R.I.P. Phife Dawg
- Thread starter Kitsch
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this is my song.
Talib Kweli Reflects on Phife Dawg's Legacy: 'He Embodies the Very Best of Us' (Essay)
3/23/2016 by Talib Kweli
Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest photographed on April 27, 2011 in New York City.
ANDREW H. WALKER/GETTY IMAGES FOR TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
When Phife asked David Dinkins to be the mayor on “Can I Kick It,” I felt him. We had never imagined a black man could be mayor of New York, and I loved the way that Phife found a way to be political through his music. He didn't make a statement; he asked a question. "Ham 'N' Eggs" was my least favorite song from ATCQ's debut album, but when Phife came in like “drop the beat,” I felt like I knew him personally. Out of all the members of ATCQ, Phife dressed the most “normal.” Ali Shaheed, Jarobi and Tip looked like they may have been competing for who could take the most Afrocentric fashion chances, but Phife looked like a dude I went to high school with; he was way more understated. It seemed to me back then that he was the anchor of ATCQ, ready to reel the homies in when they went too far into outer space.
Phife Dawg, Founding Member of A Tribe Called Quest, Dead at 45
Rap groups sometimes have their heads in the clouds on their first album, and after experiencing how shady the record business can be, they come back down to earth a bit on their sophomore efforts. Listen to the differences in the beats and subject matter of the Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde and Labcabincalifornia, or Souls of Mischief’s 93 ‘Til Infinity versus No Man’s Land. De La Soul went as far as to declareDe La Soul Is Dead with their second album. After the lofty aspirations of People's Instinctive Travels, ATCQ used the bass to ground them. The Low End Theory was a celebration of the funk, soul and jazz bass samples that drove contemporary hip-hop, complete with a Ron Carter feature on “Verses From the Abstract.”
Whereas People's Instinctive Travels seemed to be more about Tip’s vision, Low End Theory brought balance to the group. Rhyming far more often, Phife came into his own on Low End Theory. The song "Butter" was a master class in story rap, and Tip and Phife rhyming back and forth on “Check the Rhime” like their Queens-bred heroes Run-D.M.C. was the stuff of legend. Phife even influenced the look of the group. Gone were the Afrocentric beads and daishikis; now ATCQ wore crisp athletic gear, Polo and Tommy Hilfiger, looking more like Phife and less like hip-hop hippies. Where Tip was abstract, Phife was more relatable. This balance set the group up to record one of the greatest pieces of music of all time: Midnight Marauders.
Midnight Marauders may be the album responsible for getting more people into hip-hop than any album before and after it. It’s a flawless piece of work, and the reputation that Phife began to build on Low End Theory was expanded on greatly while recordingMidnight Marauders. On the solo cut "8 Million Stories," Phife painted an eloquent picture of himself as the homie from around the way. With lyrics like “everybody knows I go to Georgia often” and “to top it off, Starks got ejected,” Phife let us into his life in a very personal way. Very early, Phife let us know that he was getting sick of NY and that sports was beginning to interest him more than hip-hop. When I first heard Phife rap “when’s the last time you heard a funky diabetic?” on “Oh My God,” I winced. It was so brutally and beautifully honest of a lyric, it made my body react.
Phife was the king of rapping about R&B singers. He used to have a crush on Dawn from En Vogue, he had more condoms than TLC, he told you to call Mr. Babyface so he can bring out the cool in you and the all true man, like Alexander O’Neal. He had the best metaphors for “finishing,” like when he said “bust off on your couch, now you got Seaman’s furniture.” But my favorite Phife verse is from a song on Midnight Marauderscalled “God Lives Through,” where he connects his success and his group’s success to the ultimate success of New York hip-hop. He shouts out the Queens rappers who were large at the time, showing that at the end of the day, he was all about the hip-hop community.
