Takeoff: Lowkey Migos member and pioneer of Atlanta rap shot dead at 28

On 1^st November, rapper Takeoff was tragically shot dead at age 28 in Houston, Texas, following an altercation over a dice game to which he was an innocent bystander. Takeoff formed one-third of the chart-topping group Migos, whose singsong flow helped define Atlanta’s ever-evolving, influential rap sound.

No one did it quite like Migos. The platinum-selling rap trio consisting of Offset, Quavo and Takeoff had the hip-hop scene in a chokehold in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Songs like ‘Versace’ (2013), ‘Stirfry’ (2018), ‘Walk It Talk It’ (2018) and ‘Bad and Boujee’ (2017) gained instant virality on release – in part due to their choppy flows, excellent production and playful ad-libs. The group released 14 studio albums together before mysteriously splitting earlier this year, for reasons unknown.

Despite being best known for his integral role in Migos, Takeoff had his chance to shine by himself on his solo LP The Last Rocket (2018). The album was a huge commercial success, and featured hit song ‘Casper’, as well as other gems such as ‘Last Memory’, ‘Infatuation’ and ‘Vacation’. Takeoff often took the backseat in many of Migos’ songs, so it was great to see a renewed sense of artistic freedom for him with this personal project.

Then, in May of 2022, Quavo took to Instagram to announce that he and Takeoff were to release a new album under the duo name ‘Unc & Phew’ (Takeoff was Quavo’s nephew, and Offset is a cousin).  The album, entitled Only Built For Infinity Links showcased the duo’s undeniable chemistry, which was perhaps watered down in the Migos days with the presence of Offset.

Even as he dodged celebrity status and maintained an almost enigmatic profile, Takeoff became a connoisseur’s fan favourite of the trio and was credited with initiating the stuttering, triplet delivery that came to infiltrate hip-hop and trickle into the pop sphere. His legacy lives on in the influence of Migos and the brilliance of his own individual work.