Quavo Pens Emotional Tribute to Takeoff: “I Love You With All My Heart”

Quavo has penned an emotional tribute to his close friend, nephew, and fellow Migos rapper Takeoff, who was shot and killed on November 1 in Houston. In a statement posted to Instagram, Quavo recalled childhood memories with Takeoff, such as their shared love of professional wrestling and their early ventures into music.

“Throughout this whole time he had a REAL passion for music. It was HIS dream to become a rapper cuz I didn’t kno what I wanted to do,” Quavo wrote. “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!” Find Quavo’s full statement below.

In his eulogy, Quavo discusses how the terms “uncle” and “nephew” never quite captured the bond he had with Takeoff. (The two men grew up with Migos MC Offset in the Georgia suburb of Lawrenceville.) “I knew you weren’t my brother cuz you are my sister’s son, so I couldn’t say brother,” he wrote. “Now I finally get it…you are OUR angel watching me and watching us this whole time in living form making sure EVERYONE FELT UR LOVE AND HUGS while u here and u made our dreams come true.”

Prior to his death, Takeoff and Quavo had been playing dice in a Houston bowling alley when an altercation broke out and a man opened fire, as TMZ and local media reported at the time. The rapper’s death was formally ruled a homicide. He was 28 years old.

Following the news of his death, Takeoff has been memorialized by friends and collaborators including Drake, Gucci Mane, Future, and others. On Friday (November 11), a memorial service for Takeoff took place at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. Last month, Quavo and Takeoff released their debut album as a duo, Only Built for Infinity Links.

Read Pitchfork’s Afterword feature “Remembering Takeoff, Migos’ Low-Key Linchpin.”

It’s so hard to tell you Ima miss you because you always with me and we did everything together. Since we were kids you been by my side looking up at me, them eyes waiting on me to make the next move…then you followed up right behind me. You always made sure I did it first so you can do it right with me. You never competed with me, we were always on the same team. You hated playing against me because I was always playing too hard or too ruff then I can hear my mama say, “sonnnn not too ruff” cuz I didn’t like to lose!