In Memoriam
Malik B., founding member of The Roots, dies at 47
Malik Abdul Basit, a rapper, singer, and one of the founding members of The Roots also known as Malik B., has died. He was 47.
Malik Basit, a rapper, singer, and one of the founding members of The Roots professionally known as Malik B., has died.
How Malik B of the Roots passed away
He was 47.
“We regretfully inform you of the passing of our beloved brother and long time Roots member Malik Abdul Basit,” the band announced on Twitter Wednesday.
“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.” His cause of death was not revealed.
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 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 pic.twitter.com/NVHtb2CFWP— The Roots (@theroots) July 29, 2020
Music career
Malik B. was part of the Philadelphia-based group from its early beginnings to about 1999, when he departed amid group tensions detailed in the song “Water”.
Before his departure he appeared on The Roots’ first four albums, including “Illadelph Halflife” in 1996 and the 1999 breakthrough record “Things Fall Apart.”
Malik B The Producer
He went on to produce solo material and, several years after his departure, also appeared on several tracks on Roots albums.
Real stories. Real impact. Straight to your inbox. Join thousands others. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter today
Discover more from Unheard Voices Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Ohio man sentenced to 21 years to life in fatal uber driver shooting
Temple student who assisted Don Lemon during Minnesota protest faces federal charges
The arrests of journalists who covered Minnesota church protest is an attack on independent journalism and freedom of press
Asbury Park High School: MLK Day with Dr. Clarence B. Jones
In Memoriam: Demond Wilson, ‘Sanford and Son’ Star (1946 – 2026)
South Carolina midwife Dr. Janell Green Smith dies after childbirth complications
GoFundMe launched for daughters of Keith Porter after fatal shooting by off-duty ICE agent
OWN greenlights first-ever ‘Belle Collective’ spinoff Belle Collective: Birmingham
Family of Los Angeles man fatally shot by off-duty ICE agent demands answers
Rising New Jersey boxer struck, killed by car, prosecutor says
OWN greenlights first-ever ‘Belle Collective’ spinoff Belle Collective: Birmingham
Hazel Scott’s legacy returns to Harlem in free outdoor film screening
Olympic Gymnast Frederick Richard sets world record, raises $50K for Ugandan youth
Renee Ferguson, trailblazing investigative journalist, dies at 75
“AfroPoP Digital Shorts” returns to the land with “Sweet Samara,” climate and abolitionist film
Black Excellence2 weeks agoDr. Gladys West, GPS pioneer whose calculations transformed modern navigation, dies at 95
In Memoriam1 week agoRemembering Alex Jeffrey Pretti: A life rooted in care and service
Community2 weeks agoArkansas siblings lean on each other after mother’s sudden death from brain aneurysm
Crime & Justice2 weeks agoWhite Mississippi man cleared in Black boy’s, 10, hit-and-run death appears to spit at victim’s family
Community2 weeks agoFamily says masked plainclothes Newark, N.J. officers fired at car pulling away, killing man
Black Excellence1 week agoOpal Lee, ‘grandmother of Juneteenth,’ honored with a Mattel barbie doll
Black Excellence2 weeks agoLaila Edwards is set to make hstory at the 2026 Winter Olympics — and her family hopes to be there to see it
Entertainment1 week agoSpice releases new single and video “Soft Girl Era” through REVOLT