Takeoff, one-third of Hip-Hop group The Migos, was killed in Houston early this morning TMZ reports.
According to reports, the 28-year-old rapper (real name Kirshnik Khari Ball) was shot shortly after 2:30 a.m. at Houston bowling alley, where he and Quavo were playing dice. An altercation broke out and someone opened fire, fatally shooting Takeoff, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers reportedly told KPRC Houston that a crowd of approximately 40 or 50 people was at the scene when the shooting took place. Two other people were shot and taken to the hospital — Quavo was unharmed.
In the wake of his tragic passing, tributes have poured in from Hip-Hop stars including Scarface, Ja Rule, Master P, Teyana Taylor, and more. "I’m devastated…. way too young and too dope, my condolences goes out to his family I am absolutely crushed," Scarface wrote on Twitter.
Ja Rule also mourned the loss, writing, "Rip Takeoff… this shit has to STOP… sending love to friends and family."
T-Mo of Goodie Mob echoed the sentiment, wondering what kind of times we're living in, and calling the killing "disgusting." "I'm just sad bro," he captioned his IG video. Master P shared his thoughts in an especially poignant video, captioning his post with "Hip-Hop is dying too young." "We gotta move differently," he said in the video, "don't be afraid to hire police details to get you home."
Migos, who formed in the late 2000s in the Atlanta area (Lawrenceville, GA), dominated the charts with their releases including 2013's breakout hit "Versace." Considered one of the most successful acts in music, they had some 20 platinum and gold singles and albums certified by the RIAA, including their Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Bad and Boujee,” inspiring a wave of artists in the process. Migos’ other Top 10 hits include “Stir Fry,” “MotorSport” with Cardi B and “Walk It Talk It” with Drake.
Takeoff released one solo album, 2018’s The Last Rocket, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. Takeoff and Quavo had just released their joint project, Only Built for Infinity Links in October.
See tributes to Takeoff below.
