What beef did Offset have with Takeoff? And why was Takeoff's final interview so heartbreaking?
Takeoff of rap group Migos, was fatally shot on November 1,
2022. The rapper's tragic death took place at a private party at a bowling alley in Houston,
Texas, where his former fellow group member, Quavo, was also in attendance,
according to KPRC Houston. Although the details of the shooting that took Takeoff's life are still
unfolding, the rapper's record label released a statement addressing the tragedy, writing,
"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."
Officials have not identified Takeoff's killer as of this video. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner
urged those with information to come forward, saying,
"I ask you one thing and I want this to resonate with everybody: What if it was
your brother? What if it was your son? You'd want somebody to step up, so please step up."
"Get the information to us so we can bring some closure
to this family who's hurting right now." Some Migos fans might already know that the
group members are related. Quavo is Takeoff's uncle, while Offset is Quavo's cousin.
Takeoff's death may have been even more difficult for his fellow group members to
digest given the nature of their relationship. They weren't just co-workers — they were family.
The rappers were also raised alongside one another in their hometown of Gwinnett County,
an Atlanta, Georgia suburb, according to Rolling Stone.
Quavo's mother, Edna Marshall, looked after the group in her home.
Quavo also opened up to Fader about growing
up alongside Takeoff and their brotherly relationship, saying,
"We moved from Athens to Gwinnett when Takeoff was in elementary and I was in
middle school. His momma took care of everything,
and us. We always stayed in the same house. We share everything. He's basically like a brother."
Takeoff added,
"I don't look at him as my uncle, but more as my brother. But we always have
clowned on each other. He is my uncle, so I gotta clown on him. You gotta be funny."
Sadly, this was not the first time Migos were involved in a shooting prior to Takeoff's
death. In March 2014, the group was shot at while traveling in a van in Miami,
Florida, according to Miami's WPLG Local 10 News. Migos were visiting the city for
a performance, but the concert was canceled after they were targeted.
TMZ shared that reports revealed Migos' bodyguard was shot and taken to the hospital,
but the rap group's manager claimed no one in their van was hurt.
It seems that the public was never informed of
why exactly the shooting took place, but Takeoff did tweet,
"Tried To Hit Me Up In Traffic??.... But I Had To Work My Magic."
Migos made waves in the Hip Hop community when they announced they were parting ways in 2022.
Fans began to speculate possible beef among group members even before their breakup because
Offset and his wife, Cardi B, unfollowed Takeoff and Quavo the day they revealed they would be
releasing music as a duo, according to BET. During an interview for Revolt's Big Facts, Takeoff
and Quavo spoke about Migos' break up. Quavo initially said that they came from a loyal family.
"We're supposed to stick together,
and, you know, sometimes s— don't work out. It ain't meant to be."
Takeoff went on to share:
"We don't know all the answers. God knows we pray a lot. We tell him whatever ain't right,
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're always family, and that ain't gonna change."
Although the duo didn't share exactly why Migos went their separate ways,
they did go on to emphasize the importance of loyalty. It seems that this might hint
at why the rappers were at odds with Offset. Sadly, it appears that the trio wasn't able to
squash their beef prior to Takeoff's death. However, Offset did pay tribute to the late
rapper with his Instagram profile picture, so the tragedy may have led him to rethink things.
Takeoff's tragic death was documented by a number of partygoers who filmed the
incident with their cell phones. These videos later began circulating online,
and sadly, social media users quickly made the shooting a spectacle. TMZ
in particular came under fire for sharing graphic videos and audio of the incident.
This was among the content that was later spread online. In one of the audio clips, Quavo can be
heard crying out in pain after witnessing his nephew's death, according to Rolling Stone.
Musicians took to Twitter to call out TMZ for sharing the gruesome
content. Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon wrote,
"TMZ posted Takeoff's dead body when reporting his murder. Would they do the same for a white country
artist? Or would they be more respectful? Where does the impulse to film and post a
lifeless dead Black body come from? Maybe this is why Black death has become so normalized."
Just two weeks before his death, Takeoff sat down with Revolt's Drink Champs for what would end up
being his final interview. This interview began circulating after the rapper's death because he
made an eerie yet heartbreaking statement. Interviewer N.O.R.E. praised Takeoff for
his performance on the album Only Built for Infinity Links, which he and Quavo released
as a duo after Migos split. N.O.R.E went on to suggest that this was Takeoff's opportunity to
shine — he was known for being the quiet, low-key Migos member. The late rapper then responded:
"For sure. Enough is enough. I'm chill,
I'm-laid back, but it's time to pop it, you know what I mean?"
"It's time to give me my flowers, you know what I mean?
I don't want them later on when I ain't here."
Although Takeoff wasn't the most flashy Migos member, he left behind quite a legacy. The
rapper and his fellow group mates were the first artists to be signed to record label
Quality Control Music. This label went on to sign prominent rap artists like Lil Baby and
City Girls. The album he released as a duo with Quavo, Only Built for Infinity Links,
debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rap Albums chart. While Takeoff's career came
to an abrupt and tragic end, he made his mark in the world of hip-hop and beyond.