It has been three years since the A Tribe Called Quest legend Phife Dawg passed away. His rhymes will forever be etched into hip-hop history, and his energy will never be forgotten. The City of Oakland is taking extra steps to ensure the latter sentence remains true, and according to HipHopDX, the Bay Area metropolis has officially made May 17 Phife Dawg Day. We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service producer Starita, Phife’s mother Cheryl Boyce Taylor, and Phife’s widow Deisha Head Taylor spoke at the inauguration event.
“A Tribe Called Quest is being celebrated this week with Bay Area bands, producers and artists celebrating the group’s groundbreaking album Midnight Marauders,” Starita stated, reading the Mayor's proclamation. “Now, therefore be it, we proclaim Friday, May 17, 2019, is Malik 'Phife Dawg' Taylor Day.” Although he hailed from New York, Phife spent almost two decades in Oakland prior to his passing, making the city his second home. The Phife Dawg tribute event was held at the YBCA, and incorporated performances from local Bay Area artists including Karega Bailey, MJ’s Brass Boppers, DJ Platurn, and RyanNicole. The event will continue through Saturday, May 18. For those that don't live anywhere near The Bay, you can always celebrate the life of Phife by throwing on any number of classic ATCQ records in the comfort of your home.