Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest dies at 45

A well-known hip hop figure with ties to the Bay Area has died, according to the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office.

Malik Taylor, known by his stage name Phife Dawg, died in Oakley on Tuesday of what appear to be natural causes, and his death will not bring an investigation, the Coroner’s Office said Wednesday. Taylor was 45.

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Several media outlets reported Taylor’s death, but no official statement has been released.

Taylor helped co-found A Tribe Called Quest, a legendary hip-hop group, with a high-school classmate he met growing up in Queens, New York.

Last year, the group appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

Taylor struggled with Type 1 diabetes and underwent a kidney transplant in 2008. His death inspired Twitter tributes from actor/comedian Chris Rock, rapper El-P and musician Sean Leon.

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