Nearly two weeks after Takeoff (b. Kirshnik Khari Ball) was killed in a Huston bowling alley shooting, thousands filled State Farm Arena in Atlanta for the rapper’s Celebration of Life on Nov. 11. While the event was a chance for Georgia residents to come together and mourn the loss of the 28-year-old Migos member, a voice from up north serenaded those as they wept. Justin Bieber, 28, who collaborated with Migos in the past, was on hand to perform at the memorial service. According to someone who attended the event, and shared the information on Twitter, “Justin sang [‘Ghost‘] beautifully” and there was “not a dry eye in the arena.” See the photos here.
Justin Bieber was present at TakeOff’s funeral and reportedly performed ‘Ghost’ acoustic.
out of respect for the families privacy,we won’t be posting photos or videos from the performance but here’s some attendees reactions "Justin Bieber sang beautifully" pic.twitter.com/corjZJdUbZ
— Justin Bieber News (@jbtraacker) November 11, 2022
While Justin – a Canadian – seems like an unlikely candidate to perform at Takeoff’s funeral, he has a history of working with the Migos. In 2019, Bieber teamed with Quavo for “Intensions,” a song from his album, Changes. He also worked with Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset for their songs “What You See” (off of 2021’s Culture III) and 2014’s “Looking For You.” Alicia Keys was also reportedly booked to perform at the Celebration of Life. Drake also postponed his New York show this week to attend the service.
Takeoff’s family announced the Celebration of Life on Nov. 8, one week after he was shot dead in Houston. “Takeoff was one of the most influential names in modern music whose creativity left a profound impact on music and culture as we know it today. The cherished Quality Control/Motown superstar was a part of the supergroup Migos and was a beloved son, grandson, brother, nephew, and friend to so many,” the family announced.
“The public memorial will follow a strict no photo and no video policy,” the announcement continued. “The family asks that in lieu of flowers or gifts that donations should be made to The Rocket Foundation which was recently established to support programs which are saving lives through proven, community-based solutions to prevent gun violence. Donations can be made at: www.rocket-foundation.org.”
Takeoff died from “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into the arm,” according to a report from the Harris County Medical Examiner, who deemed the manner of death as a homicide. The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing. Takeoff was reportedly shot around 2:30 am following an argument that allegedly took place over a dice game. His record label, Quality Control, issued a statement that claimed that “senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated.”
Following his death, many stars – from Drake to Beyoncé to Keke Palmer – all shared their grief, sadness, and pain online in tributes to Takeoff.