Busta Rhymes Pushes Back Release of ‘The Fuse Is Lit’ EP in Honor of Takeoff Funeral
Busta Rhymes has joined the list of artists pausing their own grooves to pay tribute to late Migos rapper Takeoff. In a video to fans, Busta revealed that he has pushed back the release of his The Fuse is Lit EP until next week (Nov. 18) in order to honor the MC who was gunned down on Nov. 1 in an as-yet-unsolved killing in Houston.
“Let us all collectively send love and light to our brothers, you know Takeoff… sending love and light to his beautiful family… sending love and light to our brothers [Migos members] Quavo and Offset, Quality Control Family,” Busta said in the somber video. “Family and friends that has been affected directly and indirectly by this tragedy.”
In light of that and his desire to support Takeoff’s family and friends at the rapper’s public funeral service in Atlanta on Friday (Nov. 11), Busta said he decided to push the EP’s release date by a week. “Send our love and beautiful energy to our brothers Migos and Quality Control and their beautiful families,” he said. The five-track EP — featuring collabs with Bid Daddy Kane, Skillibeng and Conway the Machine, as well as production from Swizz Beatz, Marly Marl and Focus — is Busta’s first release since 2020’s Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God.
Hours after the world learned that Takeoff (born Kirshnik Khari Ball), 28, was killed by an unknown assailant while partying with uncle Quavo at a Houston billiard hall, Rhymes penned a moving tribute to the Migos’ lyrical secret weapon. “It took a lot of time today and a lot of thoughts to try to figure where to start with this today,” he wrote. “There is no perspective that is the right perspective to look at things from when you experience the loss of life, especially when you love the life of people we loose.”
Takeoff’s funeral will kick off at noon at State Farm Arena in his hometown of Atlanta on Friday, with Alicia Keys slated to perform at the event that was open to Georgia residents only. The public memorial will have a strict no photo/no video policy, with all devices subject to gate check in Yondr bags prior to entering the arena. The rapper’s family requested that in lieu of flower or gifts, donations should be made to The Rocket Foundation, recently established to support programs supporting community-based solutions to prevent gun violence.
Drake announced earlier this week that he was postponing his planned show at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in order to mourn Takeoff.
Check out Busta’s announcement below.
Gil Kaufman
Billboard
