ATLANTA — Tributes to a hip-hop legend who called Atlanta his second home are pouring in from around the world.
Malik Taylor, better known as Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest, died Wednesday at the age of 45.
His death may have been the result of a long battle with diabetes.
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Ed Lover and Monie Love host a radio show in Atlanta and dedicated Wednesday and Thursday’s shows to Phife Dawg and his impact on music.
Lover grew up in the same neighborhood as Phife Dawg, and Love, a British rapper, was part of the same musical family and recorded with the group.
“They were already a bunch of oddballs. So me being an oddball and an outsider from the country, it was really a cool fit and they were very welcoming. We’ve been siblings ever since,” she said.
Lover says that although he knew Phife was dealing with diabetes, his death still came as a shock.
“(I) thought he had it under control, and the last time we saw him he looked better than when we saw him in the past,” he said.
The news of Phife Dawg’s death has sent a ripple effect through the hip-hop community. Many say Phife and A Tribe Called Quest paved the way for the artists of today.
“There’s no Kanye without Phife, and without Tribe, there’s no Common. There’s no Pharrell. There’s not OutKast,” Lover said.
Channel 2's Mark Arum paid tribute to Phife Dawg Wednesday morning in a traffic report that has since become a viral sensation.
“(A) Tribe Called Quest was one of the greatest groups of all time. You really have to give him respect for that,” Atlanta radio host Art Terrell said.
Funeral arrangement have not yet been finalized, but the services will be held in New York.
Cox Media Group
