Fans, friends and family members gathered on Friday night, November 11, to pay their last respect to slain rapper Takeoff, a member of the hip-hop trio Migos.
Takeoff, born Kirsnick Khari Ball, was shot and killed earlier this month outside a Houston bowling alley while out with his uncle Quavo.
His uncle Quavo and cousin Offset, who rose to fame with him in the hip-hop trio Migos, took the stage alongside prominent figures to pay tribute to Takeoff at his funeral.
Drake delivered an emotional eulogy comparing himself and Migos to the Rat Pack, according to TMZ.
Superstars including Justin Bieber and Chloe Bailey delivered musical performances in Takeoff’s memory as mourners gathered in the State Farm Arena.
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.’
In Quavo’s eulogy, 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 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.’
Offset, who attended the memorial with his wife, Cardi B, was reduced to tears as he gave a speech memorializing his cousin, whom he credited with having ‘changed the culture of music forever.’
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. I don’t get you sometimes.’
Kevin ‘Coach K’ Lee and Pierre ‘P’ Thomas, the hip-hop moguls whose label launched Migos, also gave speeches, as did Takeoff’s mother and siblings.
Chloe Bailey performed a song by Beyonce, while the Mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, honored the rapper with a civilian award.
Justin Bieber took the stage and sang an acoustic version of his own 2021 song Ghost, with CNN reporting that a single piano was his only accompaniment.
‘Since the love that you left is all that I get,’ the lyrics run: ‘I want you to know that if I can’t be close to you I’ll settle for the ghost of you. I miss you more than life, and if you can’t be next to me your memory is ecstasy.’
Gospel singer Yolanda Adams reportedly performed her number The Battle Is The Lord’s, a song that draws its title from the first book of Samuel in the Old Testament.
A host of VIPs included Teyana Taylor, who collaborated with Migos on her song Drippin, and CeeLo Green, who featured on Offset’s solo song North Star attended the funeral at the State Farm Arena.
