Offset paid tribute to Takeoff with a lengthy Instagram post on Nov. 15 — exactly two weeks after Takeoff was tragically shot and killed in Houston, Texas. Up until this new post, the “Only You” rapper, 30, remained pretty silent on the passing of his former Migos bandmate. In a video from Takeoff’s funeral, saw Offset become extremely upset over his friend’s death, but this is the first time Offset’s released a statement to the general public.
As you can see above, Offset said it “doesn’t feel real” to be talking about his family member under such tragic circumstances. “My heart is shattered and I have so many things to say, but I can’t find the words”, he added. He also revealed that he’s been waking up from his sleep pretty often, and hoping that Takeoff’s death is just a bad dream. But sadly, it’s not. “It’s reality, and reality feels like a nightmare,” he said.
In the caption of his post, he also wrote, “Dear Take, doesn’t feel real posting you like this…. This still doesn’t feel like reality. I’ve been searching for the right words to say, but there aren’t any that will suffice. Until we meet again, Rest In Power. I love you”.
@dreaxsc Off set speaking at take off funeral 💔 #fyp #viral #takeoff #migos #quavo #offset #yrntakeoff #YellowstoneTV #ChevyEVSongContest #migostakeoff #takeoffyrn
“[Takeoff] changed the culture of music forever,” Offset previously said during his emotional speech at the funeral on Nov. 10. Then, as he fought to keep his composure and hold back tears, he continued, “Lord, give us some strength. Just give us some strength… I don’t want to question you, God, but I just don’t get it. I don’t get you sometimes. And I believe in you, Father.”
Takeoff, whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball, was killed in a shooting at 810 Billiards and Bowling in Houston. Police rushed to the scene at 2:30 a.m on Nov. 1. The Migos star was pronounced dead on the scene, after being shot in the head and neck. While they didn’t share the names of the victims at the time, police confirmed that one person was “deceased upon arrival” in a tweet.
Offset and Takeoff formed Migos, along with Quavo, in 2008. The group had early success with their 2013 single “Versace” and released a few different mixtapes in their early years. The group dropped their debut record Yung Rich Nation in 2015. Migos went viral with their 2016 hit “Bad and Boujee,” which was featured on their 2017 record Culture (the first of three albums in a trilogy, which concluded in 2021). The group was nominated for Grammys in Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Album for “Bad and Boujee” and Culture, respectively, in 2018.
After the group released Culture, they were propelled to a new level of fame, collaborating with tons of other major stars from across the music industry, including being featured on a Katy Perry song and welcoming collaborations from the likes of Travis Scott, Drake, Nicki Minaj and many more.
Before Takeoff’s death, it was rumored that Migos had split up. While none of the members ever publicly stated that the group was done, Offset and his wife Cardi B both unfollowed Takeoff and Quavo on Instagram back in May. After Cardi and Offset unfollowed the Migos members, Quavo and Takeoff appeared on the Big Facts podcast in early October and made a comment about “loyalty” when asked about the possibility of another album. “I just feel like we want to see our career as a duo, because you know we just came from a loyal family,” Quavo said.
Even though a breakup between the group was never confirmed, Quavo and Takeoff did team up for an album sans Offset: Only Built For Infinity Links. It hit streaming services at the beginning of October, and while it featured two of the founding members of the group, it was not released under the Migos name. It appeared that Offset unfollowed his bandmates after they dropped the debut single without him.