Rapper, singer, and founding member of The Roots, Malik Abdul Basit has died. He was 47.<br />According to CNN, Basit performed under the name Malik B. He was a devout Muslim.<br />Basit was part of the Philadelphia-based group from its early beginnings to about 1999, when he left when tensions in the group arose.<br />He went on to produce solo material and eventually appeared on several tracks on Roots albums.<br />On The Roots album "Phrenology,' the track 'Water' speaks to Basit's struggles with addiction.
