takeoff
Page: 2
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Waka Flocka Flame opens up about the shooting death of TakeOff as well as his thoughts on YSL in an interview with Shannon Sharpe.
The veteran rapper sat down as a guest on the latest episode of the Club Shay Shay podcast hosted by the former National Football League Hall of Famer and spoke about his career and success. The conversation soon turned to the allegations of Gunna accepting a plea deal to be released from jail in relation to the case of racketeering brought against Young Thug and his YSL crew.
“We see Gunna is gonna get released, he pled to racketeering, gang charges. People say he snitched,” Sharpe began. That led Waka to shrug his shoulders and respond, “I don’t know.” Sharpe said, “but you know the feds” to which the Flockaveli rapper said, “I know of ’em.” He continued to talk about Young Thug and Gunna: “God bless their situation, man. I hope they learn from it. I hope they’ll be bigger and better people for it.”
The talk soon pivoted at the 35-minute mark to Sharpe asking Waka Flocka Flame about the rise in rap-related murders within the past few years. He mentioned several artists before mentioning Takeoff, the beloved member of the Migos group who was shot and killed outside of a bowling alley in downtown Houston, Texas last November.
“I can’t tell you why, and I never want to speak on nobody’s death, but I could tell you this: when God blesses you, you have to change your ways, you have to evolve — you have to,” Flocka stated. “I could just say wrong place, wrong time for these guys.”
Sharpe swiftly responded, “So, in other words, once you ascend to a certain level, you gotta leave that alone,” referencing the argument over the dice game Quavo was involved in which led to the shooting that claimed Takeoff’s life. “Oh yeah, I don’t roll dice,” Waka stated. “With all respect, why would I roll dice with somebody that ain’t in my tax bracket? It’s liable that some shit could happen.”
Check out the entire interview below.
[embedded content]
DJ Khaled took the stage at Soundstorm Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday night (Dec. 2), where he took a moment to honor his friend and former musical collaborator, Migos‘ Takeoff, who was shot and killed at age 28 on Nov. 1.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“We love you brother,” Khaled declared from the stage, as captured by Billboard from the festival. “You’re one of the nicest people I ever met in my life. Every time I talk to you, you said you love me. I hit you back, and said I love you. I’ll never forget my last text with Takeoff. Long live forever Takeoff. He said, ‘Khaled, I’m so happy to call you my brother.’ I’m so happy to you call you my brother, Takeoff.”
The Grammy winning producer went on to play a series of Migos hits including “Fight Night” and “Versace,” before he revealed that the hip-hop trio was scheduled to perform with him at the festival. “It was going to be my surprise guest,” Khaled revealed. “They’re still here. Make some noise for my brother, Takeoff. Takeoff is here right now. We love you. We appreciate you.” I’m doing this for hip-hop. I represent hip-hop across the world.”
Earlier in the day, Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner announced during a news conference that a man has been arrested and charged in connection to Takeoff’s murder. 33-year-old Patrick Xavier Clark was arrested on the east side of Houston, Texas, on Thursday (Nov. 1), and charged with murder, while another man, 22-year-old Cameron Joshua, was arrested and charged with the unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner announced during a news conference on Friday (Dec. 2) that a man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to the Nov. 1 killing of Migos rapper Takeoff.
33-year-old Patrick Xavier Clark was arrested on the east side of Houston, Texas, on Thursday (Nov. 1), and charged with murder, while another man, 22-year-old Cameron Joshua, was arrested and charged with the unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Takeoff (born Kirshnik Khari Ball) was just 28 years old when he was shot and killed Nov. 1 during a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with his uncle, Quavo. The musician was killed by “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm,” according to a report from the Harris County coroner’s office.
Houston PD’s Sgt. Michael Burrow said during the news conference that Takeoff was an “innocent bystander” of the argument at the party that led to the shooting. “The event was a private party, there was a lucrative dice game that went on at the event, there was an argument that happened afterwards outside the bowling alley which led to the shooting,” he explained.
Burrow continued, “I can tell you that Takeoff was not involved in playing the dice game, he was not involved in the argument that happened outside, he was not armed. He was an innocent bystander.”
