Thursday, March 24, 2016

BEATS, RHYMES & PHIFE: Malik Taylor (R.I.P.)

"Slum village gold still danglin' in your ear" is one of the many phrases Malik "Phife" Dawg" Taylor brought to the American lexicon and our lives. If life were math he would be known as a constant variable. Not heralded but always solidly present in your lives. Even with the knowledge of his troubles with diabetes no one expected to lose the 5 foot assassin at the young age of 45. The news of his death struck an nerve that I think lies somewhere between his commonality with his fans and his career that was built on meritocracy and not bullshit. Yesterday I saw and heard tributes to Phife varying from a morning deejay reduced to tears on-air to a traffic reporter do his daily report littered with The Phife Dawg's lyrics. I saw many a videos posted on social media and I include myself in that number. But it wasn't until I finally clicked on one video, Can I Kick It? and heard, "Can I kick it? To my Tribe that flows in layers/Right now, Phife is a poem sayer At times, I'm a studio conveyor/Mr. Dinkins, would you please be my mayor?" did it really hit me the 5 foot assassin lives no more. For hot second, I was taken aback by the realization of what would be his permanent absence. I recall when Tupac died and while saddened I didn't feel the way I did on this day. I can't answer the why of my stilted reaction to Tupac but what's made the loss of Phife resonate is he was as I said a constant. A constant variable in hip hop and inevitably lives of those who grew up on his music. "Cause your lyrics is played, like 8 ball jackets" Every lyric wasn't a grand slam walk off homerun but it was always a stand up double to win a playoff series. These moments you can recall in those moments at the barbershop, a cookout or on the corner amongst hip hop heads. And we loved Phife because he earned it like we as people appreciate as opposed to those, who are pushed to heights on superficial bullshit. "Phife Dawg my name but onstage call me Dyno-Mutt" Self admittedly, Phife knows he wasn't in many of the recording sessions of ATCQ's debut CD People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. And easily hip hop could assume ATCQ would soon be called Q-Tip and the Tribe or dissolve in classic Newports & Puma sweats fashion. But alas on the ground breaking Low End Theory ATCQ developed their signature sound and hip hop truly met the man we would know as Phife Dawg. "Tell me that I can't tear it up/go get some yourself some toilet paper because your lyrics is butt." From the drop of the irresistible head nodding Low End Theory's 1st single Check the Rhyme, we knew ATCQ had stepped up the game on their sophomore effort. We even appreciated Phife's middle verse from his first utterance, "Now here's a funky introduction of how nice I am/tell your mother, tell your father/send a telegram..." and onto the end. But Phife at this point was still that good kid from the neighborhood you always said "what's up" to and respected but still kept it moving. But not until people bought the Low End CD and heard Phife proverbally "let loose the lion" on what was his first lead off on an ATCQ track, Buggin' Out, did we realize 'little man is niiiiiiiice'. From "Yo! Microphone check 1-2 what is" to his "room freezing" move of stopping the entire track to say "If a crowd is in my room, I say 'mic please'" as if to say "I thought you knew my name was Phife Diggy". Yes we now knew that Malik from around the way had true emcee skills and was a true member of ATCQ. "Next time you think you want something here/Make something def or take that garbage to St Elsewhere" And Phife would step up his game show us his high level emcee consistency on the classic Midnight Marauders, Beats Rhymes & Life, in concert and subsequent ATCQ efforts. Phife would tell us his stories b balling, an amorous girl named Flo and many tales to which we could relate as kids of the time. We saw Phife as one of those guys you were happy to see when he came in the party because he was sure to leave with you something while not monumental but by no means unforgettable. Phife was never in emcees beefs. He never beat his chest, he just stepped to the mic, had his say and we listened. Because greatness never asks for your attention for it just always has it. "When's the last time you seen a funky diabetic" So while Phife may not be a mainstay in the evergreen debate of Top 5 Emcees, he is a mainstay in hip hop culture and in being part of that, also American culture. So while we weren't always looking for Malik Taylor, when Malik Taylor stepped to the mic WE ALWAYS LOOKED. Now follow me! Follow me to freedom!