In November 2022, a gunman shot and killed Migos rapper Takeoff, which devastated the hip-hop community, its fans, and his uncle and long-time collaborator, Quavo.
Quavo publicly grieved the death of Takeoff, but behind the scenes, he turned his pain into music.
Two months after the tragic and sudden death, the remaining Migos rapper decided to unveil his tribute song, "Without You," paired with a somber, minimalist music video.
The lyrics strongly allude to and reflect on their relationship and music career: "I wish I had a time machine / Just so you can take a ride with me / I miss just how you smile at me / Unc and Phew until infinity."
Unc and Phew was the monicker Quavo and Takeoff took when the Migos trio fell apart in early 2022, while infinity refers to their recently-released album titled "Built for Infinity Links."
In an Instagram post dedicated to Takeoff, Quavo talked about their monicker, "This whole time I've been trying to figure out what you really are to me because nephew wasn't it."
"We hated that word 'nephew' or when they said 'Unc and Phew,' 'cuz we always knew we were way closer than that and it made me feel old, too...Now I finally get it, you are our angel."
Other lyrics in the song touch on the topic of the afterlife and outer space, "Out in the galaxy / Up in the stars / Over the universe / It's bigger than mars / See you in heaven / See you in heaven / When I see you in heaven / I'ma be with my dawg. Yeah"
"Without You" ends with Quavo singing: "Take I'm sorry."
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Left Behind
This is the first song Quavo has released in honor of the rapper, but this isn't the first time he has been vocal about his grief.
Takeoff's death was unexpected and random. It occurred in a bowling alley in Houston, Texas when a man began shooting people, one of which was the rapper.
According to recent reports, the man charged in Takeoff's death was released on a $1 million bond.
He was identified as 33-year-old Patrick Xavier Clark. He was arrested back in December on a murder charge.
Along with his million-dollar bond comes several stipulations with his release, including house arrest, and a tracking device; and he must also avoid contact with anyone involved in the investigation.
Takeoff hails from Georgia, and was part of the famous hip-hop trio, Migos, alongside Quavo and Offset. He was born Kirsnick Khari Ball and was 28 at the time of his death.
