"Like straight-up drugs. I'm just addicted to sugar." Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest

Disclaimer:  The image above had to be repurposed given the blatant disconnect that fellow Phife fans have demonstrated with regards to his addiction to sugar in relation to diabetes.  This is by no means a condemnation of the brother’s struggle, the purpose of this post is to raise awareness if anything.

“When’s the last time you heard a funky diabetic?”  -Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest “Oh My God” featured on “Midnight Marauders” released in 1993.

“Diabetes took Phife Dawg at the early age of 45. But the legendary A Tribe Called Quest MC made it clear in life, and lyrics, how deep his love for food ran, and we’d like to celebrate that love — with some ham and eggs, of course.” Dakota Kim

-- what the fuck, Dakota Kim?!

And all over the internet, social media, drawings, and even murals of this very image is being glorified.  Imagine if the brother Phife died from gun violence, you damn sure wouldn’t be posting pictures of him buying bullets!  Check the statistics on the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. [overwhelmingly related to diet and lifestyle] and you'll see why we should take this issue seriously. By the way the above image minus the text was originally taken in honor of J.Dilla and his album "Donuts" released just 3 days before his death at the age of 32. I’ve even seen other Phife “celebrations” were Dr. Pepper is the beverage of choice because you guessed it, “Drink a lot of soda so they call me Dr. Pepper.” (Phife)

“Taylor had had health issues for years, undergoing a kidney transplant in 2008 to deal with a longtime battle with diabetes. 'It's really a sickness,' Taylor said in Beats, Rhymes & Life, Michael Rapaport's candid 2011 documentary on the group. 'Like straight-up drugs. I'm just addicted to sugar.'  Rolling Stone

Folks seriously need to recognize the connections between not only Phife’s diet/lifestyle and health but clearly their own!  Start with Supanova Slom’s “The Hip-Hop State of Emergency” and while you’re at it “Sugar Crack” (that deadly donut)!    

http://veganhiphopmovement.tumblr.com/post/142283372995/phifeforever