We're now finishing up our live coverage of the tributes to Takeoff, who was shot dead early this morning in Houston, Texas.

You can read more on his death and legacy in our news story, here.

This page was written by Malu Cursino, Jack Burgess, Imogen James and Mark Savage.

We're winding up our coverage now, but wanted to bring you two last thoughts which seem to sum up how people are feeling today.

Journalist and author Jemele Hill has been reminded of the deaths of two other influential rappers, Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. - both died in the 90s.

And broadcaster BET has been recalling Takeoff's work and the impact Migos had in popular culture.

"Flow unmatched. Talent undeniable."

Cole Bennett, a well-known American music video director is mourning the loss of Takeoff.

He tweeted: "Nothing makes sense anymore. nothing at all," and "RIP TakeOff".

Bennett directed the walk out video for Migos' tour spot with Future, as well as a video for the song Out Yo Way.

Image source, Reuters

Takeoff began rapping with Quavo and Offset (his uncle and cousin, respectively) in 2008 under the name Polo Club.

They had known each other since birth, even sharing the same house in Lawrenceville, Georgia, for part of their childhood.

Takeoff later said music presented them with a way to escape poverty.

"Growing up, I was trying to make it in music. I was grinding, which is just what I loved doing. I didn't have nothing else to do," he told The Fader, external.

After finding success on the local scene, they became America's biggest rap act in 2017, when Bad and Boujee hit number one.

They owed their success, in part, to an enthusiastic endorsement from actor-rapper Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino.

"I think they [Migos] are the Beatles of this generation," he said during a speech at the Golden Globe Awards in 2017. "That song, Bad and Boujee, is just fly."

But Takeoff didn't record his voice on that single and it caused a minor controversy - but he brushed it off, claiming he was simply unavailable for the recording session.

It propelled the band's second album, Culture, to number one; and they continued to have hits until last year with songs like Walk It Talk It, Stir Fry and Straightenin'.

Takeoff also recorded a successful solo album, The Last Rocket, in 2018.

Image source, EVN

We haven't had any updates from Houston Police for a few hours. After the incident, they said simply that they'd arrived at the scene of the shooting and found “one victim deceased upon arrival”.

They went on to say: “We are not releasing an identity of the deceased victim until his family is notified & ID verified by Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.”

A couple of hours later they said two other victims had been taken to hospital, and reiterated that they were not in a position to confirm the identity of the deceased.

Rapper Desiigner said on an Instagram livestream earlier that he's quitting his career after hearing the news of Takeoff's death.

The number one artist cried to the camera and broke down as he said he "cant live like this no more".

He continued: "Why do we do this?"

"I'm done rap. It's done. It's done. It's over."

The rapper had a number one hit with his song Panda in 2015.

He then posted on his story: "I'm done rap."

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Migos were one of the most influential groups of their generation, pioneering a style of rapping in choppy, staccato triplets known as the "Migos flow".

You can hear it clearly on Versace, the band's breakout hit from 2013. The band repeat the song title in rapid bursts, placing emphasis on the middle syllable at the start of every bar. Like this:

Ver | sac-e-Ver | sac-e-Ver | sac-e-Ver | sac-e

It's a technique that can be traced back to Chuck D's verse on Public Enemy's Make The Noise, but Migos finessed and refined it, making it the centrepiece of their signature sound.

After their single Bad And Boujee hit number one in 2017, others picked up on the style, making it one of the predominant modes of rapping of the last half-decade.

You can hear it in Kendrick Lamar's DNA, Kanye West's Black Skinhead, and Drake's The Language.

Image source, Getty Images

Takeoff's death is “a devastating loss, particularly for Atlanta", the rapper's lawyer Drew Findling has said.

There was "a sense of peacefulness about his aura", Findling says, and adds that Takeoff always listened to people, the New York Times reports.

"The world was starting to learn about Takeoff. It was his time to shine,” says Findling.

Tributes have been pouring in from the rapping world and beyond.

British professional boxer Chris Eubank Jr says he can't believe he is having to say this again. "Another young black star being killed for no reason".

Music broadcaster MTV echoed Ja Rule, saying they're deeply saddened by Takeoff's "tragic loss".

Juice Wayne wrote a short poem mourning Takeoff's loss, "Quavo lost his nephew. For nothing."

"Rap lost a good one. For nothing."

