Phife Dawg, the co-founder of A Tribe Called Quest, passed away at the age of 45 on Wednesday.
Born Malik Taylor, the Queens, New York native formed the group with Q-Tip back in 1988. Just two years later Phife was diagnosed with diabetes and recieved a kidney transplant in 2008. Although the cause of his death has not yet been determined, reports speculate that Phife had succumed to his longstanding health issues.
Shortly after his death was confirmed by Statik Selekta, hip-hop artists and musicians expressed their condolences on social media.
Celebrities outside of the music industry also expressed their condolences online, proving the wide range of influence Phife's work had on his fans.
