Malik Isaac Taylor (born November 20, 1970), better known by his stage name Phife Dawg (or simply Phife), is an American rapper of Trinidadian descent, and a member of the group A Tribe Called Quest with high school classmates Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (and for a short time Jarobi White). He is also known as the "Five Foot Assassin" and "The Five Footer", because he stands at 5 ft 3 in. In addition to being a member of pioneering hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, Phife has performed in songs with other artists. He was featured on the Fu-Schnickens song "La Schmoove", Diamond D's "Painz & Strife" along with Pete Rock, Chi-Ali's "Let the Horns Blow" with Dres, Al' Tariq and Trugoy. In 2000, he released his debut solo album, Ventilation: Da LP. As of 2013 it was reported that Phife is working on a solo album titled MUTTYmorPHosis. He is a playable character in the video game NBA 2K7 and NBA 2K9. Phife Dawg has mentioned being a "Funky Diabetic" in Tribe Called Quest songs, and he does indeed have diabetes.