Phife Dawg's Family Reveals A Tribe Called Quest Co-Founder's Cause of Death
On a more personal level, I got to know Phife’s mom, Cheryl Boyce Taylor, while I was working at Nkiru Books in Brooklyn as a teen. Cheryl is an internationally known poet from Trinidad who raised Phife in Queens and used to come to poetry readings I would throw at the store. She talked about her son Malik with such pride; she was elated that hip-hop fans like myself revered him so much. I automatically thought of Cheryl when I heard of Phife’s passing, and she is in my prayers. I cannot imagine having to go through this as a parent, but I know she is strong and will remain so.
And even though Jarobi left ATCQ for a bit, his relationship with Phife only grew. They were tremendous friends and I know Jarobi is feeling this hard, so my prayers are going out to him and his family as well. Tip and Ali have to be experiencing an immense feeling of loss right now, my prayers are with them. I love those brothers. Phife’s wife, who gave him a kidney some years ago, must also be going through a lot; she is in my prayers as well.
Phife Dawg's Death: Questlove, Snoop Dog and More React on Social Media
The most exciting thing about Phife was watching him grow as an artist in front of us. He went from Tip’s homie to Phife Dawg to the Funky Diabetic to the Five Foot Assassin. He utilized his Trinidadian roots to add a Caribbean favor to his verses and commanded the respect of a giant even though he was smaller than most. When ATCQ broke up, Phife never stopped, recording great music with producers like Hi-Tek and J Dilla, and starting a business with DJ Rasta Root in Atlanta. He reinvented himself as a sports analysts and regularly appeared on sports programs.
Phife Dawg was authenticity in the flesh. Loyal to a fault and fiercely protective of this culture we call hip-hop, Phife embodies the very best of us. The Trini gladiator, the anti-hesitator -- Phife will forever be a part of the reason for the music I love and make a living from. And for that, I owe him the w
Talib Kweli Reflects on Phife Dawg's Legacy: 'He Embodies the Very Best of Us' (Essay)
3/23/2016 by Talib Kweli
- EMAIL ME
Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest photographed on April 27, 2011 in New York City.
ANDREW H. WALKER/GETTY IMAGES FOR TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
When Phife asked David Dinkins to be the mayor on “Can I Kick It,” I felt him. We had never imagined a black man could be mayor of New York, and I loved the way that Phife found a way to be political through his music. He didn't make a statement; he asked a question. "Ham 'N' Eggs" was my least favorite song from ATCQ's debut album, but when Phife came in like “drop the beat,” I felt like I knew him personally. Out of all the members of ATCQ, Phife dressed the most “normal.” Ali Shaheed, Jarobi and Tip looked like they may have been competing for who could take the most Afrocentric fashion chances, but Phife looked like a dude I went to high school with; he was way more understated. It seemed to me back then that he was the anchor of ATCQ, ready to reel the homies in when they went too far into outer space.
Phife Dawg, Founding Member of A Tribe Called Quest, Dead at 45
Rap groups sometimes have their heads in the clouds on their first album, and after experiencing how shady the record business can be, they come back down to earth a bit on their sophomore efforts. Listen to the differences in the beats and subject matter of the Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde and Labcabincalifornia, or Souls of Mischief’s 93 ‘Til Infinity versus No Man’s Land. De La Soul went as far as to declareDe La Soul Is Dead with their second album. After the lofty aspirations of People's Instinctive Travels, ATCQ used the bass to ground them. The Low End Theory was a celebration of the funk, soul and jazz bass samples that drove contemporary hip-hop, complete with a Ron Carter feature on “Verses From the Abstract.”
Whereas People's Instinctive Travels seemed to be more about Tip’s vision, Low End Theory brought balance to the group. Rhyming far more often, Phife came into his own on Low End Theory. The song "Butter" was a master class in story rap, and Tip and Phife rhyming back and forth on “Check the Rhime” like their Queens-bred heroes Run-D.M.C. was the stuff of legend. Phife even influenced the look of the group. Gone were the Afrocentric beads and daishikis; now ATCQ wore crisp athletic gear, Polo and Tommy Hilfiger, looking more like Phife and less like hip-hop hippies. Where Tip was abstract, Phife was more relatable. This balance set the group up to record one of the greatest pieces of music of all time: Midnight Marauders.
