Following the death of A Tribe Called Quest's Phife Dawg, Kendrick Lamar, Q-Tip and Outkast's Andre 3000 and Big Boi offered a tribute to the rapper on Abstract radio.
"Me being one of the new cats, all I could ever remember is me either listening to gangsta rap or 'Low End Theory', so it's only right that I pay homage to Phife and the whole Tribe for birthin' what I do on that microphone and what I do on that stage," said Lamar according to NME.
Meanwhile, Q-Tip said that his fellow A Tribe Called Quest member was a "lifelong friend and day one homie."
Phife Dawg, born as Malik Taylor, died at the age of 45 on March 22 due to complications that resulted from diabetes. He was one of the founders of the hip-hop group and recorded five studio albums. After that, he worked as a solo artist releasing his only album, Ventilation: Da LP, in 2000.
"Tribe Called Quest is everything, everything to me. There would not be no Outkast without [them] - or if there was an Outkast, it wouldn't be Outkast, it would be something completely different," Andre 3000 said, according to Rolling Stone.
Big Boi also said that the group members were their idols and that they had a chance to meet them way back.
"Phife actually came by the studio a little while ago, just vibed out, and he was an all-around cool guy and great person. He'll forever be missed by the world and definitely myself," Big Boi added.
After the death of Phife Dwag, the three remaining members of the group which inlcudes Q-Tip, Jarobi White and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, paid tribute to him saying that he had a "seismic contribution" to music and showcased "daily joy and courage".
Lamar has also paid tribute to the musician in an Australian concert, right after learning about his death.
