Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest visits the Tribeca Film Festival 2011 portrait studio on April 27, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

The legendary rapper Phife Dawg, of influential rap group A Tribe Called Quest, passed away today, leaving behind a net worth of $5 million. Phife Dawg was a member of the celebrated veteran rap group known as A Tribe Called Quest. The Phife Dawg net worth of $5 million came to a permanent halt when the rapper died on the morning of March 23 at the age of 45.

Phife Dawg’s lifetime of work makes him an iconic rapper who falls in the category of those few veteran rappers who brought in great rhymes and catchy tunes during the early ’90s when the rap and hip hop industries were just starting out. Phife Dawg is best known as the member of A Tribe Called Quest, who gave epic rap hits like “Can I Kick It?” and “Scenario.” As a part of this rap group, Phife Dawg’s net worth made millions of dollars along with the well-deserved fame of a rap legend.

How Rich Was Phife Dawg?

Sources Earnings
A Tribe Called Quest Album Sales $1 million
Solo Artist $500,000
Concerts and Tours $2 million
Movie Salary $3 million
Estimated Endorsement Salary $130,000
Estimated Annual Salary $600,000
Phife Dawg Net Worth $5 million

Starting Out with A Tribe Called Quest

Phife Dawg was born Malik Isaac Taylor and grew up in Queens, New York. He started rapping at an early age and became a close buddy of Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, who went by the stage name “Q-Tip.” Later on, Phife Dawg and Q-Tip formed the rap group A Tribe Called Quest, which produced underground rap anthems and mixtapes.

In 1989, the group signed a deal with Geffen Records and sold a five-song demo that has since became a legendary rap demo. The demo included hit songs like “Can I Kick It?,” “Description Of A Fool,” and “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo.” With the sold-out concerts, Phife Dawg made millions of dollars to add to his net worth, making him a profitable rapper.

Movie Earnings

Phife Dawg’s rapping style got him great endorsement deals from radio stations and hip hop apparel companies. Phife Dawg also got into acting and started appearing in movies. He started earning an average salary of three hundred thousand dollars from acting in movies like Who’s the Man? (1993), The Rugrats Movie (1998), and with cameos in NBA 2K8 (2007) and Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest (2011).

 

Unfortunately, the chart-topping MC passed away at the age of just 45, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy of catchy rap tunes. The cause of his death has not been revealed yet, but Phife had reportedly been struggling with diabetes since 1990 and had undergone a kidney transplant in 2008. As rappers and hip hop moguls around the world mourn his demise, Phife Dawg will always be celebrated as one of the best rappers in the world.