Midnight Marauders may be the album responsible for getting more people into hip-hop than any album before and after it. It’s a flawless piece of work, and the reputation that Phife began to build on Low End Theory was expanded on greatly while recordingMidnight Marauders. On the solo cut "8 Million Stories," Phife painted an eloquent picture of himself as the homie from around the way. With lyrics like “everybody knows I go to Georgia often” and “to top it off, Starks got ejected,” Phife let us into his life in a very personal way. Very early, Phife let us know that he was getting sick of NY and that sports was beginning to interest him more than hip-hop. When I first heard Phife rap “when’s the last time you heard a funky diabetic?” on “Oh My God,” I winced. It was so brutally and beautifully honest of a lyric, it made my body react.
Phife was the king of rapping about R&B singers. He used to have a crush on Dawn from En Vogue, he had more condoms than TLC, he told you to call Mr. Babyface so he can bring out the cool in you and the all true man, like Alexander O’Neal. He had the best metaphors for “finishing,” like when he said “bust off on your couch, now you got Seaman’s furniture.” But my favorite Phife verse is from a song on Midnight Marauderscalled “God Lives Through,” where he connects his success and his group’s success to the ultimate success of New York hip-hop. He shouts out the Queens rappers who were large at the time, showing that at the end of the day, he was all about the hip-hop community.
Phife Dawg's Family Reveals A Tribe Called Quest Co-Founder's Cause of Death
On a more personal level, I got to know Phife’s mom, Cheryl Boyce Taylor, while I was working at Nkiru Books in Brooklyn as a teen. Cheryl is an internationally known poet from Trinidad who raised Phife in Queens and used to come to poetry readings I would throw at the store. She talked about her son Malik with such pride; she was elated that hip-hop fans like myself revered him so much. I automatically thought of Cheryl when I heard of Phife’s passing, and she is in my prayers. I cannot imagine having to go through this as a parent, but I know she is strong and will remain so.
And even though Jarobi left ATCQ for a bit, his relationship with Phife only grew. They were tremendous friends and I know Jarobi is feeling this hard, so my prayers are going out to him and his family as well. Tip and Ali have to be experiencing an immense feeling of loss right now, my prayers are with them. I love those brothers. Phife’s wife, who gave him a kidney some years ago, must also be going through a lot; she is in my prayers as well.
Phife Dawg's Death: Questlove, Snoop Dog and More React on Social Media
The most exciting thing about Phife was watching him grow as an artist in front of us. He went from Tip’s homie to Phife Dawg to the Funky Diabetic to the Five Foot Assassin. He utilized his Trinidadian roots to add a Caribbean favor to his verses and commanded the respect of a giant even though he was smaller than most. When ATCQ broke up, Phife never stopped, recording great music with producers like Hi-Tek and J Dilla, and starting a business with DJ Rasta Root in Atlanta. He reinvented himself as a sports analysts and regularly appeared on sports programs.
Phife Dawg was authenticity in the flesh. Loyal to a fault and fiercely protective of this culture we call hip-hop, Phife embodies the very best of us. The Trini gladiator, the anti-hesitator -- Phife will forever be a part of the reason for the music I love and make a living from. And for that, I owe him the w
Talib Kweli Reflects on Phife Dawg's Legacy: 'He Embodies the Very Best of Us' (Essay)
yall know what I came in here to say:
hit me on the hip so that we can get down
now lets knock the boots like the group H-TOWN
you got BBD all on ya bedroom wall
but I'm above the rim and this is how I ball
bust on ya couch, now you got seamen's furniture.
