New York street renamed in Phife Dawg’s honour

A Tribe Called Quest rapper Phife Dawg, who passed away earlier this year, has had a New York street renamed in his honour.

Linden Boulevard and 192nd St in Queens was unveiled as Malik 'Phife Dawg' Taylor Way at the weekend during a ceremony that featured the rapper’s bandmates and family members.

The street carries strong significance for Taylor, a Queens native. The rapper name checked the street on ‘Steve Biko (Stir It Up)’ from Midnight Marauders with the line “Linden Boulevard represent, represent”.

The street sign is also across the road from where the group shot their video for 'Check The Rhime' in which Taylor raps “Back in the days on the boulevard of Linden, we used to kick routines and presence was fittin”.

Taylor’s widow, Desha Head Taylor, said at the ceremony her husband loved the neighbourhood and they would also go to that block when visiting New York City.

A Tribe Called Quest member Jarobi White said: "I see some of my dudes who I've actually logged mad hours with on this corner, in front of this store. It's a dope thing. Like people get murals and tributes to them all over the place, but to have a mural on the very block, the very street that we walked every day? Wrote rhymes up and down this block, battle people, have people come from other neighborhoods to battle me and Phife—you know, all kinds of stuff."

Taylor died in March due to complications from diabetes, a symptom he often referred to in his music after being diagnosed in 1990.

Before his death, A Tribe Called Quest reunited to record their first album in 18 years ‘We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service’. They plan to go on a final world tour in the near future.

Watch scenes from the street unveiling below.