2 minute read

TAKEOFF

TAKEOFF

Words By DJ Chalant

On November 1, 2022, the HipHop community lost one of its pioneers of the modern rap era. Takeoff was the youngest member of the biggest rap group in recent history, Migos, and is widely considered the creator of the distinct flow associated with the group.

Born Kirsnick Khari Ball, on June 18, 1994, in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Takeoff, fell in love with music at an early age.

In fact, Takeoff gets credited for starting the Migos group with his uncle Quavo and later his cousin Offset.

They performed under the stage name Polo Club before eventually changing the group’s name to Migos, a take on Three Amigos.

It is well documented that the other group members were more into sports and other things, while Takeoff was locked in with music from the start. In the 2013 interview with Fader, Takeoff stated that

Every time you would see me, you didn’t give me a dap, you gave me a hug. I wish I could hug you one last time. Smoke one last time. Perform one last time. I know someone with a soul like yours is in heaven now. I hope you can see how much we love you and miss you. You have left a hole in my heart that will never be filled.

-Offset

Throughout this whole time he had a REAL passion for music. It was HIS dream to become a rapper cuz I didn’t know what I wanted to do… then he created his triplet flow and the rest was HISTORY. He never worried about titles, credit, or what man got the most shine, that wasn’t him. He didn’t care about none of that as long as we brought it back home to the family!

-Quavo

In 2011, Migos began gaining local traction in Atlanta, Georgia after the release of their song Bando. However, their 2013 single “Versace” catapulted the group to a new level of notoriety. Versace was uniquely different from the other music that was dropping at the time. A unique sound that was sending waves through the Hip-Hop industry.

It was a sound that, when you first heard it, you either loved or hated it.

And those who hated it eventually loved it as it began to influence the sound of modern rap. It is repetitive but also captivating. More importantly, it was innovative; one key element of Hip-Hop culture is to create something fresh and original.

Getting the co-sign and then a feature on the remix from Drake certainly helped to catapult “Versace” into the mainstream.

But even that demonstrates the song’s impact—one of the most prominent artists in the game was a fan and was inspired to hop on it.

Takeoff and Migos released four official albums, including the highly acclaimed Culture and its sequels Culture II and Culture III. They have many charting singles that have become rap staples, such as “Bad & Boujee”, “Fight Night”, “Pipe It Up”, and “Motorsport”, to name a few.

The group also took home trophies from the BET Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and American Music Awards, and were Grammy nominated.

The most recent release in Takeoff’s discography was the collaboration project with his uncle Quavo, titled Only Built For Infinity Links.

Takeoff leaves behind a great legacy in Hip-Hop. Many Hip-Hop heads and music connoisseurs argue he was the most talented member of Migos and a rap genius.

Those who spoke with him often described him as always having positive energy and being fun to be with, illuminating how Takeoff was a bright light in our Culture.

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