UPDATE: Phife Dawg's family just released a statement on the rapper's death, which you can read below.
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Read the original story below.
Legendary MC and A Tribe Called Quest co-founder Phife Dawg has passed away at the age of 45. The cause of his death is currently unknown. He suffered from a number of health issues, including type 1 diabetes, and in 2008 underwent a kidney transplant due to diabetes complications. The news first broke on Twitter when DJ and producer by Chuck Chillout tweeted it late last night, and Rolling Stone later confirmed his passing.
As the news broke, the hip-hop community shared their thoughts and prayers for Phife and his family and began to mourn the loss of yet another hip-hop legend. The Queens native rose to fame with Q-Tip when they formed A Tribe Called Quest in 1988 alongside Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White and released their classic debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, in 1990. They followed their debut up with yet another classic, The Low End Theory, in 1991, and later went on to release three more albums as a group. Phife also released one solo album, Ventilation: Da LP, in 2000.
A Tribe Called Quest last performed together on The Tonight Show with the Roots in 2015, which was actually their first television performance in a number of years. You can check out the reaction from the hip-hop community below, and we'll continue to update this story as more details come out.
Phife Dawg made some of the most beloved hip hop ever. It's so sad that he's gone. I'd have gone to every reunion show till the end of time.
