Fresh off the plane from Paris with only 16 hours to spare, Offset and Quavo locked in on planning the perfect tribute performance to honor their late Migos group member Takeoff at the 2023 BET Awards last weekend. “It cleared my soul,” Offset shared in a recent Instagram Live, where he detailed the process of pulling together the surprise appearance at the last minute.
“We did the BET performance, man, it was iconic,” he said. “Me and my brother Qua, we put that together within 16 hours, 15 hours, we landed from Paris at 9 p.m. and went straight to go to work to figure out how we’re gonna put this show together. And we do that cause we some real stars. We do this music. We the greatest group to ever touch the mic — R.I.P. my brother Take. We did it for my brother Take.”
Takeoff — real name Kirsnik Khari Ball — was shot and killed early in the morning on Nov. 1, 2022 at a bowling alley in Houston. He was 28 years old. The rapper’s alleged shooter, Patrick Clark, was indicted on murder charges in May. Earlier this year, during the In Memoriam segment at the 2023 Grammy Awards, Quavo performed a tribute to Takeoff without Offset. The BET Awards appearance marked their first time performing on the same stage together since Takeoff’s death.
“Me and Qua stood tall, brother-to-brother and I appreciate everyone for supporting [us]. It was a movie, it was a vibe. We needed that for the culture,” he added. “We did that in 16 hours though, like real professionals. Went out there 16 hours, didn’t sleep, locked in on the vision. Me and Qua sat down, locked in on the visuals, locked in on the position of the stage, the lighting, everything, as a unit. You know, when you put the three heads together, it’s always gonna be cinematic. It’s always gonna be the truth.”
Offset and Quavo’s reunion performance included a medley of “Hotel Lobby,” which appeared on Quavo and Takeoff’s collaborative album Only Built for Infinity Links under the moniker Unc and Phew, and Migos hit single “Bad and Boujee.” While lasers and a fiery backdrop lit up the stage, an image of Takeoff reaching his hand towards the sky was projected onto the massive screen behind them.