Double Hip Hop Birthday: Phife Dawg & Mike D Celebrated on November 20!
Real talk, November 20th hits different in hip hop. Two absolute legends share this birthday – and we’re talking about some serious heavyweight talent here. Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest and Mike D from The Beastie Boys both came into this world on November 20th, five years apart. That’s some cosmic hip hop energy right there.
The Five-Foot Assassin: Phife Dawg
Born Malik Izaak Taylor on November 20, 1970, in Queens, New York, Phife Dawg was destined to leave his mark on hip hop culture. Growing up in St. Albans, Queens, to Trinidadian immigrant parents, Phife’s story started early – like, really early. Dude met his future collaborator Q-Tip when he was just two years old. Two years old! That’s the kind of connection that builds legendary groups.
When Phife was nine, he heard “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang and told Q-Tip they should start rapping together. Smart kid, right? That decision shaped the entire landscape of alternative hip hop. By 1985, A Tribe Called Quest was born, and Phife became the perfect counterbalance to Q-Tip’s production genius.
The Beastie Boy: Mike D
Five years before Phife entered the scene, Michael Louis Diamond was born on November 20, 1965. Mike D became a founding member of The Beastie Boys, and these guys literally changed the game. We’re talking about the first white rap group to achieve major commercial success, but it goes way deeper than that.
The Beastie Boys started as a hardcore punk band in 1981, but by the mid-80s, they’d pivoted to hip hop and never looked back. Mike D, along with MCA (Adam Yauch) and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz), created a sound that was completely their own. Their 1986 debut album “Licensed to Ill” was the first rap album to top the Billboard 200 – that’s history right there.
But here’s what made Mike D and the Beasties special – they weren’t just borrowing from hip hop culture, they were contributing to it. These guys were digging in crates, sampling everything from Led Zeppelin to obscure funk records, and creating beats that still sound fresh today. Mike D’s bass playing and production work helped define that Beastie Boys sound that influenced rock, punk, and hip hop artists for decades.
Celebrating Hip Hop Legends at TRILL
At TRILL Hip Hop Shop, we understand the importance of celebrating these kinds of artists – the ones who shaped the culture we love. Both Phife Dawg and Mike D represent what hip hop is really about: creativity, authenticity, and pushing boundaries while respecting the culture.
Whether you’re spinning classic Tribe Called Quest joints or throwing on some Beastie Boys, you’re connecting with decades of hip hop history. These birthday boys showed us that hip hop could be conscious and fun, serious and playful, underground and mainstream – all at the same time.
So next time November 20th rolls around, take a minute to appreciate what these two legends brought to the culture. Put on “The Low End Theory,” blast “Licensed to Ill,” and remember why hip hop continues to evolve and inspire new generations of artists.