Watch the full news conference below.
Gucci Mane is channeling his pain into art with the poignant new video for his track “Letter to Takeoff,” released on Tuesday (Nov. 15).
The song honors his slain friend, who was shot and killed on Nov. 1 at just 28 years old. “Just left another funeral, I shed a tear / I’m still in disbelief, I can’t believe it’s real / I think about the memories, it give me chills / I’m wonderin’ why they left the fake and took the real / Like how the f— we gon’ lose Takeoff / Damn, he didn’t deserve it,” he raps on the track.
Gucci is a longtime collaborator with Takeoff, most recently appearing on the late rapper’s first and only album with his uncle and fellow Migos member Quavo, Only Built for Infinity Links.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Shots rang out, fatally shooting Takeoff while he was attending a private party at a bowling alley in downtown Houston with Quavo. The musician was killed by “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm,” according to a report from the Harris County coroner’s office. A woman and another man were also wounded in the shooting. No arrests have been made.
On November 11, Offset, Cardi B, Drake, City Girls, Chloe Bailey, Justin Bieber and more gathered to remember the beloved artist at a public funeral at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, near where the late rapper grew up. During the event, Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens honored Takeoff’s family with the city’s highest honor, the Phoenix Award.
See below for Gucci Mane’s “Letter to Takeoff” video.
Fans celebrated the musical legacy of slain rapper Takeoff on Friday (Nov. 11) at a memorial service in Atlanta, near where the artist grew up, that drew Justin Bieber, Drake and other big names in the music industry.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Takeoff, part of the Grammy-nominated trio Migos with uncle Quavo and cousin Offset, was shot and killed earlier this month outside a Houston bowling alley. A woman and another man were also wounded in the shooting. No arrests have been made.
Jenifer Loving, 22, stood in line with her infant son, Mateo, for more than an hour before the doors at State Farm Arena opened to fans who were able to get a free ticket. She said Takeoff’s death was heartbreaking in part because he was only 28 years old.
Migos’ music represented the creativity and culture of the Black community, she said, and she worried the group would be too saddened to make new music — at least for a while.
“It’s just something that you can play anywhere, and everybody will just come out and come around and dance,” she said. “It’s how it brings people together. It’s how it makes the whole room just fill up with positivity.”
Eric Hood, an Atlanta firefighter, said he was shocked when he heard about Takeoff’s death because of the three members of Migos, he was considered the most laid back.
Migos’ music was an “escape” for many people, he said, and he was hopeful the event would leave the rapper’s family and the rest of the group with lasting memories of him.
“I pray for them,” he said. “I hope they continue to be uplifting, positive, influential members in the society and keep pushing forward.”
Dozens of fans lined up early at the arena, home to the Atlanta Hawks, despite rainy weather. A massive sign outside was lit up with the rapper’s image.
Free tickets to the memorial service were available to Georgia residents, but State Farm Arena said well before Friday that the event had reached capacity and fans without tickets should not come downtown.
Organizers did not release a program for the event or allow media inside. Several fans leaving the event confirmed Bieber and Drake’s presence and said Offset and Quavo also talked.
Atlanta resident Jeffrey Wilson said the event was moving.
“His mother was up there, and I could see the tears in her,” Wilson said. “I felt the kinship myself, like I knew him personally.”
Tyler Williams drove hours from Montgomery, Alabama, on Friday morning with his 2-year-old son, Ashton.
“He probably won’t remember it,” he said of his son. “But it’s something to have when he gets older, to know he was there.”
Migos broke out nearly a decade ago with the 2013 hit “Versace,” which hit even greater heights in popularity through a Drake remix. The trio were largely raised by Takeoff’s mother in an Atlanta suburb.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said the day after the shooting that Takeoff, born Kirsnick Khari Ball, was “well respected,” and there was “no reason to believe he was involved in anything criminal at the time.”
Migos’ record label, Quality Control, mourned Takeoff’s death in a statement posted on Instagram that attributed it to “senseless violence and a stray bullet.” Police have said nothing about the gunshot being stray.
