- Malik Abdul Basit, popularly known as Malik B., passed away Thursday at the age of 47.
- Basit was a founding member of The Roots, a legendary hip-hop group from Philadelphia.
- “May he be remembered for his devotion to Islam and innovation as one of the most talented MCs of all time,” stated The Roots’ Twitter account.
- A cause of death was not disclosed.
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Malik Abdul Basit, the rapper best known for his work with the legendary hip-hop group The Roots, died Thursday at the age of 47.
Basit, a Philadelphia native better known as Malik B, appeared on the Roots’ first four albums, before leaving the group in 1999. He released two solo albums.
“We regret to inform you of the death of our beloved brother and long-time Roots member, Malik Abdul Basit,” The Roots posted on Twitter. “May he be remembered for his devotion to Islam and innovation as one of the most talented MCs of all time.”
“We made a name and created a lane together,” wrote Roots MC Tariq’s “Black Thought” Trotter in an Instagram tribute. “We raised a city from the ashes, put it on our backs and called it Illadelph.”
“The world just lost a real one,” he added.
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