Takeoff's death sparks questions for a frustrated Rory and Mal in new video: "Something has to change"

The hip-hop community is still grappling with the tragic loss of Migos member Takeoff. The talented artist met an untimely demise when he suffered multiple fatal gunshots at a private party in Houston on Tuesday (Nov. 1). 

In the days since the heartbreaking news broke, tributes have poured in across social media platforms, with countless people remembering the 28-year-old as quiet, unproblematic, and peaceful.

But as questions surrounding the events that led to Takeoff’s death begin to crop up, more than a few people are wondering how the trend of rappers being killed can be stopped. Rory and Mal tackled the topic on Saturday (Nov. 5) in the newest episode of their podcast.

The duo reflected on the impact of Takeoff’s passing. “It’s beyond tragic,” said Mal, noting that both Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. both passed away in their 20s as a result of gun violence. He also mentioned the more recent murder of PnB Rock, who was gunned down during a robbery in Los Angeles in September. 

“How long does this cycle last? How long does this go?” Mal asked. “And now, you know, we wake up and it’s like we just lost PnB Rock. … That’s the problem. It happens so often that you forget some people that we lost in the mix of it. Something has to change. Something has to happen.”

Rory and Mal agreed that there needs to be more accountability and the value of life needs to be restored in the culture but acknowledged the onus does not fall on the hip-hop community. They also discussed how news of Takeoff and other rappers being killed has almost become normal.

“It still shouldn’t be in our culture where it’s like this. … Something is completely wrong with this frequency. Something is deadly wrong with this,” Mal said. Rory noted that, in essence, the news cycle, as it pertains to hip-hop, has become “rinse and repeat.” 

Both men concluded that finding a solution to this issue has been seemingly impossible. Still, Mal added, “This is not how it’s supposed to go, these guys are talented, they’re making a way for their families, they’re employing their friends, generating millions of dollars creating art, traveling the world, bringing people together to enjoy music.”

Peep the full episode of Rory and Mal’s podcast below.