Philadelphia rapper Malik B. brought energy, grit, and a streetwise toughness to his rhymes both as a founding member of hip-hop legends the Roots and through a series of solo efforts. In addition to appearing on the earliest Roots albums, Malik released strong records of his own like 2015's collaboration with Mr. Green, Unpredictable. Malik B. was born Malik Abdul Basit in 1972. The Philadelphia native watched the evolution of East Coast hip-hop in real time as he grew up, and by the late '80s, he had begun playing with high school friends in the conglomeration that would eventually become the Roots. As one of the group's emcees, Malik was foundational to the development of the Roots' sound, and appeared on their first four albums before leaving the band in 1999. He continued performing and recording solo, as well as in collaboration with other artists, and would occasionally show up on Roots albums as a guest contributor. In 2005, Malik released his debut solo album, Street Assault, following it quickly the next year with the Psychological EP. In 2015, he collaborated with Mr. Green on the joint album Unpredictable. On July 29, 2020, Malik B. died at age 47. ~ Fred Thomas