Takeoff, the 28-year-old Grammy-nominated musician, died Tuesday after a shooting at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas.
According to his record company’s statement, the Migos rapper died from a “stray bullet.”
The shooting
The shooting in Texas occurred at 2:30 on a balcony outside 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley.
Takeoff was playing dice with his uncle and bandmate Quavo across at the Bowling Alley.
According to police, 40 to 50 guests attended a private party when someone opened fire.
Upon arrival, officers said they found a large crowd and a man with a gunshot wound to the head or neck.
However, the man was pronounced dead.
Meanwhile, two other people were injured and were taken to hospital.
No arrest was made.
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Police response
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said he didn’t want to speculate that Takeoff was the target of the shooting.
“Based on what people say about him, he’s well respected, non-violent,” said Finner.
“I would not expect him to be involved, but I do want to wait on the investigation.”
“But we have no reason to believe that he was involved in anything criminal at the time, just as people describe him as very peaceful, loving, a great entertainer.”
Later, Chief Finner urged witnesses at the scene to come forward.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, he said:
“Please step up, get the information to us so we can bring down some closure to this family who’s hurting right now.”
Takeoff
Kirsnick Khari Ball, better known as Takeoff, was one-third of the Atlanta band Migos.
The band is among the most successful, producing songs that hit the charts.
As a result, they made hits like Walk It Talk It, Stir Fry and Versace.
However, the group broke into the mainstream in 2016 with their single Bad and Boujee, which topped the US charts.
The song was also nominated for Best Rap Performance at the Grammy Awards.
Although Takeoff didn’t appear in the song because he missed the recording session, the rapper was a key architect of the Migos sound.
As a result, Migos is now famous for its punchy vocal triplets and scattered, stammering rhythms.
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Tributes
After the news broke, tributes for Takeoff began flooding social media as friends, fans, and collaborators mourned the rapper.
Drake did a remix of Versace, which gave the band a boost in the charts, and wrote on Instagram:
“I got the best memories of all of us seeing the world together and bringing light to every city we touch. That’s what I’ll focus on for now.”
Gucci Mane recently worked with Takeoff and Quavo on the song Us vs. Them.
Additionally, he shared a photo of the rapper on Instagram and said the news broke his heart.
Atlanta legend Outkast wrote:
“Rest in peace, Takeoff. Sending our deepest condolences and prayers to his family, friends, and community of people touched by his craft.”
Finally, many musicians are urging fans not to share videos of Takeoff’s final moments online out of respect.
Reference:
Migos rapper Takeoff killed by ‘stray bullet,’ record label claims
