Malik Taylor, known as Phife Dawg, from A Tribe Called Quest, died Wednesday at the age of 45. Although the cause of death has not been released, Taylor had been battling Type 1 diabetes for several years.
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Taylor’s music with ATCQ catapulted hip-hop to another level. The group’s albums The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders are pieces of hip-hop nostalgia that will never go out of style.
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Although the group’s last album together was 1998’s The Love Movement, the group would periodically reunite for shows. Prime example is the photo above, which I took in 2010 at Rock the Bells in Columbia, Md.
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In Beats, Rhymes & Life, Michael Rapaport’s documentary about the group, Taylor spoke about the impact that living with diabetes had had on his life.
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“Even though I knew I had [diabetes], I was in denial,” Taylor said. “I had to have my sugar. You have to accept it. If you don’t accept it, it’s going to kick your ass.”
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RIP to one of the greatest.
Straight From 
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