Phife Dawg Passed Away!

Phife Dawg passed away after complications from diabetes.

A hip-hop legend passed away. The Associated Press reports that Phife Dawg of the rap group A Tribe Called Quest had passed away at the age of 45 today.

He was battling diabetes. He's been going through kidney treatment for most of his life.

Born Malik Isaac Taylor, the rapper grew up in Queens with fellow rappers, Q-Tip, Jabori and their producer Ali.

Phife stood at 5'3'' and was known by many as the Five Foot Assassin. He collaborate with the likes of De La Soul, the Jungle Brothers, the Native Tongues and Leaders of the New School.

Phife was known for his rhyming skills and his status as what the magazine calls the "high-pitched, gruff vocal counterpoint to [bandmate] Q-Tip's smooth, mellow flow." Although an official cause of death has yet to be announced, the magazine notes that Phife had suffered from various health issues, including diabetes that spurred a 2008 kidney transplant. "It's really a sickness," Phife said in an interview for an ATCQ rap documentary by actor/director Michael Rapaport. "Like straight-up drugs. I'm just addicted to sugar."

He also released one solo album, Ventilation: Da LP, in 2000 and had been working on a new album, Give Thanks, due out this year.

Ali, Phife and Q-Tip are A Tribe Called Quest.

A Tribe Called Quest released five albums before disbanding. They had a minor fallout over management and the label Jive Records. Q-Tip and Phife hadn't spoke in eight years.

The rap group reunited in 2004 when Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard passed away. They appeared together for the tribute to the troubled rapper.

The group went on tour for a brief moment and it sold out shows. The last time the rap group reunited was their recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The group performed "Can I Kick It?" which was their first TV performance in 15 years.

E! Online has compiled social media tributes to the late rapper from fans, friends, and industry icons, including hip-hop magnate Russell Simmons, who tweeted, "Damn. #RIPPhife one of the greatest to bless the mic," and Public Enemy rapper Chuck D, who posted, "Rest In Beats PHIFE ATCQ Forever."

World News Today send our condolences to the family of Phfie Dawg. Rest in peace homie!

Def Jam Movie In The Works!

There's talk about a biopic about Def Jam. Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons pioneered the hip-hop label. Jay-Z signed on as an artist and distributed his independent label Roc-A-Fella and RocNation through Def Jam.

Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin created the legendary Def Jam Recordings in 1983.

Now there's talk about a movie being made in regards to it.

Michael B. Jordan and Jonah Hill are considering the roles.

Def Jam was founded by Rick Rubin in his dormitory in Weinstein Hall at New York University.

Russell Simmons joined Rubin shortly after they were introduced to each other by Vincent Gallo.

They would create on of the world's powerful hip-hop labels. The Def Jam umbrella includes Island Records and the legendary Motown Records. Each of these label operate as a separate entity under the Universal Music Group.

The last movie based on the rise of Def Jam was Krush Groove. The movie was a semi-biopic of Russell Simmons rise to media mogul.

Deadline reports that Universal is working to develop a movie based on the 2002 memoir of Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, “Life and Def: Sex, Drugs, Money, + God.”

The label that created Run DMC, Public Enemy, EMPD, LL Cool J, Rick Ross, Ludacris, 3rd Bass, The Beastie Boys, 2 Chainz, DMX, Jeezy, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Iggy Azalea and Jay-Z.

The film would chronicle Simmons’ and Rubin’s creation of the legendary hip hop label that defined rap in the 80s. The pic is expected to “explore how hip hop grew from an underground sensation into a dominant and pivotal voice of culture and change.”

Russell has expressed that he is flattered that Michael B. Jordan is being considered to portray him in the pic, as Global Grind reports.

Bill O'Reilly and Russell Simmons Clash over a Beyoncé Video

Come on people, Bill O'Reilly doesn't really care for Black girls.  

He just using Sistas to score racist right-wing ideological points.

Bill O'Reilly and Russell Simmons Clash over a Beyoncé Video


In the music video for the Beyoncé song "Partition," there's some incredibly raunchy imagery, including car sex and a lyric reference to Monica Lewinsky. Bill O'Reilly was fired up about this Monday night, confronting hip hop mogul Russell Simmons over what kind of message that sends to young black girls when such behavior is glorified by one of their idols.

O'Reilly said the video "glorifies having sex in the back of a limousine," and wondered "why on earth would this woman do that" when unplanned pregnancy is a problem in the black community. Simmons didn't defend Beyoncé specifically, but spoke up in support of artists reflecting the reality people live in.

O'Reilly insisted that Beyoncé has "an obligation to protect children" and not to put out "exploitive garbage." He called the video "inexplicable" and was utterly bemused when Simmons said that the music video is, in fact, a work of art.