Instead of flowers or gifts, his family has asked that people make donations to The Rocket Foundation, which was established in Takeoff’s honor and aims to prevent gun violence, according to its website.
Cardi B paid a subtle tribute to the late Takeoff on Thursday (Nov. 3) by retweeting a video shared by Complex, in which Migos talk about how much they mean to each other.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In the clip, Cardi’s husband Offset says that the best gift he ever got was his “brothers,” Takeoff and Quavo. “None of us would be here without each other,” he said. “We help each other up through hard times, through good times. I don’t know nothing else.”
Takeoff was shot and killed early Tuesday morning (Nov. 1) in Houston, Texas. The 28-year-old rapper— who was one third Migos alongside his uncle, Quavo, and cousin, Offset — was at a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with Quavo around 2:35 a.m. when investigators say shots rang out during an afterparty attended by around 40 people. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene, and two other victims — a 23-year-old male and 24-year-old female — checked themselves into a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
On Wednesday (Nov. 2), the Harris County coroner’s office confirmed to Billboard that the late star’s primary cause of death was “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm.”
Offset also honored Takeoff in a subtle but powerful way. The “54321” rapper changed his Instagram profile picture to a photo of the latter grinning wearing dark sunglasses. A small white heart emoji is pasted onto the photo’s top right edge.
The group released four studio albums together, the last of which was Culture III in 2021. In the months leading up to Takeoff’s death, however, many suspected that Migos was headed toward disbandment due to Offset seemingly turning his focus to solo projects, as Takeoff and Quavo worked on Unc & Phew.
Following the death of 28-year-old Migos rapper Takeoff, the Harris County coroner’s office confirmed to Billboard that the late star’s primary cause of death was “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Takeoff was shot and killed early Tuesday morning (Nov. 1) in Houston, Texas. The rapper— who was one third of the Migos trio alongside his uncle, Quavo, and cousin, Offset — was at a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with Quavo around 2:35 a.m. when investigators say shots rang out during an afterparty attended by around 40 people. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene, and two other victims — a 23-year-old male and 24-year-old female — checked themselves into a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
During a press conference, the city’s police chief, mayor and homicide investigation committee noted that much of the situation is currently under investigation, and urged witnesses to come forward with any information to help authorities solve the case. “Anyone who has information on the shooter, let us bring justice to this family,” Mayor Sylvester Turner added during the conference. “We will solve this case. We will find the shooter.”
Following the devastating news, Migos’ label Quality Control Music, took to Instagram to mourn Takeoff’s death. “It is with broken hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the loss of our beloved brother Kirsnick Khari Ball, known to the world as Takeoff,” a statement posted to the label’s social media reads. “Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated.”
The statement concluded by asking fans to “respect his family and friends as we all continue to process this monumental loss.” The post was captioned with a dove and broken heart emoji.
In the wake of Migos member Takeoff‘s untimely death, the hip-hop trio’s label, Quality Control Music, took to Instagram on Tuesday (Nov. 1) to mourn the loss of the rapper.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“It is with broken hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the loss of our beloved brother Kirsnick Khari Ball, known to the world as Takeoff,” a statement posted to the label’s social media reads. “Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated.”
The heartfelt statement concluded by asking fans to “respect his family and friends as we all continue to process this monumental loss.” The post was captioned with a dove and broken heart emoji.
Takeoff was shot and killed early Tuesday morning (Nov. 1) in Houston, Texas, at just 28 years old. The star — who was one third of the Migos trio alongside his uncle, Quavo, and cousin, Offset — was at a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with Quavo around 2:35 a.m. when investigators say shots rang out during an afterparty attended by around 40 people. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene, and two other victims — a 23-year-old male and 24-year-old female — checked themselves into a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Earlier in the day, Houston’s police chief, mayor and homicide investigators held a press conference, where they shared that the incident is currently under investigation, and encouraged anyone who was either at the scene or has any information to come forward to help authorities solve the case.
