CNN
—
Takeoff, who was one third of the platinum-selling rap group Migos, was shot and killed early Tuesday in Houston, Texas, a source close to the group confirmed to CNN.
He was 28.
Houston police say they responded to the scene of a shooting in downtown Houston at a bowling and pool hall around 2:30 a.m. local time. One person was found dead, according to a tweet from the department.
Two other victims were taken in private vehicles to hospitals, police said.
According to authorities, police were informed that a private party had been held at the venue prior to the shooting. An investigation is ongoing.
Born in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Takeoff began performing with his uncle and fellow rapper Quavo, along with Offset, as Migos in 2008. The trio found fame with their 2013 single, “Versace.”
Their success only increased in 2016 with the release of their hit “Bad and Boujee,” which featured fellow recording artist Lil Uzi Vert.
The single quickly became an internet sensation, giving birth to a multitude of memes that played off the lyrics “rain drop, drop top.”
The song got an even bigger boost after “Atlanta” creator and star Donald Glover name-dropped the single during an acceptance speech at the 2017 Golden Globe Awards.
“I really wanna thank the Migos, not for being in the show, but for making ‘Bad and Boujee,’” Glover said at the time. “Like that’s the best song ever.”
Takeoff and Quavo recently formed the duo “Unc & Phew” and released their debut album, “Only Built for Infinity Links,” on October 7.
The music video for their song “Messy” was released on Monday.
During a recent conversation on the podcast “Drink Champs” just days before his death, Takeoff accepted accolades for his stellar performance on the new project.
“It’s time to pop it, you know what I mean? It’s time to give me my flowers, you know what I mean?, Takeoff said. “I don’t want them later on when I ain’t here.”
