The rapper Takeoff, one-third of the dynamic Atlanta rap group Migos, has died. Migos emerged in the 2010s as a viral force within its local scene before exploding onto the national stage. They managed to shape the zeitgeist without losing any of their regional appeal, opening a portal for acts that followed, and the members pointed to Takeoff as the group's secret weapon. He was reportedly shot after an altercation at a bowling alley in Houston early on Tuesday. Takeoff's death was confirmed by Drew Findling, a lawyer who represented him. He was 28.
Born Kirsnick Khari Ball on June 18, 1994 in Lawrenceville, Ga., Takeoff began rapping as a teenager, alongside his uncle, who took the name Quavo and his cousin, who rapped as Offset. "Growing up, I was trying to make it in music," he told The Fader in 2017. "In my spare time, I'd record myself. Find a beat, pulling em up. Just making something and creating for me. Just listening to the songs I made for myself, so I could rap to em, even if I didn't put them out. I was getting my own pleasure out of it, because it's what I liked doing." He got his name finishing songs in one take. The trio was initially known as Polo Club before donning the name Migos, and they released their first mixtape, Juug Season, in 2011. The group broke through in 2013 with the mixtape Y.R.N. (Young Rich N*****) and its infectious lead single "Versace." After the original went viral online, a signal boost from a Drake remix pushed the song to the higher reaches of the Billboard charts. It later helped define the decade. During its rise, the group became known for the distinctive Migos flow, a rap cadence heavy on triplet patterns.
