The rapper Quavious“Quavo”Keyate Marshall paid a poignant tribute to his late nephew Kirshnik Khari Ball “Takeoff” at the 2023 Grammys.
Quavo performed “Without You” with Maverick City Music to pay tribute to Takeoff who passed away on Nov. 1.
“Without You” is Quavo’s first release since the death of his nephew.
“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,”
Lyrics “Without You,” Quavo’s Tribute to Takeoff
Quavo’s nephew lost his life in a fatal shooting at a bowling alley in Houston.
Quavo had written a moving tribute to Takeoff on Instagram two weeks after his death, “It’s so hard to tell you Ima miss you because you always with me and we did everything together,” the “Bad and Boujee.”
“This whole time I’ve been trying to figure out what you really are to me because nephew ain’t it,” Quavo said. “… Now I finally get it … you are OUR angel watching me and watching us this whole time in living form.”
The lyrics of “Without You” go: “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,”
Quavo signed off his poignant performance with a promise to “keep your name alive as long as I live.”
Quavo co-founded 3 Migos with his nephew Takeoff (Kirshnik Khari Ball) and cousin Offset (Kirsnick Khari Ball).
Quavo had penned a very emotional tribute to Takeoff at an official memorial which took place at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on November, 11. “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,” Quavo had noted.
