On the one-year anniversary of his death on Wednesday, his Migos bandmates Offset and Quavo remembered the late musician Takeoff.
Takeoff, full name Kirsnick Khari Ball, died on November 1, 2022 at the age of 28 in a shooting outside the 810 Billiards & Bowling venue in Houston; A suspect named Patrick Xavier Clark was charged with murder in May in connection with the fatal shooting and is due back in court early next year.
Quavo, 32, whose real name is Quavious Keyate Marshall, posted a picture of Takeoff with the caption: “I can’t forget it, it won’t forget it. Don’t EVER forget it…I remember!”
31-year-old Offset, whose full name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, posted a memorial clip for his fallen employee. The clip included previous footage of collaborations with Takeoff on stage.
“The time we spent is priceless. What we built in this game, they never wanted to give us our flowers, we influenced the world… I love you,” he said. “Take you here with us, I just know it’s you!!!!” Migo 4Life!!!!!!’
Details: On the one-year anniversary of his death on Wednesday, his Migos bandmates Offset and Quavo remembered the late musician Takeoff. The musical trio was pictured at the BET Awards in LA in June 2019
Quavo, 32, whose real name is Quavious Keyate Marshall, posted a picture of Takeoff with the caption: “I can’t forget it, it won’t forget it. Don’t EVER forget it…I remember!”
An emotional tribute to the late artist was held at the Grammys in February and the BET Awards last June.
In the year since the tragic incident, Quavo found his calling as a vocal advocate against gun violence.
He met privately with some influential political figures, including Vice President Kamala Harris, and later spoke on a panel about combating the problem during the Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference in Washington on Wednesday.
The Grammy-nominated rapper said Takeoff’s untimely death in 2022 ultimately pushed him to speak out.
“I feel like your call comes at the least expected time,” Quavo told the AP.
Police say Takeoff was an innocent bystander who was shot outside a Houston bowling alley after a disagreement over a lucrative dice game led to gunfire.
Takeoff’s death was the latest in a string of fatal shootings in recent years involving hip-hop stars such as Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, PnB Rock and Young Dolph.
“You don’t think nothing’s going to happen,” Quavo continued. “I have to step up to the plate and hit a home run.” I have to do something about it so it doesn’t happen to the masses – especially in our culture. I don’t want this to happen to the next person. I want to lower these percentages.’
Offset, whose full name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, posted a memorial clip for his fallen employee on social media
Offset said: “The time we spent is priceless. What we built in this game, they never wanted to give us our flowers, we influenced the world.”
The clip featured earlier footage of Takeoff collaborating on stage, who was seen throwing cash into the audience
Quavo took part in a panel discussion Wednesday alongside Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, Rep. Lucy McBath — whose activism was spurred after the shooting of her teenage son — and Greg Jackson of the Community Justice Action Fund.
It was a solutions-focused conversation about community intervention strategies, combating gun violence, and the power of advocacy.
Previously, Quavo arrived at the conference hand in hand with his sister Titania Davenport, Takeoff’s mother. After Quavo met with Harris, the vice president praised the rapper and Davenport’s “call to action” to prevent gun violence.
“We need to improve gun control,” Quavo said. “We need to figure out how to prevent incidents like this from happening when people go somewhere thinking they might hurt someone where it shouldn’t happen.”
After the Takeoff shooting, Quavo often asked himself, “How do we handle (guns) safely?”
“And how do you keep them away from people who make bad decisions?” he said. “I’m kind of in a half-and-half situation. Even police officers have guns. Unfortunately, some people in our culture and their loved ones have fallen victim to police brutality. “It’s about choices and how we can filter who can use these weapons.”
Jackson said Quavo’s voice could make a difference. He praised the rapper for sitting down with members of Congress, sharing his first-hand insights and pressuring them to make impactful changes.
“His voice and commitment to intervening against community violence could provide more resources for those most at risk,” said Jackson, whose organization Community Justice invited Quavo to an advocacy day.
Both are pushing for passage of the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which would give communities a $6.5 billion federal grant to curb gun violence, create prevention programs, job training and workforce development for youth.
Takeoff and Quavo were pictured at a ball in Atlanta in June 2022, months before the rapper died in the shooting
Quavo honored Takeoff in a memorial segment at the Grammys in LA last February
So far, Quavo has taken the right steps forward: Last year, the rapper and his family founded the Rocket Foundation in honor of Takeoff, and he committed $2 million to invest in community violence intervention.
His goal is to develop more after-school programs in areas where community centers have closed and basketball goal rims have been removed.
Quavo says it’s essential to keep youth engaged in productive activities in a safe environment. He has already enlisted the support of some members of the hip-hop community, including rapper Meek Mill, who is an active advocate for criminal justice reform.
But Quavo says he knows he needs more political support to provide much-needed resources for the less fortunate.
“I feel like I need resources after my visit to the White House,” he said. “I need a bag of goodies so I can take it back and say, ‘Here, this is for culture.’ We have this extension cord. We are embedded in such an environment. I don’t think anyone else in our format is as connected. In order for something to change, we need resources.”