Phife Dawg (center) of legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest died March 23. (Getty)
Malik Taylor, commonly known as Phife Dawg of the iconic hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, died March 23 of complications from diabetes. His mother confirmed via Facebook in a heartbreaking post:
Hailed by critics as “the most intelligent, artistic hip-hop group of the 1990s,” A Tribe Called Quest recorded three platinum and two gold albums from 1990 to 1998.
Click the YouTube videos below to hear some of A Tribe Called Quest’s greatest hits:
Check the Rhime
“Check the Rhime” became A Tribe Called Quest’s only #1 hip-hop single in 1991. Phife Dawg is memorably introduced early in the track with the memorable call, “You on point, Phife?”
Can I Kick It
Though it didn’t make the mainstream charts on its 1993 release, “Can I Kick It” eventually became A Tribe Called Quest’s biggest song on Spotify, with more than 25 million views.
Award Tour
The video for “Award Tour,” the group’s highest-charting single on the mainstream charts, features an appearance by fellow rap pioneers De La Soul.
Scenario
In addition to reaching #6 on the hip-hop charts, “Scenario” served as a breakout moment for Busta Rhymes, then a member of Leaders of the New School.
Find a Way
“Find a Way” marked the last time A Tribe Called Quest would make the hip-hop Top 20. Shortly before its release, the group announced a breakup due to frustrations with their album Jive Zomba.
Flawless
Phife’s single solo hit was “Flawless,” which in 2000 reached #4 on the hip-hop charts.
