Migos rapper Quavo appears to have declared the end of the rap group in his new song and music video for “Greatness,” which he released Wednesday, almost four months after the death of his nephew and fellow Migos rapper Takeoff.
“Came in, swept the the game like a storm with the m— flow, n— / Take did that / So don’t ask about the group / He gone, we gone / Young n—, it can’t come back,” the 31-year-old raps on the track. The song, one of a handful Quavo has released since Takeoff’s death, pays homage to the 28-year-old who died in a shooting outside a Houston bowling alley in early November. Takeoff is credited with changing the sound of hip-hop.
Elsewhere in “Greatness,” Quavo raps about taking care of Takeoff’s mother and about refusing to look backward and says “never forget that the Migos amazin’.”
“Greatness / I couldn’t do it without the greatest group in the world / Hmm, greatness / I couldn’t do it without the greatest nephew in the world / Greatness,” he continues in the outro.
Migos rappers Takeoff, left, Quavo and Offset at the 2019 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles.
(Richard Shotwell / Invision / Associated Press)
Migos, the Atlanta hip-hop trio that included their cousin Offset, is best known for the song “Bad & Boujee” and the booming trap hits “Handsome and Wealthy” and “Hannah Montana.” But the trio previously disbanded due to an issue between Offset (real name Kiari Kendrell Cephus) and Quavo (real name Quavious Keyate Marshall) that the latter said was centered around “loyalty.” He and Takeoff (real name Kirsnik Khari Ball) rebranded as the rap duo Unc & Phew.
Days after Takeoff’s death, Quavo and Offset made a joint public appearance at the massive, star-studded memorial held for their former bandmate at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. Shortly thereafter, the two remaining “Three Amigos” broke their social media silence by posting emotional and heartfelt missives about their fellow recording artist on Instagram.
“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,” Quavo wrote. “But I knew you weren’t my brother cuz you are my sister’s son, so I couldn’t say brother. Now I finally get it… you are OUR angel watching me and watching us this whole time in living form making sure EVERYONE FELT UR LOVE AND HUGS while u were here and u made our dreams come true.”
Earlier this month, Quavo executed a poignant visual tribute to his nephew at the 65th Grammy Awards where he held up Takeoff’s bejeweled chain during his and Maverick City Music‘s portion of the in memoriam performance. Quavo performed “Without You,” a song he released two months after Takeoff’s death.
But the performance was not without drama. Offset took to Twitter to address a TMZ report about a backstage altercation between him and Quavo, who reportedly barred him from the Grammys performance.
“What tf look like fighting my brother,” Offset, 31, wrote on Twitter. “yal n— is crazy.”
Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B, who is married to Offset, was seen trying to keep the peace in footage obtained by the site.