American rapper Takeoff, member of the group Migos, shot dead at 28

The young American rapper Takeoff, member of the influential southern hip-hop group, Migos, was shot dead Tuesday morning in a bowling club in Houston, Texas, at the age of 28 , police said.

Real name Kirshnik Khari Ball, the artist was spending the evening with one of the members of his group when, around 2:30 a.m., the police were called for gunshots in a bowling club with a deceased person, revealed a few hours after the tragedy the specialized site TMZ.

Two other people were injured and hospitalized but his uncle, Quavo, another member of the group, was not affected.

The TMZ site even released screenshots of the crime scene where we can see a body lying on the tiled floor and several people at his bedside.

An altercation broke out in the club and shots were fired, said during a press briefing the police of this large city in Texas – one of the least restrictive states in terms of carrying weapons.

According to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, the rapper « was not involved in any criminal activity » at the time of the shootings and there is no evidence that he was directly targeted. “Based on what people say about him, he was respected and non-violent,” the policeman said.

Born on June 18, 1994 in Georgia, Takeoff was known for his participation in the rap group Migos with his uncle Quavo and his cousin Offset, who has since left them and is now married to American rapper Cardi B.

News of his violent death was widely commented on social media, with New York Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman saying he was « tired of watching young black men die ».

– Vitality of hip-hop –

Police Chief Finner praised the vitality of the hip-hop scene in Houston and the American South, thanks to « so many talented individuals ».

“We must come together and make sure that no one harms this industry” musical, launched the policeman in front of the press.

The group Migos, originally from Atlanta, rose to prominence in 2013 with their hit « Versace » which Canadian rapper Drake had remixed.

But it was 2016’s « Bad and Boujee » that propelled them to the top of the charts thanks to hip-hop production company Coach K, which popularized rap from the southern United States, compared to rappers from the north and west of the country.

Their albums « Yung Rich Nation » (2015) and « Culture II » (2018) from the Motown and Capitol Records labels were big hits, followed in 2021 by « Culture III » and their latest title « Messy ».

During numerous interviews granted to the specialized press in the United States, Takeoff spoke of his « pleasure » and his « love » for rap. And back from concerts in Europe, where he is much less known, he said he was impressed by the reception of the fans.

« They don’t speak English but they know all the rhymes, all the lyrics (…) We played + Versace +, I waved the flag of Paris and the whole building (of the concert) went crazy like s ‘they had scored a soccer goal,’ the rapper told Rolling Stone magazine.