50 Cent Pays Tribute to Takeoff During Finland Show
50 Cent honored late rapper Takeoff during a show on Tuesday in Finland, just hours after the Migos member was shot and killed in Houston in an as-yet-unsolved incident. “I paid tribute to Takeoff last night in Finland it was lit,” 50 wrote alongside a photo of the stage, which featured three giant images of the 28-year-old MC who was shot and killed early Tuesday morning while partying with uncle and bandmate Quavo at a bowling/billiards hall.
Fiddy also offered some advice to Quavo about how to properly preserve his nephew’s legacy by posting a clip from the most recent episode of Rich Kleinman’s Out of Office show in which Universal Music Group exec Steven Victor described 50’s role in Pop Smoke’s posthumous album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, released five months after Smoke’s killing during a home invasion robbery.
In the chat, Victor says that the album might never have been released if it wasn’t for 50’s encouragement to push through with the project. “So when [Pop Smoke] passed, 50 kept trying to get in touch with me. So I finally went to go see him. I couldn’t listen to [Pop Smoke’s] music, and 50 was like, ‘Yo. You’re being selfish. You can’t let your emotions or you being in this depressed state stop you from executing what plans you guys had,” Victor recalled. “‘Three weeks ago, you guys were in my office talkin’ about taking over the world. He passed away, but who’s going to keep his legacy goin’? Who’s gonna make sure his music comes out so he can take care of his family?’ He’s like, ‘That’s on you. I get you’re sad and all that s–t, but this ain’t the time for that.’”
In a post featuring the interview, 50 wrote. “This is really how it goes @QuavoStuntin you have to position this Album correctly for Take Offs Legacy, go make a couple changes and address everything all artist make the best music out of painful moments. R.I.P to Pop Smoke. R.I.P to TakeOff.”
50’s suggestion came nearly a month after Quavo and Takeoff’s Migos side project, Unc and Phew, dropped their debut album, Only Built for Infinity Links, with the G-Unit boss seemingly suggesting that Quavo go back and tweak the collection in the wake of Takeoff’s killing.
Takeoff (born Kirshnik Khari Ball) was at a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with Quavo around 2:35 a.m. on Tuesday when investigators say shots rang out during an afterparty attended by around 40 people. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene, and two other victims — a 23-year-old male and 24-year-old female — checked themselves into a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
During a press conference this week, the city’s police chief, mayor and homicide investigation committee noted that much of the situation is currently under investigation, and urged witnesses to come forward with any information to help authorities solve the case. “Anyone who has information on the shooter, let us bring justice to this family,” Mayor Sylvester Turner added during the conference. “We will solve this case. We will find the shooter.” The Harris County coroner’s office confirmed to Billboard that the late star’s primary cause of death was “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm.”
Officials said many of those in attendance fled the scene, prompting Houston police chief Troy Finner to urge witnesses to come forward with any information to help authorities solve the case. “Anyone who has information on the shooter, let us bring justice to this family,” Mayor Sylvester Turner added during the conference. “We will solve this case. We will find the shooter.”
See 50’s tribute below.
Gil Kaufman
Billboard
