Hip-hop is reeling over the death of legendary emcee, Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest. News broke this morning that Phife had passed away from complications with diabetes. Phife’s health issues were well- documented, as he was sidelined with a surgery in 2008. Twitter was overcome with grief as many shared stories of their fan-hood and favorite punchlines from the self-proclaimed “five-foot assassin.” In honor of his passing, we here at Global Grind thought it fitting to turn this edition of the late night round-up into a dedication to all things Phife Dawg. Rest in freedom, Phife. You will be sorely missed.
First up, Noah Callahan-Bever at Complex wrote a fantastic piece on how Phife’s music impacted his life.
As people continue to mourn the loss of a hip-hop great, A Tribe Called Quest has release a statement regarding the untimely passing of Phife. “Our hearts are heavy. We are devastated. This is something we weren’t prepared for although we all know that life is fleeting,” the passage opens. Read the rest over on Q-Tip’s Facebook page.
1. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest perform as part of the Smokin Grooves Tour at Shoreline Amphitheatre on September 1, 1996.
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2. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest perform as part of Lollapalooza 1994 at Shoreline Amphitheatre.
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3. Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest during Rock the Bells Concert - August 6, 2006 at Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord, California.
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4. Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest performs as part of Rock the Bells 2010 at Shoreline Amphitheatre on August 22, 2010 in Mountain View, California.
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5. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest perform during the 7th Annual Rock The Bells festival on Governors Island.
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6. Phife at the 'Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest' Premiere at the Temple Theater during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2011 in Park City, Utah.
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7. Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest attends SPiN Decision Makers Panel With Hype Williams presented by Bing on January 23, 2011 in Park City, Utah.
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8. Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest visits the Tribeca Film Festival 2011 portrait studio on April 27, 2011.
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9. Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White attend the Los Angeles Premiere of 'Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest' After Party on June 24, 2011.
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10. Phife Dawg and Q-Tip perform onstage at the 2012 BET Hip-Hop Awards at Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on September 29, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia.
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11. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest perform on the main stage on day 3 of the Yahoo! Wireless Festival at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on July 14, 2013 in London.
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12. Phife of A Tribe Called Quest performs at 2013 H2O Music Festival at Los Angeles Historical Park on August 17, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
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13. Phife Dawg and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest perform at Univision Radio's H2O music festival at Los Angeles state historic park on August 17, 2013.
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14. Phife Dawg performs for the #BigTicket showcase at Tattoo on February 6, 2015 in Toronto, Canada.
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15. Phife Dawg and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest perform during Hot 97's 'Busta Rhymes And Friends: Hot For The Holidays' concert at Prudential Center on December 5, 2015 in Newark, New Jersey.