hit me on the hip so that we can get down
now lets knock the boots like the group H-TOWN
you got BBD all on ya bedroom wall
but I'm above the rim and this is how I ball
bust on ya couch, now you got seamen's furniture.Statement from A Tribe Called Quest on the death of Malik I. Taylor a.k.a Phife Dawg The 5 ft. Assassin
Our hearts are heavy. We are devastated. This is something we weren’t prepared for although we all know that life is fleeting. It was no secret about his health and his fight. But the fight for his joy and happiness gave him everything he needed. The fight to keep his family happy, his soul happy and those around him happy, gave him complete and unadulterated joy… until he heeded his father's call.
We love his family: his mother, his father, his son, his wife, his nieces, his family here in New York, Atlanta, California and Trinidad.
Thank you for the outpouring of prayers and support from the fans, fellow artists, music outlets, blogs, radio stations, DJs, social media and the music community at large. This too is part of his joy and means a lot to him. His family is overwhelmed by the support, well wishes and are thankful. His music and what he’s contributed is seismic and hard to measure. He’s affected us as much as he’s affected all of you. We’re inspired by his daily joy and courage. He wasn’t in pain. He was happy.
We take comfort in knowing he will be beside his grandmother.
Our hearts are heavy. We are devastated. This is something we weren’t prepared for although we all know that life is fleeting. It was no secret about his health and his fight. But the fight for his joy and happiness gave him everything he needed. The fight to keep his family happy, his soul happy and those around him happy, gave him complete and unadulterated joy… until he heeded his father's call.
We love his family: his mother, his father, his son, his wife, his nieces, his family here in New York, Atlanta, California and Trinidad.
Thank you for the outpouring of prayers and support from the fans, fellow artists, music outlets, blogs, radio stations, DJs, social media and the music community at large. This too is part of his joy and means a lot to him. His family is overwhelmed by the support, well wishes and are thankful. His music and what he’s contributed is seismic and hard to measure. He’s affected us as much as he’s affected all of you. We’re inspired by his daily joy and courage. He wasn’t in pain. He was happy.
We take comfort in knowing he will be beside his grandmother.
Yagirlcheatinonus
Icon Poster
snoopdoggR. I. P. my. Dawg. Linden to linden warren g used to bang that before we had a deal
talibkweliStraight out Jamaica seen, Jamaica Queens. But you can find me out in Georgia, or anywhere in between. Now if my partners don't look good, Malik won't look good, if Malik don't look good, then Quest won't look good, if the Quest don't look good, then Queens won't look good, but since the sounds are universal, New York won't look good. Picture Phife losing a battle, cmon get off it. Put down your microphone son, surrender forfeit.
Did I hear something about a crew? What they wanna do? You better call Mr. Babyface so he can bring out the cool in you. Or it'll be a sad love song being sung by Toni Braxton. And I'll dissect you like a fraction. Oh you wanna be top cat MC? I'll pop you like a zit.
You wanna be the champ? You more like Chief Some-shyt. Big up myself every time when it comes to this. MCs be running scared as if they watching the Exorcist. I got more game than a crackhead from Hempstead, my styles are milk, man you'd think that I was breastfed. You know the steelo when the Diggy Dawg is on the scene. I dedicate this to all the MCs outta Queens. That goes for Onyx, LL, Run-DMC. Akinyele, Nasty Nas and the Extra P. You need a chart, straight up and down man, there ain't no other. Nuff respect to all my peeps that made the album cover. Yo Tip don't worry none you know I get the party jumping. Get on the mic and break em off a lil lil something.
We love you Malik. #RIPPHIFE
King Jove
King Of †he Gawds
Where can I get thisGot this one. Rockin it on my flight tomorrow
g-ice
aka #DiamondNightmare
Have been listening to ATCQ throughout the day
Been meaning to listen to his solo album. I done forgot about that joint!
Been meaning to listen to his solo album. I done forgot about that joint!
