The late rapper Phife Dawg now has a street corner in New York named after him. Born Malik Taylor Way, he was part of the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest.
Dawg was honored this past Saturday (Nov. 19) at the 192nd Street and Linden Boulevard section of Queens, NY. The boulevard (in the St. Albans neighborhood) has a sign with his name on it. The rapper died earlier this year at only 45 due to diabetes complications.
A Tribe Called Quest members Q-Tip and Jarobi White were with his family during the ceremony, which also included a bit of rapping.
Phife's wife spoke about how much this would mean to her, his family and his fans.
"The thought of having Linden Boulevard at 192, renamed to Malik 'Phife Dawg' Taylor is indescribable. This is a perfect representation of who Malik was, and what Queens meant to him. Whenever he mentioned Queens, Linden Boulevard at 192, was a focal point of reference, so I am certain he would be pleased with having it renamed in his honor," she said in a statement. "We are extremely grateful for those who were part of the entire process; from the initial effort to the signing of the bill, this historical moment means so much to his family, friends, and fans."
The group recently released their latest album, We Got it From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service on Nov. 11, which was recorded before Dawg’s death. The album features the original group line-up, as well as guest appearances from Kanye West, Andre 3000, Anderson .Paak, and Busta Rhymes.
The album’s last track, entitled “The Donald,” had fans wondering if it was about recent presidential elect Donald Trump.
All of the work done on the album took place at Q-Tip’s recording studio in New Jersey.
