Reports: A Tribe Called Quest's Phife Dawg dead at 45

Hip hop has lost one of its founding fathers.

Phife Dawg, one of the founding members of the legendary hip-hop collective, A Tribe Called Quest, reportedly died Wednesday at 45.

Rolling Stone and Billboard confirmed the rapper's death, though the group has yet to release an official statement. The cause of death is unknown.

Born Malik Taylor in 1970, he founded A Tribe Called Quest in 1985 with Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. One of rap's landmark early acts, A Tribe Called Quest released five critically and commercially successful albums from 1990 to 1998, and were responsible for hits such as Bonita Applebum, Can I Kick It?, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Scenario and Check the Rhime.

After disbanding in 1998, the group reunited several times over the last decade to perform live, most recently bringing Can I Kick It? to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2015.

In recent years, he struggled with medical issues, battling diabetes and undergoing a kidney transplant in 2008.

It's a day of mourning for the music community, as Phife Dawg's contemporaries and fans remembered his life with tributes on social media.

Rest in Peace Phife Dawg

— Big Sean (@BigSean) March 23, 2016

So incredibly sad to hear the Great Phife Dawg of Tribe Called Quest has passed away at only 45 yrs. GREAT MC. Sincere Love and Respect.

— ⭐Jill Scott⭐ (@missjillscott) March 23, 2016

Rest in peace legend... #PhifeDawg #ATCQ

— King Push (@PUSHA_T) March 23, 2016

USA TODAY has contacted A Tribe Called Quest's representatives for comment.