Takeoff, the third member of Migos, along with Quavo and Offset, has died.
At around 2.30 a.m., the 28-year-old rapper, actual name Kirshnik Khari Ball, was fatally shot at a bowling alley in Houston where he and Quavo were playing dice; Takeoff was declared dead at the spot. Two other persons on the property were shot and brought to the hospital. Quavo was not hurt.
Friends and fans paid homage to the late rapper on Twitter. “I remember Takeoff being a very down to earth, cool dude,” wrote boxer Chris Eubank Jr. “Can’t 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.”
“Rest in peace to Takeoff, I just spoke to him too,” wrote Twitch streamer Adin Ross. “I’m in shock right now, I can’t believe it. I pray to god it’s fake. This shit just ain’t fair bro wtf.”
Takeoff was born in 1994 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. In 2008, he began rapping with his uncle and cousin, Quavo and Offset, under the moniker Polo Club. Juug Season, the trio’s debut mixtape as Migos, was released in 2011.
Versace, Migos’ first mainstream hit, was released in 2013. The song was important for popularizing the triplet flow – Migos’ distinctive rapid-fire cadence – in modern rap, and it was subsequently remixed by Toronto rapper Drake, who would go on to have a long-running relationship with all three members of the trio.
Migos are most known for their 2016 Lil Uzi Vert collaboration Bad and Boujee, which peaked at No. 1 in the United States, as well as Top 10 songs MotorSport (with Nicki Minaj and Cardi B) and Walk It Talk It (featuring Drake). Takeoff has released one album as a solo artist, The Last Rocket, which debuted at No. 4 in the US, and one as a duet, Only Built for Infinity Links, which was released last month with Quavo.