Fans and loved ones gathered Friday to remember slain rapper Takeoff, a member of the hip-hop trio Migos, in rainy downtown Atlanta near where the 28-year-old grew up.
Takeoff, born Kirsnick Khari Ball, was shot and killed earlier this month outside a Houston bowling alley.
His uncle Quavo and cousin Offset, who rose to fame with him in the hip-hop trio Migos, took the stage at his funeral amid a formidable array of prominent figures who paid tribute to Takeoff.
Drake delivered an emotional eulogy comparing himself and Migos to the Rat Pack, according to TMZ. Meanwhile top-flight stars including Justin Bieber and Chloe Bailey delivered musical performances in Takeoff’s memory.
Mourners gathered in the State Farm Arena, including Offset’s wife Cardi B, who concealed her eyes behind a massive pair of sunglasses as she sat in the audience.
A brief social media clip of Drake’s eulogy saw him hail Takeoff as ‘forever balanced. Whenever he would take his shades off, he had this thing about him that I loved – no matter what was going on around us he was, like, always kinda squinting but like his eyes were wide open.’
Video of Quavo’s eulogy has circulated on social media in which he recalled that since childhood, Takeoff had ‘been by my side, looking up at me with them eyes, same eyes you got as you got as my sister, waiting on me to make the next move, then you followed up right behind me. You always made sure I did it first so you could do it right with me.’
Quavo, who was just three years Takeoff’s senior, recalled: ‘You never competed with me. We was always on the same team, ‘cause you hated playing against me ‘cause I always played too hard or too rough. And I could hear Momma saying: “Not too rough, son,” ‘cause I ain’t like to lose.’
He touchingly remembered that his and Takeoff’s ‘first dream’ was not to venture into the music industry, bot to become ‘tag-team partners in the WWE.’
Footage of the speech posted to TikTok showed Offset repeatedly becoming too overcome with emotion to go on, only for the audience to applaud and encourage him.
He begged God to give him and his family ‘strength,’ saying: ‘I don’t wanna question you, God, I just don’t – I don’t get it.
