylor in New York, USA in 1970, he co-founded the alternative/jazz/hip hop group with his classmates that were Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammed.
Phife's appeared on all 5 albums that were released by A Tribe Called Quest. Sharing the mic with Q-TIP he was the perfect foil to the child-like and yet sweetly soothing voice of QTIP’s lyrical approach to the game.
Phife nicknamed himself apparently as the “Five Foot Assassin”; as a reference to his small stature but beefy boasts that he portrayed in his raps within the group that is A Tribe Called Quest.
Hip Hop acts and DJs such as DJ Red Alert, Da la Soul, Jungle Brothers; and A Tribe Called Quest were part of a movement that is known as The Native Tongues.
Who were a collection of 1980s and early 1990s HipHop groups known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afro-centric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and later jazz-influenced beats.
A Tribe Called Quest surprised a lot of people within the Hip Hop community in regards to tackling issues such as “DATE RAPE” and the use of the N-word in the tracks called “Sucker Niga”.
They also moved away from the then hip hop clichés of gunplay and swearing within Hip Hop tracks.
A Tribe Called Quest approached how they make hip-hop music by using elements of jazz fused with hip-hop boom-bap beats and a sturdy bass line. Their 2nd album called “The Low-End Theory” has often been called the best Hip Hop album of all time.
The track called “Can You Kick It” has to be the group’s most recognizable track that they ever did. Recognized all over the world. With its catchy chorus and neat hook it always brings out a smile to whoever or she hears it.
Despite the track's worldwide appeal - Phife Dawg wasn’t that keen on it."It's hard for me to get into Can I Kick It? for the simple fact that I hated my voice back then," he told Rolling Stone. "It was high-pitched.... and I couldn't stand it."
Disagreements between Phife Dawg and Q-Tip led to eventually the band disbanding.
In 1998 they released their last album called the “Love Movement” I personally loved that album.
However, a few around the world stated that it could not touch Low-End Theory and Beats Rhymes and Life.
But everyone has their own opinion. The album called “The Love Movement” was first class. And if we're to be released today it would shake up the Hip Hop music industry.
During the discontinuation of A Tribe Called Quest as a band. Phife Dawg continued to fight the condition that he had which was type 2 diabetes.
To fund his fight he would appear in a comeback with the band whenever he could. Even though there was a continuing “beef” between himself and Q-Tip was still apparent.
Please click on this video below in regard toPhife Dawg's explanation of the beef between him and QTIP.
"It's a strain on me as far as going where I want to go, doing what I want to do," he said. "When I was on dialysis the first time, my stepson was playing basketball [and] I couldn't practice with him. I wanted to go out and run with him and things of that nature, but I didn't feel good.” – Phife Dawg.
I learned that Phife Dawg was working on a new solo album. It was to be called “Muttymorhoisis” which he stated was a reflection of his views on his career so far and on life in general. The world was given a glimpse as to what to expect from the album as a track from the album was previewed for us called “Nutshell”.
Phife Dawg speaks on the reflection of his career and times with A Tribe Called Quest.
"It's odd in a good way. I never expected it to be this big. I just thought we were going to be celebs in the hood. Like, honestly, within 25 years, when you go to places like Australia and Japan and Amsterdam and London and Germany and these people know [the songs] word-for-word, it's crazy."
I never got to see A Tribe Called Quest live, and it is one of my biggest musical regrets, to say the least.
The albums that A Tribe Called Quest released were so, so good. You would not be disappointed when they bought out any album.
They were not afraid to mention or bring to light issues that sometimes get swept under the carpet within Hip Hop music. Together with the samples that they used to create the music that they brought out was stunning
I will say this about A Tribe Called Quest. If the world went crazy for the film which got made earlier this year called Straight Outta Comptonabout NWA). Then they are in for a treat if a COMPLETE FILM were made about A TRIBE CALLED QUEST as they were a much better group than NWA.
We do have a documentary that was made about the group though. Please click on this - BEATS, RHYMES, AND LIFE - THE DOCUMENTARY and catch up on the history of the band. You are in for a treat. JUST CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW.
BEATS, RHYMES, AND LIFE - THE DOCUMENTARY
Well, that's all folks for me now anyway.
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