Migos Rapper Takeoff Shot Dead in Houston at 28
Migos rapper and nephew of Quavo, Takeoff, has died after being shot in Houston aged 28.
In the early hours of this morning, Houston Police Department reported that they'd attended a shooting, at one which the victim was found dead upon arrival. What followed was several hours of speculation on social media regarding the victim's identity.
Early reports indicated that an altercation had unfolded during a dice game in which both Quavo and Takeoff had been in attendance. The two's presence within the vicinity of the crime was confirmed by police.
As per TMZ's initial reporting, as many as two other victims had been shot at the scene. Both had been taken to a local hospital; their conditions unclear.
At the time of writing, police are yet to confirm the victim's identity to media partners. They have stated that details will be shared once the victim's family is notified and identity is verified by Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Takeoff rose to international fame as part of the rap group Migos. The trio, consisting of Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff, initially burst onto the scene in 2008. Since then, they've had four studio albums, twelve mixtapes, and forty-seven singles, proving popular enough to tie the Beatles' record for simultaneous Billboard Hot 100 hits
Earlier this year, the group was rumored to have split, with Offset going solo while Takeoff and Quavo formed a duo called Unc & Phew (due to their blood relation).
The rumors were eventually confirmed in autumn, just before Takeoff and Quavo released their debut project, Only Built for Infinity Links, on October 7, 2022.
The loss of Takeoff is the latest in a string of high-profile homicides in hip-hop, following the robbery and shooting of PNB Rock in September.