A Tribe Called Quest's Phife Dawg dies at 45

UPDATE, Mar. 23 1:21 p.m. EST: 

The rapper's family and manager Dion Liverpool have released statements, confirming that Phife Dawg, real name Malik Taylor, passed away from complications due to diabetes. Here are their statements:

"We regret to share the news that on Tuesday March 22nd, 2016, Malik has passed away due to complications resulting from diabetes.

Malik was our loving husband, father, brother and friend. We love him dearly. How he impacted all our lives will never be forgotten. His love for music and sports was only surpassed by his love of God and family."

Dion Liverpool, his manager adds, "While I mourn the loss of my best friend and brother, I also will celebrate his incredible life and contribution to many people's ears across the world. Even with all his success, I have never met a person as humble as he. He taught me that maintaining a positive attitude and outlook can conquer anything. Now my brother is resting in greatness. I'm honored to have crossed paths with him. Riddim Kidz 4eva."

The family closed the statement by asking "that their privacy be respected at this difficult time."

Tributes poured in Wednesday for A Tribe Called Quest co-founder Malik Taylor, better known as Phife Dawg, who has died at the age of 45.

Rolling Stone and Billboard have both confirmed the rapper's death, but no official statement from the band has been released.

The cause of death hasn't been announced, but Taylor has suffered from health issues over the years related to his battle with diabetes. He had a kidney transplant in 2008.

DJ Chuck Chillout first announced the sad news on Twitter, followed by confirmation from producer Statik Selektah.

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Taylor was born in 1970 in Jamaica, Queens. He went on to found the legendary hip-hop group with classmates Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Their biggest hit came with 1991's "Can We Kick It?"

Taylor appeared on all five of the group's studio albums. He was known as a clever, nimble wordsmith who inspired many other artists.

Tributes for the hip-hop visionary soon flooded social media, from fans and his collaborators alike.

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