Quavo, who lost his Migos bandmate and nephew to gun violence in November, honored Takeoff in “Without You,†a heartrending tribute song. Posted on social media in the early hours of January 5, the release comes a little over two months after the rapper was slain at a private party in a downtown Houston bowling alley where he and Quavo were in attendance. The shooting allegedly broke out after a game of dice grew violent. Takeoff was fatally caught in the crossfire. “Tears rolling down my eyes / I just seen an angel fly,†the song’s intro begins. “Tell me I’ll be fine, oh why?†The accompanying music video is contemplative. Over a reflective, minimal beat, Quavo sits in the studio, lights a blunt, and appears lost in thought. “Out in the galaxy, up in the stars / Over the universe, it’s bigger than Mars,†he raps in the chorus. “See you in heaven, see you in heaven / When I see you in heaven, I’mma be with my dog.â€
Quavo previously paid tribute to Takeoff in a statement posted to Instagram on November 12, the day after his funeral. He recalled growing up with his nephew in Atlanta and their childhood dreams along with Takeoff’s goal of becoming a musician. “Throughout this whole time he had a REAL passion for music,†remembered Quavo. “It was HIS dream to become a rapper cuz I didn’t kno what I wanted to do … Then he created this triplet flow and the rest was HISTORY.†At the end of the music video, a piece of lined paper filled with the song’s lyrics is folded into a rocket ship and blasts off.