Current:Home > reviewsQuavo steps up advocacy against gun violence after his nephew Takeoff’s shooting death -Infinite Edge Capital
Quavo steps up advocacy against gun violence after his nephew Takeoff’s shooting death
View
Date:2025-04-19 05:00:35
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The trauma Migos rapper Quavo suffered after witnessing his nephew Takeoff being gunned down last year is a disturbing sight he doesn’t want anyone else to experience.
Through his pain, Quavo found his purpose as a vocal advocate against gun violence. He’s expected to meet privately with some powerful political figures then speak on a panel discussion about combating the issue during the Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference in Washington on Wednesday.
The Grammy-nominated rapper said Takeoff’s untimely death in 2022 ultimately convinced him to speak up.
“I feel like your calling comes at the least expected times,” said Quavo, who also honored his nephew with their Migos bandmate Offset during the BET Awards earlier this summer.
Police say Takeoff was an innocent bystander who was shot outside a Houston bowling alley after a disagreement over a lucrative dice game led to gunfire. Takeoff’s death was the latest in a string of fatal shootings in recent years that involved hip-hop stars such as Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, PnB Rock and Young Dolph.
“You don’t think nothing is going to happen,” Quavo continued. “I need to step up to the plate and hit a homerun. I have to do something about it, so it won’t happen to the masses — especially in our culture. I don’t want this to happen to the next person. I want to knock down these percentages.”
Quavo will join a panel discussion Wednesday alongside Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, Rep. Lucy McBath — whose activism was propelled after the shooting death of her teenage son — and Greg Jackson of the Community Justice Action Fund. It’ll be a solutions-oriented conversation on community intervention strategies, the battle with gun violence and the power in advocacy.
“We need to do better with the control of guns,” Quavo said. “We need to figure out how do we keep these types of incidents from happening to people going anywhere and thinking they can hurt somebody where it shouldn’t happen.”
After Takeoff’s shooting, Quavo often asked himself “How do we use (guns) safely?
“And how do you keep them out of the hands of people that make bad decisions?” he said. “I’m kind of in a half-and-half place. Even police have guns. Unfortunately, some of the people in our culture and loved ones have been lost to police brutality. It’s all about choices and how we can put a filter on who can use these guns.”
Jackson said Quavo’s voice could make a difference. He applauded the rapper for sitting down with members of Congress, offering his firsthand insights and putting the pressure on them for impactful change.
“His voice and commitment around community violence intervention could provide more resources for those who are most at risk,” said Jackson, whose Community Justice organization hosted Quavo for a day of advocacy. They are both pushing for passing of the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which would provide a $6.5 billion federal grant to communities to curb gun violence, create prevention programs, job training and workforce development for youths.
Jackson, who was shot in 2013, said combating gun violence has become personal for him.
“It’s what we need,” Jackson said. “With gun violence, in order to change it, we have to change the behavior just as aggressively as we focus on safety and ownership and access. But we can’t change behavior if our communities don’t have the resources they need, and our youth is being overlooked and forgotten.”
So far, Quavo has taken the right steps forward: Last year, the rapper and his family launched the Rocket Foundation in honor of Takeoff and he committed $2 million to invest in community violence intervention. He aspires to develop more after school programs in areas where community centers have been shut down and basketball goal rims were taken down.
Quavo says it’s imperative to keep the youth busy with productive activities in a safe environment. He’s already reached out to some in the hip-hop community for support including rapper Meek Mill, who’s been active with criminal justice reform.
But Quavo say he knows he needs more political backing to streamline much-needed resources to the less fortunate.
“I feel like after going to the White House, I need resources,” he said. “I need a bag of goodies, so I can take back and say ‘Here, this is for the culture.’ We have that extension cord. We are plugged into that type of environment. I don’t think no one else in our stature is that connected. In order for things to change, we need resources.”
veryGood! (923)
Related
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- BBC Presenter Dr. Michael Mosley's Cause of Death Revealed
- New York transit chief says agency must shrink subway improvements following nixed congestion toll
- Coco Gauff wins first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Tuition is rising for students at University of Alabama’s 3 campuses
- Naomi Biden testifies in father Hunter Biden's gun trial | The Excerpt
- Crossing guard arrested twice on same day, accused of attacking woman, then TV reporters
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Full transcript of Face the Nation, June 9, 2024
Ranking
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- 10 members of NC State’s 1983 national champions sue NCAA over name, image and likeness compensation
- Utah judge sets execution date in 1998 murder despite concerns over a new lethal injection cocktail
- Will Smith confirms he tried to adopt 'I Am Legend' canine co-star
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Kim Porter's Dad Addresses Despicable Video of Diddy Assaulting His Ex Cassie
- Bypassing Caitlin Clark for Olympics was right for Team USA. And for Clark, too.
- AI-generated emojis? Here are some rumors about what Apple will announce at WWDC 2024
Recommendation
Average rate on 30
How Austin Butler Feels About The Carrie Diaries More Than 10 Years Later
See the rare, 7-foot sunfish that washed ashore in northern Oregon
Judge denies bid to dismiss certain counts in Trump classified documents indictment
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
The Daily Money: Are you guilty of financial infidelity?
Key witness who says he bribed Bob Menendez continues testifying in New Jersey senator's trial
Mexican authorities clear one of Mexico City’s largest downtown migrant tent encampments