Malik B., Miembro Fundador de The Roots, Fallece a los 47 Años

Malik B., rapero y miembro fundador de The Roots, ha fallecido, según el comunicado de la banda de hip-hop en las redes sociales el miércoles (29 de julio). Tenía 47 años. No se ha revelado ninguna causa de muerte.

"Lamentamos informarle del fallecimiento de nuestro querido hermano y antiguo miembro de The Roots, Malik Abdul Basit, con corazones pesados ​​y ojos llorosos. Que lo recuerden por su devoción al Islam, su fraternidad amorosa y su innovación como uno de los MCs más talentosos de todos los tiempos", escribió el grupo en Instagram. "Le pedimos que respete a su familia y su familia extendida en nuestro momento de duelo por una pérdida tan grande".

Su primo Don Champion dio la noticia en Twitter cuando compartió viejas grabaciones de Malik B. en The Bowery Electric de Nueva York. "Luto hoy por mi querido primo. Era muy talentoso y tenía un gran corazón. Todavía recuerdo cuando él y The Roots estaban comenzando", escribió Champion. "Nos daba a mí y a mi papá sus cintas de cassette para escuchar. Ya te extraño, Mailk. #RIP".

Nacido como Malik Abdul Basit en la base de operaciones de The Roots en Filadelfia, Pensilvania, se hizo amigo de la escuela secundaria de Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson y Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, quienes comenzaron a actuar juntos bajo el nombre de Square Roots en 1987, mientras asistían a Millersville. Universidad en Lancaster. Oficialmente dejaron su nombre "Square" en 1992 antes de mudarse a Londres y lanzar su álbum debut Organix al año siguiente.

El reclamo de Malik B. a la fama surgió del álbum debut de The Roots Do You Want More?!!!??! a partir de 1995, cuando él y los raperos Black Thought reinaban bajo la tenencia temprana del grupo en DGC/Geffen. También grabó canciones en Illadelph Halflife en 1996 y Things Fall Apart en 1999 antes de dejar el grupo al final del milenio.

Black Thought reflexionó sobre su reunión inicial y su camaradería crucial con Malik B. en el LP  Phrenology de 2002, el primer álbum The Roots lanzado después de la salida del South Philly MC. Él Escribió una carta abierta a Malik B. sobre "Water", que discutía el papel integral del rapero en el ascenso del grupo a la fama y la posterior salida debido a las tentaciones de drogas del vecindario.

Pero incluso después de que se fue, The Roots lo recibió a él y a sus versos con brazos amorosos al presentarlo en temas como "Game Theory", "In The Music" y "Here I Come" de su LP Game Theory 2006 y "I Can't Help It "y" Lost Desire "de su LP Rising Down 2008, que marcó sus últimas contribuciones a The Roots. En las notas para Game Theory, el grupo le agradeció por repetir su papel de MC escribiendo una declaración, "Welcome to Home".

Malik B. lanzó un EP Psychological en 2006 y dos álbumes en su carrera en solitario, Street Assault en 2005 y Unpredictable en 2015 con el productor Mr. Green.

Lea los mensajes de tributo a Malik B. de The Roots y su familia a continuación.

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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.

Una publicación compartida por The Roots (@theroots) el 29 de Jul de 2020 a las 12:04 PDT

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📸 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.

Una publicación compartida por Questlove Froman, (@questlove) el 29 de Jul de 2020 a las 6:47 PDT

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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

Una publicación compartida por Black Thought (@blackthought) el 29 de Jul de 2020 a las 12:10 PDT

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