One of the founding members of the legendary Roots crew, Malik Abdul Basit, better known as Malik B., has died at the age of 47.
“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,” Roots’ members Questlove and Black Thought said in a statement.
“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.”
The Roots, created in Philadelphia by Questlove and Black Thought came to fruition in 1987 at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Shortly after, Leonard “Hub” Hubbard and Malik B. joined to complete the group that met successes throughout their career especially in their 1999 Platinum selling classic Things Fall Apart.
We send our condolences to Malik B’s family, friends and the OkayPlayer family.
Below, some of our favorite Malik B clips.