After his nephew was shot and died earlier this month, the Migos rapper finally broke his long silence. Quavo shared his poignant eulogy on Instagram, which he had spoken at the “Celebration of Life” memorial service held at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Friday.
He began by thinking back on his unbreakable friendship and fraternity with Takeoff, which began when they were growing up as children.
You were always by my side, and we did everything together, so it’s really difficult to say I miss you, he remarked. You’ve always stood by my side, looking up at me with those eyes, waiting for me to take the next step ever since we were young. We were always on the same team, therefore you and I never competed.
Takeoff was referred to by Quavo as the “most unbothered person in the world” as he recalled their shared love of wrestling and how they once imagined themselves as tag team teammates in the WWE.
The quietest person in the room, despite being quite quiet, always paid attention to what was happening. Take was never really upset by anything, and he didn’t annoy anyone, the man claimed. He never lost his temper, never shouted, and when he did, he kept the room quiet because what Take said was the law, and he wasn’t going to back down.
He also remarked on Takeoff’s sense of humor, calling him “by far the funniest person in the room,” and how he took his time with everything, even though it meant they were running late. We referred to it as the “Takeoff Time.” He would reply, “God will bring us there on time,” whenever we would be late for the performances. Some things God showed, some things we missed. The main thing is that he trusted God.
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Takeoff had aspirations of being a rapper, while Quavo participated in a number of sports but wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life.
He remembered that as a child, the man “knew every song from the Hot Boyz album, every line word for word, and he was cussing up a storm.” Mama heard him rapping, took the CD, and declared that the music was inappropriate for us. However, after we performed “Get Ya Roll On” by Big Timers to win the Boys and Girls Club talent competition, all was well.
He credits Takeoff with creating the renowned Migos flow. He wrote, “This triplet flow and the rest was history.” He was not concerned with titles, recognition, or which man received the most attention. As long as we delivered it back to the family, he didn’t care about anything!
Although Quavo acknowledged that he disliked being referred to as Takeoff’s nephew (“We always knew we were a lot closer than that”), he now understands that he served a bigger good.
“Now I finally understand… “You are OUR ANGEL, watching me and watching us this entire time in living form, making sure EVERYONE FELT UR LOVE AND HUGS while you were here, and you made our dreams come true,” he explained. “I’m just glad to be a part of your life.” I’m honored to be your UNCLE. I’m proud that we traveled the world and accomplished things we could never have imagined doing together.”
He expressed gratitude to Takeoff for all of his family’s blessings (“I’m proud to say I’ve seen your blessings”) and promised to “keep your name alive as long as I live.”
“It is always my responsibility to look after my nephews and nieces, and I will do so before we make any moves or decisions,” he explained. “Me and you knew we’d always be together for life, and now we’re going to see each other again.”
“I love you with all my heart,” Quavo concluded in his note. I’ll never abandon you, but I guess God doesn’t need my help. So, could you please ask Him for me what I need to do to be with you again!!! In a place devoid of pain, demons, jealousy, envy, and greed. Whatever we need to do to get to paradise, God sends us the tools now cuz we wanna be with Take. Love you nephew!”
In addition to Quavo, Offset and Drake spoke at the memorial, which also featured performances by Justin Bieber, Chlöe Bailey, and Yolanda Adams.
Cardi B also wrote some touching words for Takeoff, which she shared on Instagram. “I am heartbroken, but grateful for the precious memories we were able to share while you were here with us,” she wrote. “This has been a nightmare, and the pain is indescribable.” Please read her message below.
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