Gucci Mane, Ja Rule and More Pay Tribute to Late Migos Rapper Takeoff: ‘A Down to Earth, Cool Dude’
Takeoff, 28, was shot and killed outside a bowling alley in Houston early Tuesday
The music world is in mourning following the death of Migos rapper Takeoff.
Tributes for the Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, 28, poured in Tuesday after he was reportedly shot and killed in Houston outside a bowling alley.
Rapper Gucci Mane, who’d recently collaborated with Takeoff and his uncle and bandmate Quavo on the song “Us vs. Them,” shared a photo of the rapper to Instagram, and said the news left him broken-hearted.
“This broke my heart ????Rest In Peace @yrntakeoff,” he captioned the post.
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Ja Rule also paid tribute, writing on Twitter: “Rip Takeoff… this s— has to STOP… sending love to friends and family ????????????.”
Rapper Ugly God broke down Migos’ influence on hip-hop, writing on Twitter that the trio’s 2015 debut album Yung Rich Nation changed the genre.
“do y’all not realize these n—s changed the whole cadence of rap when they came out? rip Takeoff,” he wrote. “this man has been staying out the way, keeping it minimal, and minding his own buisiness [sic] since the beginning. If that’s not enough to be left alone, then idk.”
Journalist Jemele Hill also weighed in on the loss in a Twitter thread that expressed frustration with the frequency with which young Black men are shot and killed.
I was in college when Biggie and ‘Pac were killed and thought there was no way we’d ever experience anything remotely close to that again. Now it’s happening so frequently that you barely have time to recover before someone else killed. RIP Takeoff.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 1, 2022
Here comes another useless conversation about how the real issue is we need to better navigate our lives around gun violence. There are 400 million guns in this country — twice as many as we have people. There is no navigating around that.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 1, 2022
Black people should be allowed to wear expensive things they’ve worked hard to buy, be out late, have petty arguments, without losing their lives. We keep pointing the blame at everything but the people who recklessly pull the trigger.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 1, 2022
“I was in college when Biggie and ‘Pac were killed and thought there was no way we’d ever experience anything remotely close to that again. Now it’s happening so frequently that you barely have time to recover before someone else killed. RIP Takeoff,” she wrote. “Here comes another useless conversation about how the real issue is we need to better navigate our lives around gun violence. There are 400 million guns in this country — twice as many as we have people. There is no navigating around that. Black people should be allowed to wear expensive things they’ve worked hard to buy, be out late, have petty arguments, without losing their lives. We keep pointing the blame at everything but the people who recklessly pull the trigger.”
British boxer Chris Eubank Jr. shared a photo of himself with Takeoff, Quavo and Offset, and wrote that he remembered his time with Takeoff fondly.
“I remember @1YoungTakeoff being a very down to earth, cool dude,” he wrote. “Cant believe I’m having to say this again about another young black star being killed for no reason, something really has to change in the industry, it’s sickening how easy & often people are dying. RIP Takeoff.”
I remember @1YoungTakeoff being a very down to earth, cool dude. Cant believe I’m having to say this again about another young black star being killed for no reason, something really has to change in the industry, it’s sickening how easy & often people are dying. RIP Takeoff pic.twitter.com/VBguVkzBJ7
— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) November 1, 2022
Added rapper Yung Miami of the hip-hop duo City Girls: “Damn takeoff ????????????”
Singer Keri Hilson wrote on Twitter that Takeoff was “gone too soon,” and sent “healing love to your brothers, family, & friends.”
Former NFL star Darrelle Revis paid tribute, too, writing on Twitter: “our legends are being taken away too soon. a big supporter of Migos. it’s just not good to wake up to news like this. @1YoungTakeoff @QuavoStuntin.”
Rest In Peace, @1YoungTakeoff. Healing love to your brothers, family, & friends. 💔 #gonetoosoon
— Keri Hilson (@KeriHilson) November 1, 2022
Takeoff (real name Kirshnik Khari Bell) was at a private party with Quavo, according to TMZ, when an altercation broke out at 810 Billiards & Bowling at approximately 2:30 a.m. Quavo, 31, was not injured in the incident.
A Houston Police Department spokesperson told PEOPLE they are waiting for the medical examiner’s office to identify the victim and notify the family, which has not happened yet, before confirming themselves.
Takeoff and Quavo had recently moved forward as a duo without Migos bandmate Offset, 30, who is Quavo’s cousin. Though each member had released solo projects in the past, Takeoff and Quavo continued to work together, occasionally calling themselves “Unc and Phew.”
Their collaborative album Only Built for Infinity Links was released on Oct. 7.
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