Fans celebrated the musical legacy of murdered rapper Takeoff on Friday at a memorial service in Atlanta, near where the artist grew up, which attracted Justin Bieber, Drake and other big names in the music industry.
Takeoff, part of the Grammy Award-nominated trio Migos with Uncle Quavo and Cousin Offset, was gunned down outside a Houston bowling alley earlier this month. A woman and another man were also injured in the shooting. No arrests have been made.
Jenifer Loving, 22, queued for over an hour with her son Mateo before the doors of the State Farm Arena opened for fans to grab a free ticket. She said Takeoff’s death was heartbreaking, in part because he was only 28 years old.
Migos’ music represented the creativity and culture of the black community, she said, and she feared the group would be too distressed to make new music — at least for a while.
“It’s just something you can play anywhere, and everyone will just come out and walk around and dance,” she said. “That’s how it brings people together. It fills the whole room with positivity.”
Eric Hood, an Atlanta firefighter, said he was shocked to learn of Takeoff’s death because of the three members of Migos, he was considered the most laid-back.
Migos’ music was an “escape” for many people, he said, and he hoped the event would leave the rapper’s family and the rest of the group with lasting memories of him.
“I pray for them,” he said. “I hope they remain uplifting, positive, influential members in society and keep moving forward.”
Dozens of fans lined up early in the arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, despite the rainy weather. Outside, a huge sign was lit with the rapper’s image.
Free tickets to the memorial service were available to residents of Georgia, but State Farm Arena said well before Friday that the event had reached capacity and fans without tickets should not come to downtown.
The organizers have not released a program for the event or let media in. Several fans who left the event confirmed Bieber and Drake’s attendance and said Offset and Quavo also spoke.
Atlanta resident Jeffrey Wilson said the event was moving.
“His mother was up there and I could see the tears in her,” Wilson said. “I felt the kinship myself, as if I knew him personally.”
Tyler Williams drove for hours from Montgomery, Alabama, on Friday morning with his 2-year-old son Ashton.
“He probably won’t remember,” he said of his son. “But it’s something to have when he gets older, to know he was there.”
Migos broke up almost a decade ago with the 2013 hit “Versace” which gained even greater popularity through a Drake remix. The trio was largely raised by Takeoff’s mother in suburban Atlanta.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said the day after the shooting that Takeoff, born Kirsnick Khari Ball, was “highly respected” and that there was “no reason to believe he was involved in anything criminal at the time.”
Migos’ record label, Quality Control, mourned Takeoff’s death in an Instagram statement that attributed it to “senseless violence and a stray bullet.” Police haven’t said anything about a stray shot.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, his family has asked people to make donations to The Rocket Foundation, which was established in Takeoff’s honor and aims to prevent gun violence, according to its website.
