Earlier this week, the hip hop community was hit with the sad news of A Tribe Called Quest member Phife Dawg's death due to lifelong complications with diabetes. During an interview after the Lakers' loss to the Nuggets last night, Kobe Bryant was asked if he had ever listened to Tribe and said, "Of course." He then went on to talk about the impact of the 5-Foot Assassin and Tribe's legacy:

"It's the passing of a legend. I mean, he made timeless music. That's very hard nowadays with music being in the moment. What they've been able to do is make music that stands the test of time. You can release a Tribe album, and it's just as relevant and hot now as it was then. That's speaks to the attention to detail and perfection of their craft."

Kobe also discussed the music that he listens to before games:

"I always listened to music that brought me back to a moment in time because I think the game is such an emotional one. I always tend to listen to music that brought me back to a moment in time in which I had a certain emotion. Whether it was high school or weather it was being a kid in Italy. Or my first few years in the league, whether it's calm, excitement, that's what music does for me. It's not just listening to music, but whatever music is going to put me in the right emotional setting that I feel is important for that game.

Check out Kobe's interview in the clip above. #RIPPhifeDawg

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[via YouTube]