Mac Miller Shows Love to Phife Dawg With “5 Foot Assassin”

In the wake of the announcement of Phife Dawg’s passing on Tuesday night (March 23), hip-hop continues to mourn the loss of the Tribe legend. Rappers and industry insiders from all across the globe took to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to wish their condolences and share memories of the 5 Foot Assassin, who died from unknown causes at the age of 45.

Mac Miller, who named A Tribe Called Quest as one of his top three favorite hip-hop acts, paid tribute to the late great by re-producing Tribe's legendary “1nce Again.” Under his production name Larry Fisherman, Mac Miller adds his smooth touches to create a dreamy melodic version of a timeless Tribe record.

A massive Tribe fan, Mac also has an ATCQ Beats, Rhymes & Life tattoo. "It’s funny, because the first Tribe album that I loved was Beats, Rhymes & Life – which is a weird one to come in on, but that was my first Tribe album," Miller recalled in a 2014 interview with the Come Up Show. That same year was the 20th anniversary of Midnight Marauders. "I just love that album, dude. Q-Tip, to me, is one of the most creative individuals ever, and I even got the chance to work with him, which was great," Mac said. "I love everything [about that album], I love the fuckin’ voice in the album – little things like that. I love the whole soundscape of that album, how they used sampling, and how Bob Power and Tip mixed that shit down."

Check out Mac Miller's tribute to one of the most historic rap groups of all time up top.

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