Malik B. ist im Alter von 47 Jahren verstorben. Der Rapper aus Philadelphia war langjähriges Mitglied der legendären The Roots. Über das Ableben von Malik B. hat die Band über ihre Social-Media-Kanäle aufmerksam gemacht.

The Roots verabschieden sich von Malik B.

Malik B. ist auf den ersten vier Alben von The Roots zu hören. Von "Organix" über "Do You Want More?!!!??!" und "Illadelph Halflife" bis zum Klassiker "Things Fall Apart" – Malik B. war seit Ende der achtziger bis zum Ende der neunziger Jahre ein fester Bestandteil der Gruppe um Black Thought und Questlove. Dann trennten sich vorläufig die Wege.

Doch auch nach der Jahrtausendwende tauchte er hin und wieder als Feature-Gast auf Releases von The Roots auf. In der Rolle als Solokünstler veröffentlichte er zwei Alben und eine EP. Die "Psychological EP" ist dabei zugleich sein letztes alleiniges Werk und datiert aus dem Jahr 2006. An der Seite des Producers Mr. Green erschien 2015 die Kollaboplatte "Unpredictable". In einem ersten Statement zeigen sich The Roots tief bestürzt über den Verlust ihres "geliebten Bruders":

"Mit schwerem Herzen und tränenreichen Augen informieren wir leider über den Tod unseres geliebten Bruders und langjährigen Roots-Mitglieds Malik Abdul Basit. Möge er für seine Hingabe an den Islam, seine liebevolle Brüderlichkeit und seine Innovation als einer der begabtesten MCs aller Zeiten in Erinnerung bleiben. Wir bitten Sie, seine Familie und seine Großfamilie in unserer Zeit der Trauer um einen so großen Verlust zu respektieren."

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

It is with heavy hearts and tearful eyes that we regretfully inform you of the passing of our beloved brother and long time Roots member Malik Abdul Basit. May he be remembered for his devotion to Islam, His loving brotherhood and his innovation as one of the most gifted MCs of all time. We ask that you please respect his family and extended family in our time of mourning such a great loss.

Ein Beitrag geteilt von The Roots (@theroots) am Jul 29, 2020 um 12:04 PDT

Auf dem 2002 erschienenen Album "Phrenology" ist mit "Water" ein Track zu finden, in welchem Black Thought sich an seinen Freund Malik B. wendet. Der Song thematisiert auch die Suchtprobleme, mit denen Malik B. zu kämpfen hatte. Die genauen Todesumstände des Rappers bleiben zunächst unklar.

Black Thought und Questlove haben sich jeweils via Instagram noch einmal gesondert von Malik B. verabschiedet. Unter anderem beschreibt Black Thought, dass er immer das Gefühl hatte, "nur einen Bruchteil der Gabe" von Malik B. zu besitzen.

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

We made a name and carved a lane together where there was none. We ressurected a city from the ashes, put it on our backs and called it Illadelph. In friendly competition with you from day one, I always felt as if I possessed only a mere fraction of your true gift and potential. Your steel sharpened my steel as I watched you create cadences from the ether and set them free into the universe to become poetic law, making the English language your bitch. I always wanted to change you, to somehow sophisticate your outlook and make you see that there were far more options than the streets, only to realize that you and the streets were one... and there was no way to separate a man from his true self. My beloved brother M-illitant. I can only hope to have made you as proud as you made me. The world just lost a real one. May Allah pardon you, forgive your sins and grant you the highest level of paradise. #MalikB #TheLegendaryRootsCrew

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Black Thought (@blackthought) am Jul 29, 2020 um 12:10 PDT

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

by @tdoteric A lighter tale of Malik Abdul Basit As a true Bol from philly you know that one’s oil game HAD to be on point. I came in this game rockin oils since age 9. Most of yall joke about me smelling like Breakfast (thx Kravitz clan) but long before my vanilla combo mastery my true graduation from basic Frankincense & Myrrh morphed into new exotic philly jawns like “Mecca Musk” & “Somali Rose” & “Egyptian Musk” & yeah…..”Money On the Street” & “Hug My Neck Aphrodisiac” Malik introduced me to that world. Even before Malik was in the Roots —-he was my oil guru. IYKYK...there is no panic like the last drop of oil w no re-up in the future. I been bugging Malik for my “$OTS” re-up. Paged him 911 (ask your parents kids) he was hard to catch but I knew I had some leverage bait this time: these were my last days interning at #RuffhouseRecords. I was everyone’s plug for all free cd’s/lp’s & especially Kriss Kross posters for anyone’s younger sibling or cousin Tim Dog’s sophomore Do or Die just came out (his “I Get Wrecked” single w KRS made brief noise for a sec) & I had 6 songs from the not yet released Cypress Hill “Black Sunday” lp——that was just enough to garner a “word? BET!” confirmation from Malik to tell me that him & Mussa (remember the cat dozing off watching TV in our “Distorion” vid? Him) would scoop me in a half hour. Confused I thought it was gonna be an even exchange (having paid him upfront weeks ago at a show I thought he was gonna drop it off——ha ha ha yeah ok They arrive to my west philly house and then Malik breaks the news to me: we gotta take a trip to “Norf” to get the oils. I wasn’t planning on this. But oh well. It was 3pm. Malik told me the particular fragrance I dug was a mixture of 3 import oils from Saudi Arabia (his parents often taught school there) my dad was already on his cynic “fool me once….” bag with Malik from a previous sale: “that boy tried to hustle me with Blue Nile that wasn’t all the way Blue, I know Johnson’s baby oil rebranded when I smell it”)——Malik told me we’d have to run to grab 2 oils & then West Oak Lane for the other oil, & then to South Philly so he can mix em together. Uh (checks Swatch) ok.

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Questlove Froman, (@questlove) am Jul 29, 2020 um 6:47 PDT

https://t.co/kNS9TPjJTT

— Mr. Green (@greenhiphop) July 30, 2020

Rest in Peace to Malik B of The Roots. "Step into The Realm" from Things Fall Apart was always one of my favorite performances from him. pic.twitter.com/d6sOlKxapB

— BLUEPRINT (@printmatic) July 29, 2020

Mourning my beloved cousin today. He was so talented and had a huge heart. I still remember when he and The Roots were starting out. He'd give me and my dad their cassette tapes to listen to. I miss you already, Mailk. #RIP https://t.co/UMQeXJsWmf

— Don Champion (@DonChampionTV) July 29, 2020

Thank you Malik B pic.twitter.com/CXe26RljUF

— AFROPUNK (@afropunk) July 29, 2020