Rapper Takeoff, member of Migos, shot dead at 28
The US rapper Takeoff, a member of the influential hip-hop trio Migos, was fatally shot at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas on Tuesday, according to local media. He was 28 years old. Houston police said they responded to a shooting overnight in which one person had died. Police confirmed to a local television station that Takeoff and fellow Migos member Quavo had been present at the scene. A police spokesperson said they were awaiting formal confirmation from the medical examiner's office and assurance that the victim's family had been notified before publicly discussing details of the case. Two other people were shot and taken to area hospitals in private vehicles, police said. Born Kirshnik Khari Ball, Takeoff was playing dice with Migos partner Quavo at around 2:30am "when an altercation broke out and that's when someone opened fire," said TMZ, which first reported the news. According to TMZ, Quavo was not hurt. A couple of hours prior to the shooting, Takeoff had posted a selfie from what appeared to be the bowling alley. Early tributes rolled in as news that a member of one of rap's biggest contemporary acts had died spread on social media. "Sending love to Takeoff's loved ones," tweeted Congressman Jamaal Bowman. "I'm tired of seeing young Black men die." Born in Lawrenceville, Georgia on June 18, 1994, Takeoff was best known for his membership in Migos along with Quavo, his uncle, and Offset, his cousin who is married to fellow rapper Cardi B. The Atlanta-based Migos soared to prominence off their viral 2013 song "Versace," which Drake remixed. The trio later recorded "Walk It Talk It" with the Canadian superstar rapper. In 2016, "Bad and Boujee" took them to number one for this first time number one. The song has been streamed 1.5 billion times in the United States alone. Migos are considered widely influential in bringing contemporary Southern trap, a popular rap sub-genre, to the mainstream. (AFP)