Rapper “Takeoff” killed in shooting Monday morning
Takeoff, a rapper and member of the hip-hop group “Migos” was killed in a shooting this Monday morning.
Takeoff was attending a party at a bowling alley in Houston when he was shot along with two other individuals early Monday morning. Takeoff, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two victims are a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman. They were both taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for their injuries, which were nonfatal.
Takeoff was one-third of the hip-hop group “Migos” along with Quavo and Offset. The group was founded in Atlanta in 2008 and has since been nominated for two Grammys and three VMAs, along with other nominations and awards.
The group released several albums before the release of their album “Culture” in 2017, which subsequently launched them into stardom. The release of numerous hit singles along with albums “Culture II” and “Culture III” gave way to the group's multi-platinum status and has earned their songs a spot on nearly any hip-hop playlist.
The group’s most recent music includes the release of platinum-awarded “Straightenin” in May 2021 and the December 2021 release of the single “We Set the Trends” in collaboration with Jim Jones.
The loss of such an influential artist and key member of a prolific group certainly shakes the hip-hop community to its core. The death of Takeoff is the perpetuation of an unfortunate trend in recent years: the passing of rappers to gun violence.
Ryan French is a first-year student majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, please email rpf5336@psu.edu.
