From Migos' breakup, ending a feud, and performing with legends,
the last year of Takeoff's young life was filled with huge moments and major changes.
Less than a year before Takeoff
died at the age of 28, Migos split up. Rumors of the superstar trio's demise had begun in May
2022 when Takeoff and Quavo announced that they were releasing music under the name Unc and Phew,
dropping their first song "Hotel Lobby." Yet what added fuel to the fire was apparently
when Offset and wife Cardi B unfollowed Takeoff and Quavo on social media. As
TMZ reported at the time, Quavo avoided a paparazzo's questions about the breakup.
By that August, Takeoff and Quavo released another song, "Us Vs. Them." However, they still performed
as Migos that summer at the National Battle Of The Bands and the Summer Smash 2022 festival,
just without Offset. The rumors got more intense from there, with another rap group, Travis Porter,
suggesting that Migos came to an end over a woman. In October 2022,
both Takeoff and Quavo finally addressed Migos breaking up on the "Big Facts" podcast. Quavo
seemingly spoke about Offset and being a part of a loyal family when he said,
"...s--t that's supposed to stick together. And sometimes,
when s--t don't work out, it ain't—it ain't meant to be."
Takeoff apparently didn't close the door on working with his cousin again though,
but put it in God's hands. He dished on the podcast,
"Whatever ain't right and however you supposed to see it fit, you put it back together or however
you do it, we pray. So only time will tell. We always family now, that ain't [going to] change."
After Migos broke up, Takeoff continued to put out music with Quavo. In October 2022,
they even released an entire album as a duo called, Only Built For Infinity Links,
which Takeoff had promoted on Instagram. It seemed that Takeoff's career was on
an upswing because of it, considering that he and Quavo had performed on The
Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. This album appeared to be extra
special to Takeoff too, because of how it came together. He said to Billboard,
"We had to work hard. We went back in that bat cave. Dirty,
grimy, no cut and scruffy — just ain't even worried about nothing."
Despite no longer working with Offset,
not much else had apparently changed. As revealed on the "Rap Radar" podcast,
they typically recorded separately. In terms of he and Quavo though, Takeoff explained,
"The chemistry has been there since day one, so we just ... easily bounce off."
Solo music Even though Takeoff focused
on making an album as a duo with Quavo in the last year, he managed to release some of his own
music too. In fact, in March 2022, he put out his first solo single in over two years called Crypto.
Before Crypto, Takeoff had spent some time working with other rappers as well,
having made appearances on Roddy Ricch's album Live Life Fast, and doing a song
with YRN Lingo. However, it appears the most notable collaboration for Takeoff outside of
Migos was working with legendary rapper Lil Wayne on songs like "I Don't Sleep."
Takeoff clearly kept busy on his own but hadn't released a full album of solo music since 2018,
which is when he put out The Last Rocket. However, it seemed that before his death,
he was more interested in getting back to his roots with Quavo. He dished to Billboard:
"We feel like we owe the fans to go back in and take it back to that feeling when
we didn't have the money. We're taking it back to the hungry vibe."
It appeared that Takeoff had made peace with media personality Joe Budden in the year before his
death. Takeoff and his former Migos bandmates had been in a feud with Budden ever since they did an
awkward interview with him on the 2017 BET Awards Red Carpet. It seemed to have all started when DJ
Akademiks brought up Takeoff not being featured on "Bad and Boujee" and the two went back and forth.
Budden, who was apparently frustrated with the interview, decided to abruptly end it.
He dropped his mic and walked off camera after Akademiks told Migos they were one of his favorite
groups. The cringey clip eventually went viral, especially because Migos looked like they were
ready to fight Budden. However, in October 2022, Quavo revealed on the "Drink Champs" podcast,
"We've smoothed it out a little bit. You know what I'm sayin'. We ain't got no smoke with Joe."
As for Takeoff, he was mostly irritated by
Akademiks' comment and couldn't really hear him. He recalled,
"I'm the last seat on the end. He talking low, I'm like, 'Yo, what you say?' By the second time,
third time—I heard him probably the second time. I just want him to repeat it again."
It's safe to say that Takeoff went
out of his way to keep a low profile. Despite his former Migos bandmates,
Quavo and Offset, making headlines for their romantic relationships,
Takeoff wasn't interested in the limelight. He explained to Billboard,
"I just chill and stay out the way … I don't like to be in the light of
this s--t too much. I'm a laid-back type of person, and keep my life a mystery."
That doesn't mean Takeoff didn't have his fair share of rumors about his high-profile
relationships either. In 2017, for example, HollywoodLife reported that he was dating
pop star Katy Perry since they attended a SNL afterparty together. However, neither
ever confirmed a romance. It seemed that Takeoff was more private this past year especially, for
safety reasons. When asked about the murders of other famous rappers in 2022, he told Billboard,
"Just do what it takes to make it home. You gotta make it to the crib,
since you got a family to feed."
He alluded to the fact that it's hard to feel protected too, adding,
"Something go down, it's, 'Oh, you had security.' Something go down then it's,
'You dumb for not having security.' So at this point which one is it?"
Sadly, he had every right to be concerned.