Phife | Nutshell
The family of Malik I. Taylor, also known as Phife (A Tribe Called Quest), have decided to see his wishes through, and release music that he had been recording for his new album, Give Thanks, up until his untimely passing. His wife, Deisha, says, “Phife loved his fans, and was so excited for them to hear his new music. I feel like he would have wanted it this way.” She, along with his longtime friend and manager, Dion Liverpool, decided to debut his J Dilla produced (estate licensed) single, “Nutshell.” Dion Liverpool added, “The single displays Phife’s legendary wordplay as he describes himself, in a nutshell, so to speak.”
“Nutshell” will be available on iTunes.
The family will be donating 50% of the proceeds from the sale of the song to two organizations that were close to Phife’s heart, the American Diabetes Association and the National Kidney Foundation. “Malik had always wanted to use his voice to raise awareness and formally educate young people about diabetes, so we think this is the perfect way to honor him and contribute. This will be an ongoing relationship with these two great organizations,” said his family.
“The American Diabetes Association offers our sincere condolences to Phife Dawg’s family and fans during this difficult time,” said Kevin L. Hagan, CEO, American Diabetes Association. “During his lifetime, Phife worked to educate young people about diabetes. We are honored and grateful that Phife’s family has chosen to continue his legacy by supporting the Association’s mission and ongoing efforts to raise awareness of diabetes and its burdens.”
“The National Kidney Foundation is proud to partner with Phife’s family and to be part of his continuing music legacy. Phife’s struggle with kidney disease was not an isolated one – 26 million people in the U.S. have kidney disease and, sadly, most don’t know it. Through efforts like these, we’re able to reach more people with the lifesaving message of early detection, to call for more living kidney donations, and to raise awareness about the importance of kidney health. We’re grateful to the family for choosing the National Kidney Foundation as a partner in this project,” said Kevin Longino, CEO National Kidney Foundation.
