Born Malik Abdul Basit in 1972, Malik was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was added to The Roots in the Nineties, joining founding members Questlove and Black Thought. The group went on to become one of the most beloved groups in all of hip-hop, opening for bands across the glob while sill landing as the house band for Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.
The band announced the news of Malik's passing in an Instagram post.
“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 Baset,” the group wrote.
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“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.”
Malik was an official Roots member for the group’s first four albums—Organix (1993), Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995), Illadelph Halflife (1996), and Things Fall Apart (1999)—before departing during the recording of 2002’s Phrenology.
He released the album Street Assault in 2005, and an EP titled Psychological EP in 2006.
The album Unpredictable, the result of a collaboration with Mr Green, came out in 2015. It was that same year that he stated in an interview on Arena.com, that he never was fired from the group, nor left the group. He just was doing solo projects.
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After releasing the news of his death, a flood of social media posts and condolences began to flood the internet.
Fellow founding member Black Thought added his heartfelt thoughts on Instagram, “We made a name and carved a lane together where there was none. We [resurrected] 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.”
While the cause of death hasn’t been announced, check back here often for updates on this.
