Takeoff, one third of the successful rap group Migos, was eulogized on Friday, November 11th at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena which has a capacity of 20,000 people.
Free tickets to the service were available for Georgia residents only. All were quickly claimed earlier this week.
Those who were able to score free tickets endured the rain and lined up early to pay their respects to the slain rapper and his family.
No media were allowed inside the venue. All phones, cameras and recording devices were banned.
Last week, Takeoff was fatally struck allegedly by a stray bullet when a dispute erupted during a dice game in Houston. Police are still investigating the details of his murder.
The memorial ceremony for Takeoff lasted nearly 3-hours in Atlanta. Takeoff’s mother and two siblings expressed their grief and love for their son and brother, respectively. They remembered him for being generous and loving.
During the service, gospel artists Yolanda Adams and Byron Cage performed along with pop stars like Justin Bieber and Chloe Bailey.
At 28-years old, Takeoff was the youngest member of the group with his uncle Quavo and cousin Outset. They too gave heartfelt tributes to their cousin and nephew.
During the 2010s, the Migos were known for their razor-sharp ad-libs and hypnotic chants.
In 2013, the group gained widespread appeal with the release of the song “Versace.” But it was their 2016 hit “Bad and Boujee,” which rocketed them to superstardom and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Takeoff's untimely death was a tragedy for the entire hip-hop community.
He was eulogized by Rev. Jesse Curney, III, Senior Pastor of New Mercies Christian Church in Lilburn, GA. He told Atlanta’s V-103 that Takeoff was a regular church attendee who “loved coming to worship.”
Rev. Curney stated, “I plan to remember him as the young man I saw grow up in the church who loved being with his family, who loved coming to worship, and in times when he made it to church with his busy schedule, he still came as just a regular worshiper. [He was] one who showed love to his fans while he was in church after church. Everyone allowed him to worship and just be a regular person.”
Curney said that the rapper and his family had been attending his church since he was 10 years old.
Rev. Curney admonished those in African American community who take a person’s life unnecessarily. He stated, “I hope that this is a wake-up call for all of us that there really needs to be some serious changes within our community.”
“I think that’s what’s so important for me and most of his family [is] that this was a son, a grandson, a brother, a nephew, a cousin,” he added. “And so, therefore [we want] to remember his love that he shared with everyone. He gave to everyone. That’s the person I know, and that’s the person I can speak of.”
In lieu of gifts, Takeoff’s family is requesting that people make donations to The Rocket Foundation, which aims to help programs develop solutions to gun violence.