Phife Dawg of rap group A Tribe Called Quest is dead at 45

Phife Dawg, a member of the influential hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, has died at 45.

The rapper, whose real name is Malik Taylor, had health issues for years, Rolling Stone reports. He received a kidney transplant in 2008 in his long battle with Type 1 diabetes.

Phife Dawg was one of the founding members of A Tribe Called Quest and appeared on all of its albums, serving as a vocal counterpoint to Q-Tip.

Though the group broke up after 1998's "The Love Movement," they continued to occasionally reunite for live shows and remain one of the most important acts in hip-hop history.