Takeoff, a rapper with the Migos, was allegedly slain by a “stray bullet,” according to a statement from his record label. The Grammy-nominated artist, age 28, was shot and killed at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday.
His record company paid tribute in a statement, saying: “We are devastated that senseless violence and a stray gunshot have taken another person from our earth.”
Troy Finner, the chief of police in Houston, said he did not want to make any assumptions about whether Takeoff was the intended victim.
Added him: “According to what people have to say about him, he is well-liked and non-violent.
We have no reason to assume that he was involved in anything unlawful at the time, just as many describe him as very peaceful, caring, and a terrific entertainer. However, I do want to wait on the inquiry.
He begged any on-site witnesses to come forward. At a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, he pleaded with people to take action and provide the information so that the family, which is currently in pain, might receive some closure.
On a balcony outside the 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley, where Takeoff was allegedly playing dice with his uncle and bandmate Quavo, the incident occurred at approximately 02:30 local time (07:30 GMT).
The number of guests at the private party, according to the police, was between 40 and 50. Police reported that when they arrived, they discovered a sizable throng and a man suffering from head or neck injuries. At the scene, he was identified as deceased.
A 24-year-old guy and a 23-year-old woman who was also injured were taken to the hospital in private cars. There have been no detentions.
According to Police Chief Finner, “at least two weapons” were used in the event, and “at least two people were pulling triggers around here.
One-third of the top-charting Atlanta band Migos, whose singles included Walk It Talk It, Stir Fry, and Versace, was Takeoff, real name Kirsnick Khari Ball.
Their 2016 track Bad And Boujee, which topped the US charts and received a Grammy Award nomination for best rap performance, helped them break into the public eye.
Takeoff was one of the primary creators of the Migos sound, which featured aggressive vocal triplets and sparse, stuttering beats, but he did not appear on that song since he claimed to have missed the recording session.
Social media has been swamped with tributes to the celebrity, with friends, collaborators, and fans voicing their grief over his passing.
The band’s first taste of chart success came because of Drake’s remix of Versace,3, who stated on Instagram: “The finest memories I have are of us all traveling the world together and spreading hope to every city we encounter. Now I’ll concentrate on that.”
Gucci Mane, who recently worked on the song Us vs. Them with Takeoff, his uncle Quavo, and other musicians, posted a picture of the rapper on Instagram and wrote, “It crushed my heart to learn of his passing.”
Outkast, fellow Atlanta superstars, mirrored the sentiment by posting a picture of Takeoff with the following caption: “Say goodbye, Takeoff. We offer our sincere sympathies and our prayers to his family, friends, and the wider community he impacted through his art.”
Rapper Desiigner, who emerged alongside Migos, publicly sobbed on an Instagram Live session and announced his decision to give up rap.
Through his sobs, he questioned, “Why do we do this? “I’m over with rap. It’s finished, finished, finished, finished. Bro, don’t take off. That’s it.”
Fans of other artists were requested not to post videos of Takeoff’s climactic moments on social media.
Wiz Khalifa wrote, “Delete all footage and talk about it so it doesn’t exist.” Lauren Jauregui, a former member of Fifth Harmony, shared the sentiment in a blog post: “I wish I could say this without having to say it, but do not view or share that video. It’s awful that we’re all so numb to death.”
The record company Quality Control made the following announcement on Instagram: “We mourn the passing of our cherished brother Kirsnick Khari Ball, also known as Takeoff, with shattered hearts and great sadness.
“We are devastated that another life has been lost to senseless violence and a stray bullet. Please be considerate of his family and friends as we all absorb this tragic loss.”
Takeoff was the group’s youngest member, and in the 2010s, Migos had two number-one albums in the US. After his death, his mother took a plane to Houston, according to Police Chief Finner.
He remarked,
“I want everyone to comprehend the anguish, the agony of a mother. “It’s incredibly difficult.
We all pray for his mother, his family, and his friends who are presently suffering great grief and shock.
The Impact of Migos Flow
Rapping in brief, rapid-fire triplets, or the “Migos Flow,” altered the sound of popular music in the 2010s. One of the most well-known groups of their time, Migos invented the “Migos flow,” a choppy, staccato triplet rapping technique.
Versace, the band’s 2013 big song, definitely features it. The song’s title is repeated by the band in quick spurts, with emphasis on the middle syllable at the beginning of each bar.
Before Migos, groups like Three 6 Mafia and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony used this strategy, which can be traced back to Chuck D’s verse on Public Enemy’s Bring The Noise.
The Atlanta group, however, improved the genre and made it the focal point of their music. Once heard, their flow made other rappers sound monotonous because of the intensity and vigor it possessed.
Following the success of their number-one single Bad And Boujee in 2017, the Migos Flow quickly gained popularity. It can be heard in Kendrick Lamar’s DNA, Kanye West’s Black Skinhead, Drake’s The Language, and even Ariana Grande’s 7 Rings.
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