Migos Rapper Takeoff’s Legacy
Takeoff, who was one-third of the rap group, Migos, died earlier this week after being shot in Houston, Texas.
Earlier Tuesday, Hip-hop Fans Were Devastated That Rapper Kirschnik Kali Ball, Known As Takeoff And Better Known For His Work With Migos, Was Shot Dead After An Altercation At A Bowling Alley In Houston.
Wilson Also Noted The Shocking Death Toll From Gun Violence Among Rappers Within The Hip-hop Community, Especially Among Male Rappers Of Color.
The point was underscored when Migos performed the chart-topping song as part of a medley, with Takeoff — the group’s youngest member — gamely providing backup vocals and hype in lieu of a featured verse.
Migos rapper Kirshnik Khari Ball, known as Takeoff, was fatally shot in Houston on Oct. 31 at a private party at a bowling alley. He was 28. (Video: Allie Caren/The Washington Post)
Takeoff, who was fatally shot in Houston early Tuesday, was never as visible a presence as Quavo, the trio’s charismatic frontman, or Offset, one flashy half of a hip-hop power couple as the husband of Cardi B. But Takeoff was integral to Migos, which ushered in a new era of rap with their signature flow — full of crisply delivered triplets that begged to be on repeat — not least because he first tapped Quavo, his uncle, to rap on tracks with him.
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Migos Rapper Takeoff Fatally Shot In Houston
“Migos achieve restraint through the percussive power of their consonants. They have an acute awareness of the places of articulation in their respective mouths, and they play them like drums,” Washington Post pop music critic Chris Richards wrote in a rave review of “Culture” in 2017.
Thomas was particularly impressed by Takeoff’s flow, which he first heard after rapper Gucci Mane, a mentor to Migos, urged him to listen to one of the group’s songs.
“I was like, ‘Yo, that dude there — it’s crazy the way he was spitting,’ ” Thomas told “Rap Radar.” “It reminded me of Bone Thugs, like how they used to be rapping back in the day.”
“He’s the youngest of the group and he’s going to grow into his own,” Thomas added.
Recommended: Looking Back at Takeoff’s Transformative Career
By All Accounts, Takeoff, Born Kirshnik Khari Ball, Was Doing Just That Before He Was Killed At 28.
He made his solo debut with “The Last Rocket” in 2018, prompting Pitchfork to declare him the trio’s best rapper — a distinction Quavo co-signed in a GQ profile earlier this year. Migos released their fourth album, “Culture III,” in 2021, rounding out a series of albums from a once-in-a-generation act. In an interview with Billboard early last month, Takeoff called the series “legendary.”
Amid rumors the group had permanently disbanded, Takeoff and Quavo launched a new effort this year under the moniker Unc & Phew. The duo’s first album, “Only Built for Infinity Links,” was released in October to enthusiastic reviews. The video for their latest single “Messy,” which features Quavo and Takeoff trading verses about their meteoric come-up, dropped on Monday.