The rapper was shot at a bowling alley in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Houston, Texas, where he had been attending a dice game. An altercation occurred, with shots fired, although it’s still unclear what initially caused the shooting.
Takeoff’s tragic death comes just a few weeks after he released Only Built for Infinity Links, his first joint album together with Quavo. Just days before he was shot and killed, the rapper spoke about how it was finally time for him to be recognised for his work, insisting it was “time to give me my flowers.”
After news of his death spread across social media, many notable hip hop figures paid tribute to Takeoff, including Tyler, the Creator, Chance the Rapper, Gucci Mane, and Ja Rule.
And in an interview with TMZ, Public Enemy legend Chuck D said that hip hop needs to start solving the issue of gun violence before it’s too late.
The rapper told TMZ Live that it’s “crazy how folks think it’s normal to lose rappers to gun violence.” According to Chuck D, attacking someone with a gun should be considered as “abnormal behaviour.”
He added that the issue of gun violence in hip hop has been ignored for “far too long,” with too many people growing up thinking that a rapper dying at a young age is a normal thing.
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As Chuck D said, gun violence has become far too commonplace in the U.S., with it considered just a part of life. He claimed that today’s hip hop music glorifies gun violence – and drugs – too much. You can watch Chuck D’s full interview here.
For more on this topic, follow the Hip Hop Observer.
