Malik Izaak Taylor, known professionally as Phife Dawg (or simply Phife), was an American rapper and a member of the group A Tribe Called Quest. Phife Dawg was of Trinidadian descent. He was an avid sports fan and was featured on various radio shows and sports programming on ESPN. He was also a playable character in the video games NBA 2K7 and NBA 2K9. Phife was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 2 in May 1990. He mentioned being a "funky diabetic" in the single "Oh My God" from the group's third album, Midnight Marauders. After being on a waiting list for two years, Phife received a kidney transplant from his wife in 2008. This was unsuccessful, however, and by 2012 he once again required a transplant. Taylor died in his home in Contra Costa County, California on March 22, 2016 due to complications relating to diabetes at the age of 45.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phife_Dawg