2 Chainz and Lil Wayne just put out a new album together. On one particular track, 2 Chainz squawks in his trademark 2 Chainz fashion, referencing Lil Wayne’s impact on the hip hop industry:
If it weren’t for Wayne, there wouldn’t be a lot of dudes in the game including me.
And this is true. But if there hadn’t been Phife Dawg (born Malik Issac Taylor), there wouldn’t have been A Tribe Called Quest and if there hadn’t been Tribe, we wouldn’t even have a fraction of the music industry we boast today. Phife Dawg, Q Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jacobi White dropped some of the world’s freshest bars, created new sounds and built an entire industry.
Today, we mourn the loss of the legend who once called himself ‘The Funky Diabetic’… we mourn the loss of the man whose one-liners could put the entire romantic comedy genre out of business … we mourn the loss of one of the only OGs who could have shed light on what it was like to build a genre from nothing … we mourn one of our last ties to the golden era. Dead from complications surrounding his very public battle with diabetes, the world truly feels an emptier place.
Dion Liverpool, Taylor’s manager sums it up best:
While I mourn the loss of my best friend and brother, I also will celebrate his incredible life and contribution to many people’s ears across the world. Even with all his success, I have never met a person as humble as he. He taught me that maintaining a positive attitude and outlook can conquer anything. Now my brother is resting in greatness. I’m honored to have crossed paths with him. Riddim Kidz 4eva.
And as we’re reeling from great loss, Twitter joins in its constant chorus.
One of the most influential rappers on me and hip hop period! Rest In Peace Phife Dawg and thank you for the legacy you leave behind.
— Rappy Gilmore (@Logic301) March 23, 2016
R.i.p to one of the kings Phife Dawg. gone too soon
— Abel Tesfaye (@theweeknd) March 23, 2016
Phife forever 1970-2016. 1991 in Sept I went to visit Tariq at Millersville U in the middle of… https://t.co/WvCdoW71Hn
— ?st (@questlove) March 23, 2016
I never let a statue tell me how nice I am. -Phife Dawg
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 23, 2016
Because no one strings words together quite like Phife, let him bid you his adieu better than I ever could:
I’m not your average MC with the Joe Schmoe flow. If you don’t know me by now, you’ll never know.
[Image: YouTube Screenshot]