Migos rapper Takeoff will be laid to rest in his hometown of Atlanta more than a week after he was killed in a shooting at a Houston bowling alley.
WSB-TV Atlanta 2 reported Monday that the funeral for the slain rapper will be held at the State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta this Friday. Pastor Jesse Curney III, of the New Mercies Christian Church in Lilburn, told the outlet that he will deliver the eulogy.
The funeral service is reportedly scheduled for 1 p.m., but it is unclear whether it will be open to the public. An arena employee did not share details about the service when contacted by The Times on Monday.
“I was really sad to hear the news,” Curney said Monday in a statement to TMZ.
Takeoff, whose real name was Kirshnik Khari Ball, died Nov. 1 in a shooting that broke out after a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling. He was 28.
According to the Houston Police Department, officers responded to the shooting shortly after 2:30 a.m. and one man was found dead. Two other people were hospitalized with nonfatal injuries.
TMZ reported that Takeoff and his Migos collaborator Quavo were playing dice at the party when an altercation broke out and someone opened fire.
During a press briefing last week, Houston police Chief Troy Finner said he believed two firearms were used at the shooting and that the shooter or shooters were present at the party and in their 20s. Finner added that he and his team had no reason to believe that Takeoff was “involved in anything criminal at the time” of the shooting.
Houston police have not identified any suspects or announced any arrests.
In a preliminary report, the Harris County medical examiner ruled the rapper’s death a homicide. He died of “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm,” said the report, which is not yet completed.
Takeoff, along with his uncle Quavo and cousin Offset, hailed from the Lawrenceville suburb of Atlanta. Together, they made up the rap trio Migos, known for hits including “Stir Fry,” “Bad and Boujee” and “Walk It Talk It.”
Fellow musicians celebrated Takeoff on social media following news of his death.
Among those paying tribute were Kid Cudi, Chlöe Bailey and Halle Bailey and Teyana Taylor. Also paying respects to the slain rapper was Drake, who said on Instagram that he has “the best memories of all of us seeing the world together and bringing light to every city we touch.”
On Monday, the “Honestly, Nevermind” rapper announced he had rescheduled his Friday show at New York City’s Apollo Theater so he could attend Takeoff’s funeral. He will now perform at the historic Harlem venue on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7.
“The Apollo show has been moved to all us to pay respect to our dear friend this weekend,” he wrote on his Instagram story.
