Takeoff, One-Third of Migos, Dead At 28

In the early morning, police dispatch reported that a man was shot and killed at 810 Billiards & Bowling in Houston. The man was later confirmed to be Takeoff.

According to local news outletClick 2 Houston, officers arrived at the bowling alley which was closed for a private party. When they arrived at the scene, they discovered a large crowd and a man who suffered a fatal gunshot wound. While the man was previously unidentified, he was later confirmed to be Takeoff in a press conference. The police also confirmed that Quavo, fellow Migos member, was in attendance. Quavo was not reported to be harmed.

Houston police also confirmed that two other people were injured and their conditions are unknown.

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The rapper, born Kirshnik Khari Ball, formed Migos in 2008 when he was only 14 alongside Quavo and Offset. Quavo was Takeoff's uncle and Offset's cousin. The three grew up together in suburban Atlanta, taking upon the rich hip-hop history of the city to craft their own sound.

The group released their first mixtape, Juug Season, in 2011 and eventually found massive success thanks to their breakout single, "Versace" in 2013. Drake eventually hopped on the remix, giving the group the cosign of a lifetime. By 2014, they announced that they had signed with 300 Entertainment, eventually leaving for Quality Control Music.

Throughout their career, Migos was at the forefront of hip-hop, holding onto their success as the blog era made way for countless streaming services. Migos stood the test of time. Alongside Quavo, Takeoff sustained the group's growing success while Offset was incarcerated. The group became one of the most influential rap acts of the 2010s, popularizing the triplet flow, igniting the inescapable "dab" dance trend and spawning hits such as "Bad And Boujee," "Stir Fry," "Fight Night" and more.

Following rumors that Offset was no longer a member of Migos, Takeoff and Quavo released a collaborative album Only Built for Infinity Links in early October. Quavo expressed a desire to explore their career as a duo, held together by their bond as uncle and nephew.

Photo courtesy of Jason Sean Weiss/BFA