Migos Rapper Takeoff Shot Dead in Houston at 28

Takeoff, member of the rap trio Migos alongside Quavo and Offset, died Tuesday morning, November 1 after being shot in Houston. Takeoff, real name Kirsnik Khari Ball, was only 28 years old.

According to TMZ and Rolling Stone, Ball was shot at a bowling alley called 810 Billiards & Bowling Houston around 2:30am. Takeoff was with Quavo – who was unharmed in the shooting – at the time of his death. According to TMZ specifically, Takeoff and Quavo were there playing dice when an altercation broke out and someone opened fire, shooting Takeoff in or near the head. Two other people on the premises were shot and taken to the hospital, Houston Police confirmed.

Ball was born June 18, 1994, and grew up in the Atlanta suburbs of Gwinnett County. He spent his childhood with Quavo and Offset (his uncle and cousin, respectively), and the three of them even lived together for many years in the same small house with Quavo’s mother.

The trio were all music fans, listening to everything from old funk and soul to hip-hop greats like Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., and Goodie Mob. It was Ball who spearheaded the trio’s earliest music-making efforts, downloading beats and making demos while Quavo and Offset were off playing. When the other two were done, they’d all get together and finish up the tracks.

In 2008, the trio started rapping under the name Polo Club. They eventually changed their moniker to Migos and released a debut mixtape, Juug Season, in 2011. The group’s music caught the attention of Gucci Mane, who introduced Migos to Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas, the founders of the label Quality Control.

In 2013, the group entered the mainstream with their first proper hit, “Versace,” and they became known for their distinct triplet flow. In 2016, they became arguably the biggest rap trio in the world – thanks in part to their #1 smash hit, “Bad and Boujee,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert. Famously, Takeoff didn’t rap on “Bad and Boujee,” essentially giving his verse to Lil Uzi Vert.

“Bad and Boujee” wasn’t an immediate hit upon its release in October 2016, but it eventually reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2017. That same month, Migos released their second album, Culture, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.

While most of Takeoff’s discography was with Migos, he did release a solo album in 2018 titled The Last Rocket. More recently, Takeoff and Quavo separated from Offset and released music as a duo. In October, they released their latest album, Only Built For Infinity Links. Publicly, Takeoff was the more reserved rapper of the group, however behind the scenes he was “outspoken” with an uncanny ability to build a rap verse.

The story of Takeoff's murder continues to develop. At the time, the gunman has not been named publicly and no arrests have been made yet.

Check out our selection of free stations streaming Migos music at Live365.com.

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_{Article Image: Close-up of Takeoff while the rapper attended the 2019 ESPY Awards. (Featureflash via DepositPhotos.)}