Phife Dawg, a member of pioneering hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, has died.
The rapper, real name Malik Taylor, died aged 45 due to complications from diabetes, according to Rolling Stone.
Taylor, who refers to himself as 'The Funky Diabetic' in A Tribe Called Quest's 1993 track 'Oh My God', underwent a kidney transplant in 2008 after renal failure tied to his diabetes.
"Malik was our loving husband, father, brother and friend," his family said in a statement.
"We love him dearly. How he impacted all our lives will never be forgotten. His love for music and sports was only surpassed by his love of God and family."
Taylor was one of A Tribe Called Quest's lead MCs under the pseudonym Phife Dawg, and the band wrote a significant chapter in hip-hop history with their heavy sampling and jazz-influenced style.
He had a close relationship with bandmate and rapper Q-Tip, growing up together in New York, with the latter describing Taylor as his best friend in a recent documentary about the band.
In an interview with Rolling Stone just four months ago, Taylor expressed high hopes for his future, saying "he was in a good spot", though admitting "I have my good days and I have my bad days" when asked about his health issues.
He also announced plans to put out an album in 2016, and shared a preview video for upcoming track 'Nutshell' at the end of last year -- a track that was never released.
Taylor performed just last month on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the band's first televised performance in 15 years. It would also prove to be their last.
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