A member of the rap trio Migos was killed in a shooting, according to reports.
Takeoff, real name Kirshnik Khari Ball, was shot dead in Houston early Tuesday morning, Rolling Stone confirmed. The 28-year-old rapper was with fellow band member Quavo when he was killed at a bowling alley at about 2:30 a.m., according to TMZ. Quavo was unharmed. It appears that Offset, the third rapper in Migos, was not present.
Two other people were shot on the premises and had to be taken to hospital, Houston Police confirmed to Rolling Stone.
TMZ reported Takeoff and Quavo were at 810 Billiards & Bowling Houston playing dice when an altercation broke out, prompting someone to open fire. Footage from the scene obtained by the publication shows Quavo and others gathering around Takeoff and shouting for help.
Takeoff joined Quavo and Offset in 2008 while they were rapping under the name Polo Club. The trio went on to change their moniker to Migos and in 2011 released their debut mixtape, "Juug Season."
Two years later they went mainstream with their hit single, "Versace," which was followed by their 2016 smash hit "Bad and Boujee," featuring Lil Uzi Vert. The single catapulted the trio into the limelight and secured them a spot in the music scene as arguably one of the biggest rap groups in the world.
Takeoff pursued a solo music career on the side, releasing his album, "The Last Rocket" in 2018. He and Quavo also separated from Offset and were releasing music as a duo, with their most recent album, "Only Built For Infinity Links," released in October.
Hours before he was killed, Takeoff posted a selfie at a bowling alley on social media. After news of his death, fans and celebrity friends alike took to social media to share messages of condolence. Among them was boxer Chris Eubank Jr.
"I remember Takeoff being a very down to earth, cool dude," Eubank tweeted. "Cant believe I'm having to say this again about another young black star being killed for no reason, something really has to change in the industry, it's sickening how easy & often people are dying. RIP Takeoff."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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