Today the music world mourns the loss of yet another rapper. Takeoff was 1/3 of the supergroup Migos. The Atlanta trio gave the world such hits as “Bad and Boujee,” “Motorsport,” and “Stir Fry.” The men had been at odds recently, with Quavo and TakeOff splintering off into their own group amongst beef with Offset. Let’s take a look at what happened over the weekend and who the shooter, who is still on the loose, is.
TakeOff and Quavo were reportedly shooting dice at a bowling alley in Houston last night. The men were in town to celebrate the birthday of fellow rapper Jas Prince and took to social media to post videos and pictures of themselves driving around the city and having a good time. Unfortunately, their dice game turned fatal as TakeOff began arguing with another man. The man opened fire on TakeOff, hitting him in the head, according to TMZ.
People nearby began pulling out their phones, and videos posted online show Quavo trying to wake TakeOff up as a crowd forms around him. They begin yelling for help. TakeOff was pronounced deceased at the scene. The whole thing occurred at 810 Billards & Bowling Houston at around 2:30 am. The Houston Police’s official Twitter account confirmed that two other people were injured at about 3 am. “UPDATE: 2 other victims taken in private vehicles to hospitals.” They also tried to keep TakeOff’s identity private until his family was notified. However, videos posted online allowed the news to spread. Quavo was not injured.
Born Kirshnik Khari Ball, TakeOff and his uncle Quavo and first cousin Offset found initial fame following their single “Versace” going viral in 2013. After this, they scored a series of hit records and viral moments, with TakeOff famously saying, “I wasn’t left off Bad and Boujiee” at an award show. The group would score four Billboard hot 100 top 10 records and a trilogy of albums called Culture. They’ve been Grammy, and Billboard nominated.
Takeoff speaking on being low key and why he was that way #RIPTakeoff 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/GglSYaJ98j
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) November 1, 2022
People immediately took to social media to share their condolences and lament on the state of hip-hop. Takeoff’s passing follows the recent passing of PNB Rock, Young Dolph, Trouble, Pop Smoke, and more. Others are disturbed by how easily people have been distributing footage of the incident. The Shade Room had to ask fans to stop sharing them in their mentions. “At this point, we have all seen the graphic images and videos from the scene of Takeoff’s passing. We are asking that you please refrain from putting the images in our replies out of respect for his family and loved ones.”
Takeoff was always the quietest member in the group since he never had the massive cross-over appeal of his uncle and cousin. In a video reshared by XXL, Takeoff says that was by design for him. He felt like back in the day, the artist did not have to give so much to fans and felt like he wanted to maintain his privacy and mystery. He said he tried to stay off social media and not post so much.
Police have reportedly been trying to track down the individual or individuals responsible for taking TakeOff’s life. Houston’s Police Chief Troy Finner held a press conference where he asked the community to help in apprehending the individual(s) involved. Houston PD strongly believes “somebody knows exactly who it was.” They’re also confident someone will speak up soon. During the press conference it was also revealed that two more individuals were injured during the incident and have checked themselves in the hospital.
Live: Houston police hold a press conference after Migos rapper Takeoff died following a shooting early Tuesday. https://t.co/tp2Vr9PtLG
— People (@people) November 1, 2022
At the moment, Houston PD does not have any strong leads, but they are confident the individual responsible was a guest at the party TakeOff and Quavo were attending. Police Chief Troy Finner urges anyone with information to “step up” and speak up.
