Kirsnick Khari Ball, better known to the hip-hop community as Takeoff of the rap trio Migos, was shot and killed in late 2022. Now fellow Migos rapper, and cousin to the deceased, Offset has taken to social media to share a photo of a full back tattoo the musician received to honor Takeoff.
Captioned “Love you 4L & after,” the Instagram post featured a tattoo of Takeoff dressed in chains and a jacket and surrounded by astral bodies — a callback to the rapper’s “The Last Rocket” solo album.
According to the Associated Press, Takeoff was shot in downtown Houston just outside of a bowling alley. Gunfire erupted early that morning, killing the Grammy Award-nominated artist and wounding another man and woman. Most of the 40 people attending a nearby private party fled the scene at the time of the shooting.
According to police, at least two people discharged firearms at the scene. A man and woman struck by gunfire received non-life-threatening injuries and each went to hospitals in private vehicles. Local Police Chief Troy Finner said Takeoff was “well respected,” and there was “no reason to believe he was involved in anything criminal at the time.”
Days after the shooting, droves of fans of the Atlanta rapper gathered at State Farm Arena to mourn Takeoff’s passing. Roughly three quarters of the massive arena were filled by fans attending the three-hour ceremony, which began with a few words from Drake. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens participated in the ceremony, awarding Takeoff the city’s Phoenix Award.
The White House called gun violence an “epidemic” shortly after news of Takeoff’s death in Nov. 2022 was followed by a bevy of unrelated deadly shootings across the country.
“Our deepest condolences are with the families of each and every one of the victims,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. She added that President Joe Biden will focus on efforts to ban assault weapons and other measures to curb gun violence across the country.
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