Roommates, we want to send our condolences, as it has just been announced that a founding member of legendary hip hop group The Roots has passed away. Malik B, who was with The Roots during its most classic eras, has passed away at the age of 47.
The Roots posted the following message to their Twitter account confirming Malik B’s passing:
“We regretfully inform you of the passing of our beloved brother and long time Roots member Malik Abdul Baset. May he be remembered for his devotion to Islam and innovation as one of the most gifted MCs of all time. We ask that you please respect his family in our time of mourning.”
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The Roots lead MC and frontman, Black Thought, posted a moving message of his own via 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.”
Mailk B was a key contributor to The Roots’ first four albums — 1993’s “Organix,” 1994’s “Do You Want More?!!!??!,” 1996’s “Illadelph Halflife,” and 1999’s “Things Fall Apart” — before departing the group in 1999.
Malik B returned to the group again, contributing guest spots on 2006’s “Game Theory” and 2008’s “Rising Down.” After leaving The Roots, he launched on a solo career, including an EP and two albums, the most recent being “Unpredictable,” which was released in 2016.
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