The past few months has been emotional for Kiari “Offset” Cephus, who lost his former group mate Kirsnick “Takeoff” Ball in a shooting last year.
Earlier today (May 24), Variety released an interview with the Georgia native, who spoke about Takeoff and pursuing his solo aspirations. When the topic of the late artist arose, Offset became visibly upset, the outlet noted. “It’s hard for me to talk about s**t right now,” he revealed. “I’ve never talked about this stuff. Seriously. Talking about Take is hard, man… That s**t hurts.”
In the sixth grade, Offset began hanging out with his classmate Quavious “Quavo” Marshall and Takeoff, Quavo’s nephew. Although he was notoriously known as the rappers’ cousin, Offset is not biologically related to either, the outlet added. As the trio continued their meetups in Quavo’s mom’s basement, they transformed into a powerhouse.
According to Variety, the group dropped their first mixtape in 2011. Their single “Bando” became a viral hit a year later. As teenagers, Migos signed to Quality Control, a management company Pierre “P” Thomas founded. The group built on their early success with countless No. 1 hits and albums, including Culture II. However, conflict within the group led to the trio being reduced to a duo with Quavo and Takeoff.
On Nov. 1, 2022, Takeoff was shot and killed in Houston, Texas after a fight allegedly broke out following a game of dice. Since then, Offset has remained relatively quiet as he recently honored Takeoff with a tattoo tribute and focuses on his endeavors as a solo artist.
“This is me going full-fledged into my solo career,” he mentioned. “The objective is to do it fully and smash shit and f**k the game up as a solo artist. I’m coming through, bustin’ through the door. It’s all set. My next chapter. It’s my time.”