Quavo remembers Takeoff at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. Image Source: NME
In memoriam at the Grammys.
Quavo decided to return to the stage for the very first time since the death of his nephew and member of the Migos band, Takeoff, at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. The ceremony was held on February 5 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, where he paid his tributes to the late rapper in an emotional In Memoriam segment. Quavo sang "Without You" to his nephew.
For the emotional set, Quavo was joined by the gospel group Maverick City Music, and following the performance, Quavo stayed on stage while clutching Takeoff's chain to the sky. On November 1, Takeoff was shot and killed outside a Houston bowling alley during a dispute.
Quavo, their bandmate, and their uncle were at the scene of the crime but were uninjured. Quavo stated at the time that he has been trying to figure out what he is to him because he isn't just a nephew to him, adding that they hated the word "nephew" or when they said "Unc and Phew," since they always knew they were pretty close than that, and it made him believe old as well. The rapper went on to say that he really can not say brother since he knew he was not his brother after all, that Takeoff was his sister's son, and that now Quavo understands, that he is their angel.
Kacey Musgraves also appeared onstage to pay tribute to Loretta Lynn, who died in October, by singing "Coal Miner's Daughter," which the late singer chose to write as a story about her poverty-stricken upbringing in Kentucky coal country. The duo had previously performed at the 2014 CMA Awards.
Mick Fleetwood, co-founder and drummer for the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac, which included Christine McVie at one point, was joined by Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow for a rendition of "Songbird." Christine McVie, who died in November at the age of 79, composed the song from the 1977 album Rumours.
Many late-night stars were honored during the segment, including Jeff Beck, David Crosby, Naomi Judd, the chart-topping country music star; Jerry Lee Lewis, the rockabilly artist who helped define the sound of rock 'n' roll; Anita Pointer, the lead vocalist of the Pointer Sisters; Pharoah Sanders, the prolific saxophonist, and composer; Lisa Marie Presley, the musician and only child of Elvis Presley; Olivia Newton-John, the "Grease" pop singer; Coolio Irene Cara, the "Gangsta's Paradise" hip-hop star of the 1990s; and Pablo Milanés, a politically and socially aware Cuban musician.
The tribute was introduced by host Trevor Noah, who emphasized the significance of music in uniting people despite their differences, as well as the impact of Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons in hip-hop over the years.
He said that it's black and white kids in the 1950s rejecting separation and rather than blending R&B, country, and even gospel into rock and roll adding that in the 1980s, a young black rapper from Queens and a Jewish white kid in his NYU dorm worked together to produce some of the greatest hip-hop ever because they were different, they made a powerful new sound together.
Trevor continued that music is more than just sound harmony adding that it is the unity of human beings of various races, genders, religious faiths, histories, and sexual identities, knowing distinction but rejecting division to find moments of joy, unity, and harmony. That is what music is all about.
