Offset Details Soul-Clearing Surprise Reunion Performance With Quavo at BET Awards

A week after Offset and Quavo reunited for a surprise performance during this year's BET Awards, the Georgia-born rapper is reflecting on how it all came together in memory of their late groupmate, Takeoff, who was fatally shot on Nov. 1 in Houston, Texas.

On Thursday, Offset -- born Kiari Kendrell Cephus -- took to Instagram Live to share with his followers how the touching tribute to Takeoff came to be. The performance was the duo's first together since they disbanded their hip-hop trio, Migos, after releasing their fourth and final studio album, Culture III, in 2021. It was particularly poignant after reports surfaced that the two had a falling out after the album's release, and their relationship became more strained following Takeoff's death.

"I love all my fans. I love y'all. We did a BET performance, man. It was iconic, man," Offset said during the Instagram Live broadcast. "It cleared my soul. Me and my brother, Quay, man, we put that together within, like, 16 hours, like, 15 hours ...We do that 'cause we're some real stars. We do this music. We the greatest group to ever touch the mic. RIP my brother, Take. We did it for my brother Take. Me and Quay stood tall, brother to brother. And I appreciate everybody for supporting. It was a movie, it was a vibe. We needed that for the culture."

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The rapper revealed he and Quavo spent hours working on the BET Awards performance, sacrificing their sleep to ensure that everything from the performance visuals to the stage positioning and the lighting was perfect. 

"It's always gonna be cinematic," he added. "Thank god for that moment. We did it for Take... And you know, when you put the three heads together, it's always gon' be cinematic. It's always gon' be the truth. It's always gon' be Godly. Thank God for that moment. And like I said, RIP to Take. Y'all know how we coming about my brother. And we did it for Take. That's our legacy. Migos forever. The greatest group to ever do it."

During last Sunday's BET Awards, the duo performed after the show returned from a commercial break. A curtain raised on a darkened stage with two shadowed figures emerging: Quavo and Offset, standing before an image of the Space Shuttle. As a recording of Takeoff's verse on the song "Hotel Lobby" began (as recorded by his duo with Quavo, Unc & Phew), the space shuttle took off and the pair launched into the group's biggest hit, "Bad & Boujee."

Both Offset and Quavo have shared several tributes to Takeoff since his death almost a year ago. Takeoff -- whose real name was Kirshnik Khari Ball -- was 28 when he was killed at a bowling alley when an argument led to gunfire. 

Two weeks after Takeoff's death, Offset broke his silence and called the tragedy a "nightmare." Offset took to Instagram and said, "The pain you have left me with is so unbearable. My heart is shattered and I have so many things to say, but I can't find the words."

Offset, only two years older than the close friend he regularly called his cousin, said he had been going to sleep and waking up hoping it was all a dream, but instead, "it's reality, and reality feels like a nightmare."

The rapper's heartbreaking tribute continued, "I wish I could hug you one last time. Laugh one last time. Smoke one last time. Perform one last time."

Quavo, who is actually Takeoff's uncle although he's only three years older, released the heartbreaking single "Without You" in January, just two months after Takeoff was killed.

The rapper was with Takeoff at the time of his death, and in the touching track, he raps about how he's struggled since Takeoff's death. "Tears rolling down my eyes. Can't tell you how many times I cried. Days ain't the same without you. I don't know if I'm the same without you," he raps. "I wish I had a time machine just so you can take a ride with me. But I know it don't work that way and I'mma see you again someday."

He released his second song dedicated to his late nephew in February, announcing the drop just hours before its release and unveiling its official cover art as well as a link to its accompanying video on Instagram. The visual features footage of Quavo at an "undisclosed location," surrounded by his impressive jewelry collection, playing basketball with his famous friends and flaunting his fleet of luxury cars. Although he's clearly proud of his success, the rapper says that he would give it all away "just to see my dawg just one more time."

"Tryin' to move forward, but I don't got all the answers," Quavo raps on the record. "But I know I can't look backwards, that's dangerous/I had to go read the Bible and take a few pages."

Patrick Xavier Clark, who was arrested and charged for Takeoff's murder on Dec. 2, 2022, has been indicted by a grand jury on a murder charge.

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