Rapper Malik B, original member of The Roots, has passed away at 47.
His cousin, Don Champion confirmed his passing on Wednesday July 29 via Twitter:
"Mourning my beloved cousin today," he wrote. "He was so talented and had a huge heart. I still remember when he and The Roots were starting out. He'd give me and my dad their cassette tapes to listen to. I miss you already, Mailk."
Not long after the news was made public, Black Thought (aka Tariq Trotter) also shared a message in tribute to Malik B on Instagram. Posting an old photo of Malik, himself, and Questlove, he wrote:
“We made a name and carved a lane together where there was none. We ressurected a city from the ashes, put it on our backs and called it Illadelph. In friendly competition with you from day one, I always felt as if I possessed only a mere fraction of your true gift and potential. Your steel sharpened my steel as I watched you create cadences from the ether and set them free into the universe to become poetic law, making the English language your b*tch. I always wanted to change you, to somehow sophisticate your outlook and make you see that there were far more options than the streets, only to realize that you and the streets were one… and there was no way to separate a man from his true self. My beloved brother M-illitant. I can only hope to have made you as proud as you made me. The world just lost a real one. May Allah pardon you, forgive your sins and grant you the highest level of paradise.”
Photo: GettyImages.