Just hours after Migos rapper Takeoff was shot and killed early Tuesday morning (Nov. 1) in Houston, Texas, the city’s police chief, mayor and investigation committee held a press conference to give an update on what they know so far.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Chief Troy Finner explained that much of the situation is currently under investigation, and that all they know at press time is that the late rapper (born Kirshnik Khari Ball) — who was one third of the Migos trio alongside his uncle, Quavo, and cousin, Offset — was at a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with Quavo around 2:35 a.m. when investigators say shots rang out during an afterparty attended by around 40 people. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene, and two other victims — a 23-year-old male and 24-year-old female — checked themselves into a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
However, many of those in attendance fled the scene, prompting Finner to urge witnesses to come forward with any information to help authorities solve the case. “Anyone who has information on the shooter, let us bring justice to this family,” Mayor Sylvester Turner added during the conference. “We will solve this case. We will find the shooter.”
Finner added, “Someone knows exactly who it was and I feel confident in it.”
During the press conference, Turner also urged young people to stop killing each other through senseless violence, and to keep families in their minds before pulling the trigger. Watch the press briefing in its entirety below.
Mayor Sylvester Turner joins Police Chief Troy Finner to brief the media on the fatal shooting of rap artist at 1199 San Jacinto Street on Nov. 1 about 2:30 a.m. https://t.co/eq9nDdp1Kw— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) November 1, 2022
The late Takeoff, who died on Tuesday (Nov. 1), at age 28, shaped an entire chapter and sound of hip-hop as one-third of the rap group Migos. The rapper, born Kirshnik Ball, formed the trio near Atlanta with Offset, his cousin, and Quavo, his uncle, and began recording in the early 2010s. Migos made its first Billboard chart appearance in July 2013, as “Versace” debuted on a handful of sales and airplay charts. From there, the trio established itself as one of hip-hop’s most popular acts, with multiple top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — Culture in 2017 and its follow-up, Culture II — the next year.
Though Migos was on an “indefinite hiatus,” per Rolling Stone in an October interview, Takeoff and Quavo teamed up for a 2022 album, Only Built for Infinity Links, released Oct. 7. The set became yet another top 10 success on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 7, and debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums list.
As fans and his fellow musicians mourn the rapper, let’s recap Takeoff’s impact through a countdown of his biggest hits on the Billboard Hot 100, both as a solo act and member of Migos.
Song Rank, Title, Artist (if other than only Migos), Peak Position, Peak Date
20. “Notice Me,” featuring Post Malone, No. 52, Feb. 10, 2011
19. “Bon Appetit,” Katy Perry featuring Migos, No. 59, June 3, 2017
18. “Handsome and Wealthy,” No. 79, Nov. 8, 2014
17. “Key to the Streets,” YFN Lucci featuring Migos & Trouble, No. 70, Nov. 5, 2016
16. “Having Our Way,” featuring Drake, No. 15, June 26, 2021
15. “Need It,” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again, No. 62, June 6, 2020
14. “Hotel Lobby (Unc & Phew),” Quavo & Takeoff, No. 59, June 4, 2022
13. “Fight Night,” No. 69, Sept. 6, 2014
12. “Narcos,” No. 36, Feb. 10, 2018
11. “Drip,” Cardi B featuring Migos, No. 21, April 21, 2018
10. “Straightenin,” No. 23, June 26, 2021
9. “Slippery,” featuring Gucci Mane, No. 29, July 22, 2017
8. “Slide,” Calvin Harris featuring Frank Ocean & Migos, No. 25, June 3, 2017
7. “Pure Water,” with Mustard, No. 23, May 4, 2019
6. “T-Shirt,” No. 19, Feb. 18, 2017
5. “Walk It Talk It,” featuring Drake, No. 10, Aug. 14, 2018
4. “I Get the Bag,” Gucci Mane featuring Migos, No. 11, Nov. 4, 2017
3. “Stir Fry,” No. 8, Feb. 17, 2018
2. “Motorsport,” with Nicki Minaj & Cardi B, No. 6, Dec. 30, 201
“Bad and Boujee,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert, No. 1 (three weeks), Jan. 21, 2017
Migos’ Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 through Nov. 5, 2022. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.