Takeoff
Courtesy of The Come Up Show (Flickr Of CC0)

Rapper “Takeoff” was shot dead in Houston on Tuesday. The details of his death are still under investigation, and police are currently searching for witnesses to help. According to police, Takeoff, one-third of the platinum-selling group “Migos”, was shot and killed early Tuesday when gunfire erupted outside of 810 Billiards & Bowling in Houston, following a private party. He died of gunshot wounds to the head and torso. He was 28 years old.

Details of the Shooting

Investigators are looking to speak with the 40 people who attended the party and fled after the gunfire. At least two people discharged firearms, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner. Two others were shot in the incident; a man, 23, and a woman, 24, sustained non-fatal injuries and took private vehicles to the hospital.

The bowling alley is in a three-story Houston retail complex with high-end restaurants, a House of Blues, and a Four Seasons hotel nearby. Following Takeoff’s death, fans assembled a memorial with roses, candles, and a teddy bear on the first floor of the retail complex.

The Hip-hop community reacts to Takeoff’s death.

The news of Takeoff’s death was a huge blow to the hip-hop community, which was still recovering from another fatal shooting of rapper “PnB Rock” in September. Stars took to social media Tuesday to pay their respects and express their condolences.

Paying tribute, Migos’ record label said in a statement, “Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated.”

The Legacy He Leaves Behind

Takeoff was born in 1987 under the legal name of Kirshnik Khari Ball. He was living in Atlanta when he first began working with fellow Migos members Quavo and Offset. They formed the hip-hop group after they met at a local music studio to share beats for use on their own tracks. All three members moved to Texas together around 2010.

Migos’ music was embraced by both mainstream audiences and hip-hop fans alike. Their hits include “Bad and Boujee”, “Versace“, “Stir Fry”, and the more recent, “Walk It Talk It.”

“Versace”, released in 2013, was the group’s breakout single. It went on to peak at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The following year, they released their debut album, “Yung Rich Nation”, with the hit single “Fight Night” featuring 2 Chainz. They later dropped “Culture” in 2017, which topped both the U.S. and Canadian charts. “Culture” also won Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards. A year later, Ball’s solo effort, “The Last Rocket,” hit No. 4 on the US charts.

Recent Projects

Takeoff and Quavo had just recently announced they’d be performing under the new moniker, “Unc & Phew”. Their first album, “Only Built for Infinity Links”, dropped last month, with Billboard reporting it had reached No. 1 on the rap charts. Hours before he was killed, Ball tweeted the video to the single, “Messy,” off of the new project.

On the track, he rhymes, “Wanna know my moves and all my spots, but I move clever/Wanna know my stash, how much I got, but I ain’t gonna tell ‘em.”

The music video for “Messy” dropped on Monday. During a recent conversation on the podcast “Drink Champs” just days before his death, Ball accepted praise for his performance on the project.

“It’s time to pop it, you know what I mean? It’s time to give me my flowers, you know what I mean?” Ball said. “I don’t want them later on when I ain’t here.”

Written By Armon Evans

Sources:

CNN: Takeoff, member of rap group Migos, fatally shot outside private party in Houston, police say

NBC NEWS: ‘Extremely devastated’: Those close to Takeoff mourn his loss but pay homage, too

Top and Featured Images Courtesy of The Come Up Show

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