The family of Malik 'Phife' Taylor will unveil the co-naming of a portion of Linden Boulevard at 192nd Street in the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens on Saturday, November 19th at 1:00pm EST. This celebration will take place one day before his birthday. The corner of the site where the classic "Check the Rhyme" video was filmed, and recent A Tribe Called Quest mural is displayed, will now bare the name "Malik 'Phife Dawg' Taylor Way".
The office of Council Member Daneek Miller, the representative for District 27, initiated the request to co-name the street in Queens. On August 3rd, 2016, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the bill at City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
Phife's wife, Deisha Head Taylor was instrumental in working with Councilman Miller's office in choosing the name of the street as well as the logistics regarding the unveiling. She says, "The thought of having Linden Boulevard at 192, renamed to Malik 'Phife Dawg' Taylor is indescribable. This is a perfect representation of who Malik was, and what Queens meant to him. Whenever he mentioned Queens, Linden Boulevard at 192, was a focal point of reference, so I am certain he would be pleased with having it renamed in his honor. We are extremely grateful for those who were part of the entire process; from the initial effort to the signing of the bill, this historical moment means so much to his family, friends, and fans."
Phife's mother and renowned poet, Cheryl Boyce-Taylor adds, "I'm in awe as an immigrant mother. My family came from Trinidad to the US in the 50's and 60's. We worked as housekeepers, nannies and home attendants to educate ourselves and our children. For a moment I lost faith in this country. The renaming of 192nd St. & Linden after my son Malik, has made my American Dream come through. I am so happy. He was an incredible child. I was blessed to know and love him."
To commemorate this momentous occasion, the family of Malik have partnered with Teespring, an on-demand ecommerce platform, to create a unique t-shirt that will be available for a limited time at [https://teespring.com/PhifeDawg_Way]. Dion Liverpool, Phife's best friend and business partner explains, "Soon after Phife passed, people started making tees with his likeness or name on it. Fans naturally bought them because they wanted to express their love for Phife. We decided to make 'Official Phife Apparel' to give his fans something authentic and approved by his family. The good people at Teespring created an excellent design that we love, and now we can offer fans men's tees, women's tees and hoodies as a keepsake from Phife and the street co-naming. Look out for other Phife official gear coming soon, and stop unknowingly buying bootleg stuff please!"
The unveiling is open to the public.