Image source, Aaron J. Thornton

Takeoff released his own music alongside his Migos career, notably on 2018's solo album The Last Rocket, which spawned the gold-selling single Last Memory.

He also featured on tracks with the likes of Travis Scott, Calvin Harris, Lil Wayne and Pop Smoke.

After Offset parted ways with Migos earlier this year, Quavo and Takeoff decided to continue as a duo, releasing their album Only Built for Infinity Tracks last month. It peaked at number 7 in the US charts.

Just last night, the duo released a Halloween-themed video for song Messy, one of the tracks from the album.

Michael Arrington, a detective at Houston Police Department, has been speaking to reporters at the scene.

He says the shooting "left one male deceased on the scene" after a private party ended in the early hours of the morning.

Arrington says two others were transported to hospitals nearby.

Image source, CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Award-winning author Frederick Joseph, known for his books exploring themes of social justice and racism, has added his voice to tributes pouring in for Takeoff.

“I want to see more black men with grey hair. Growing older and wiser.

“I’m heartbroken at the continuous need for us to post “Rest In Peace” because violence has taken another one of us. But here we are, sleep well, Takeoff."

Gun violence in the US disproportionately targets young black men.

According to a report, external published in May by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of US gun deaths surged by 35% in 2020 to the highest level since 1994 - with especially deadly levels for young black men, the report added.

African Americans were at least four times more likely to be killed by a gun, compared to fatality rates among the entire population.

Compared to their white counterparts, the CDC reports showed that black people were 12 times more likely to be killed by a gun than a white person.

Artists are reacting to Takeoff's killing. The overwhelming feeling is that of devastation.

Hours before Takeoff was shot dead, he posted on his Instagram story.

The picture showed him smoking, with the song "Stop Breathing" by Playboi Carti playing in the background.

Image source, Takeoff's Instagram

Tributes are pouring in on Twitter as fans react to the news of Takeoff’s death.

One twitter user wrote, “Dark, evil world we live in. One of the biggest and best for me. Rest in peace.”

Another said: “TakeOff was the BEST Migo. Any song he CARRIED. From his personal joints to collaborations. I’m so heartbroken.”

One woman said: “Not the man born in Lawrenceville that attended Berkmar and made it. This is one hurting the community. RIP.”

Image source, Aaron J. Thornton

Kirshnik Khari Ball, otherwise known as Takeoff, was a 28-year-old rapper.

He was born in 1994 in Lawrenceville, in the US state of Georgia, and began his rapping career in 2008 when he formed hip-hop group Migos with his uncle Quavo and first cousin Offset. He was the youngest of the group.

The three were raised together by Takeoff’s mother.

Takeoff was killed at the 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley in Houston where he was playing dice with his uncle and bandmate, Quavo.

The shooting took place at about 02:30 local time (07:30 GMT).

Police said 40 to 50 guests had been at a private party when someone opened fire. Security guards in the area heard the shots but did not see who fired the gun.

When they arrived, officers said they found a large crowd and a man in his 20s with a gunshot wound to the head or neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Takeoff was identified as the victim by media outlets including the Associated Press (who spoke to a representative) TMZ, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.

However, police told the BBC they would not officially confirm an identity until the victim's family had been notified.

Takeoff's last post on Instagram, posted less than 19 hours ago, has received an outpouring of comments from fans and artists well-known in the American rapping scene.

He'd posted a teaser of his latest music video, external on Instagram, with the hashtag HappyHalloween.

The new music video, external, called Messy, was a joint venture with his uncle and Migos co-founder Quavo.

Most can't believe the rapper was shot dead - the motive behind the killing is not yet known.

Kida The Great, American hip-hop dancer, choreographer and actor, commented in the post saying: "Please god don't be real".

As did rapper Lil Pump, known for his songs Gucci Gang and I Love It, who said: "God plz tell me this ain't true".

Most comments have been pouring in over the last hour, as news of the shooting is confirmed.

YouTuber Yeezy Busta added: "Please don't let this be true. Praying it's not true".

Image source, Getty Images

Rapper Takeoff, who formed part of popular hip-hop trio Migos, has died after being shot in Houston, Texas.

Just hours after releasing his latest music video, the 28-year-old hip-hop star was killed in a bowling alley.

Police say the fatal incident happened shortly after 2:30am, but did not name the victim. However Takeoff's representative told AP news agency it was him.

Join us as we capture the reaction of music fans and stars around the world.