As many as 20,000 people are expected to gather Friday for a celebration of the life of Migos rapper Takeoff, who was fatally shot outside a Houston bowling alley earlier this month.
Takeoff, whose real name was Kirshnik Khari Ball, was 28.
Tickets for the memorial service at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, quickly sold out shortly after going on sale Tuesday. Venue officials said the event had reached capacity, meaning as many as 20,000 people could be in attendance.
Free tickets to the celebration of life, which starts at 12 p.m. ET, were made available to Georgia residents only via Ticketmaster.
The service is expected to be a star-studded event, with Canadian rapper Drake among those expected to attend.
Officials said Takeoff and Quavo, 31, another member of the hip-hop group Migos, were at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston at a private party when the incident unfolded earlier this month.
An autopsy by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston found that Takeoff had died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso. Police are still searching for a suspect in the deadly shooting.
Takeoff was the youngest member of Migos, the rap trio from suburban Atlanta that also featured his uncle Quavo, real name Quavious Keyate Marshall, and a cousin, Offset, or Kiari Kendrell Cephus, 30. The group first broke through with the hit “Versace” in 2013, with the song being remixed by Drake.
Drake had shared a heartfelt Instagram post on Nov. 1, the day Takeoff died, writing: “I got the best memories of all of us seeing the world together and bringing light to every city we touch.”
“That’s what I’ll focus on for now,” Drake wrote.
“Takeoff was one of the most influential names in modern music whose creativity left a profound impact on music and culture as we know it today,” the State Farm Arena event page for Takeoff’s celebration of life said. “ The cherished Quality Control/Motown superstar was a part of the supergroup Migos and was a beloved son, grandson, brother, nephew and friend to so many.”
The event page said fans who were unable to secure tickets were “strongly encouraged to not come downtown.” It said no gifts or items will be permitted to be left at or near the venue.
The public memorial is expected to follow a strict no photo or video policy, with media barred from entry to cover the event, according to the event page. (NBC)
