Like so many around the World, I was completely stunned and at a real loss with the very sad passing (that stemmed from complications from diabetes that he had since 1990) of yet another legend in the music game, this time it was the late, great Phife aka Phife Dawg, aka The Five Foot Assassin aka Mutty Ranks aka Professor Diggy aka Dr. Pepper...An MC that loved the culture and was particular and serious about his chosen craft...as the Hip Hop Quotable from The Source mag in '91 below would attest to...
Phife was clever, witty and dope with his styles upon styles (but don't ever try to diss him, cause you don't know the half and word is born he got loose offa orange juice moneygrip!
Phife was often found guesting on Reggae/Ragga Hip Hop and R & B records and was an icon both in rhyming and Hip Hop fashion.
This tremendous loss is the Beastie Boys without MCA, Run DMC without Jam Master Jay, Wu Tang Clan without Ol' Dirty Bastard, Lost Boyz without Freaky Tah etc...
I did plan to write up a lengthy tribute but there have already been many really well written articles out there already.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/a-tribe-called-quests-phife-dawg-dead-at-45-20160323
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/23/phife-dawg-tribe-called-quest-good-vibes
http://variety.com/2016/music/news/phife-dawg-dead-tribe-called-quest-appreciation-hip-hop-1201737996
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/03/phife-dawgs-walk-on-the-wild-side/475029
http://www.mtv.com/news/2798094/phife-dawg-tribe-called-quest-rip
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/24/arts/music/phife-dawg-tribe-called-quest.html?_r=0
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/phife-dawg-farewell-to-the-five-foot-assassin-with-the-roughneck-business
www.newyorker.com/culture/culture.../postscript-phife-dawg-1970-2016
http://au.complex.com/music/2016/03/how-phife-dawg-changed-my-life-and-probably-yours-too
http://theboombox.com/a-tribe-called-quests-10-greatest-videos-a-tribe-ute-to-phife-dawg
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-0324-phife-dawg-appreciation-20160324-story.html
http://www.postingandtoasting.com/2016/3/23/11290460/the-eternal-connection-between-phife-dawg-new-york-hip-hop-and-the
http://www.factmag.com/2016/03/23/phife-dawg-a-tribe-called-quest
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7271838/talib-kweli-phife-dawg-tribute-essay
http://www.vulture.com/2016/03/remembering-phife-dawg-who-mattered-to-everyone.html#
http://www.spin.com/2016/03/phife-dawg-tribe-called-quest-eulogy-rip
http://www.theroot.com/blogs/the_grapevine/2016/03/the_most_dope_tribe_ed_out_social_media_reactions_to_phife_dawg_s_passing.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/simon-sweetman/78234162/a-beginning-guide-to-phifedom
http://hazlitt.net/feature/grab-mic-and-talk-some-shit-indelible-phife-dawg
http://theboombox.com/a-tribe-called-quest-reflect-on-the-life-phife-dawg
http://www.egotripland.com/other-peoples-posts-r-i-p-phife-dawg-edition
To be honest though...with the birth of our beautiful daughter Abbie (whom my Wife and I just love to bits :) finding time to update this blog has been a factor but I have some spare time now and I wanted to offer a compilation of some great Phife tracks, it would be all too easy to just go with the standard ATCQ classics so I have gone with some dope remixes, unreleased tracks, guest appearances and solo joints...I think every track here (36 tracks deep, so you can rock The Five Footer in your headphones while at work) represents (represents, represents) exactly how much of a loss Phife is to Hip Hop and entertainment in general.
Rest easy Malik...there will be another with the ill raspy voice or skills that you possessed and yes there is definitely a place in the Hip Hop hall of fame for you, you were such a huge part of my music listening through 1990 up to today.
Leave a comment below and say what Phife meant to you...
Jaz
2016-J.M.S.-Presents R.I.P. Phife
1-Phife Dawg-Dear Dilla
2-Phife Dawg-Flawless
3-Will I Am ft Phife-Nah Mean
4-Phife Dawg-Thought U Wuz Nice
5-Slum Village ft Phife, Dilla and Pos-Scheming
6-ATCQ ft Busta Rhymes-One, Two Shit
7-ATCQ-Mr Incognito
8-ATCQ-His Name Is Mutty Ranks
9-ATCQ-Peace, Prosperity and Paper
10-ATCQ-Jazz (We've Got) (Re-Recording)
11-Fu-Schnickens-La Schmoove (Remix)
12-Phife Dawg-Miscellaneous (Hi-Tek Luv Boat Mix)
13-ATCQ-Check The Rime (Mr Muhammad's Mix)
14-Adriana Evans ft Phife Dawg-Never Say Goodbye
15-CJ Fly ft A La $ole and Phife Dawg-Seek Well
16-Diamond D ft Pete Rock and Phife Dawg-Painz and Strife
17-Phife Dawg-Lemme Find Out
18-Oh No ft Jose James and Phife Dawg-Dues N Don'ts
19-Phife Dawg-Game Day
20-Truth Enola ft Phife Dawg-How Its Gonna Be
21-Phife Dawg ft Slick and Rose-U Know U Want It
22-Bun ft Phife Dawg-What The Deal
23-De La Soul ft ATCQ-Sh. Fe. MC's
24-Next Evidence and Phife Dawg-It's Only Right
25-Science Of Sound ft Phife Dawg-Who Got The Funk?
26-K-Mel ft Phife Dawg-Solo Movement
27-ATCQ ft L.O.N.S. and Kid Hood-Scenario (Remix)
28-Phife Dawg ft. Hawkeye-Diggy Dialect
29-Dwele ft. Phife Dawg-What Profit? (Remix)
30-Mint Condition ft. Phife-Let Me Be The One (Ummah Remix)
31-ATCQ-Oh My God (Remix)
32-Whitey Don- ft Chip Fu and Phife Dawg-Article
33-De La Soul-Buddy (Native Tongue Decision Version) (feat. Jungle Brothers, Q-Tip, Phife, Queen Latifah and Monie Love)
34-Chi Ali ft Phife, Dres, Trugoy and Fashion-Let The Horns Blow' 92-Radio Edit
35-Phife Dawg-Ya Heard Me
36-Mastermind ft Phife Dawg and Nefarius-Hold Ya Karna
