Takeoff, of the Hip-Hop Group Migos, Has Died at 28
Takeoff, a member of the popular rap group Migos, died early Tuesday morning. The artist was fatally shot at 810 Billiards and Bowling in Houston, TX. He was 28 years old.
At around 2:40 a.m., officers arrived at the scene, where they discovered a crowd of people surrounding a man with a gunshot wound. The victim was not immediately identified, but news outlets, including Rolling Stone and TMZ, confirmed that the man was Takeoff.
According to TMZ's report of the events, the rapper and his uncle, Offset, were playing dice at a private party when a fight broke out amongst guests. Shots were fired and Takeoff was killed in the altercation, but Offset was unharmed. Two other attendees were injured as well and taken to local hospitals. A member of the Houston Police Department said the party ended at around 1 a.m., but guests stuck around afterwards, which is when the shooting occurred. "We are still in the process and early stages of this investigation, trying to gather all the information we can, and we are looking for the public’s help," they said.
Takeoff, born Kirshnik Khari Ball, was the youngest member of Migos. The rap group—which includes his relatives Offset (Kiari Kendrell Cephus) and Quavo (Quavious Keyate Marshall) formed in 2008. Their first single, "Versace," was released in 2013, marking the beginning of a meteoric career.
Over the past nine years, the group has released a myriad of albums and hit singles that have landed on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Migos's most popular song, "Bad and Boujee," featuring Lil Uzi Vert, secured the number-one spot in 2016. The following year, Migos released "Motor Sport," which landed at number six. In 2018, “Stir Fry” hit number eight, while "Walk It Talk It" held the 10th slot.
In a 2013 interview with Fader, Takeoff explained that he dreamed of being a rapper as a child. He and Quavo grew up working on music together, but they pursued different careers for a while. "I just always wanted to rap," Takeoff said. "When Quavo was out doing sports, I was in the studio, what we call the bando, making music, going hard."
According to Quavo, he didn’t think Migos would make it big until the group dropped its first mixtape. "I didn’t ever tell him to stop doing football," Takeoff said, recalling the collective's early days. "If that was what he wanted to do he was gonna do it. I knew what I wanted to do and we kept on working."
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