Watch Quavo perform his Takeoff tribute “Without You” at the 2023 Grammys
He took the stage with Maverick City Music, an Atlanta-based gospel group.
For all the sound and fury that usually accompanies the annual Grammy Awards, occasionally the show broadcasts a moment of genuine humanity. For the 2023 edition, it came during the "In Memoriam" segment, where Quavo paid tribute to his Migos bandmate and nephew Takeoff with a performance of "Without You," a eulogy written and released after Takeoff was shot and killed in Houston.
Joined onstage by the Atlanta gospel collective Maverick City Music, Quavo wore a Phantom of the Opera mask and a black suit while images of Takeoff and other artists who passed away in the last year were screened behind him. Towards the end of the performance, Maverick City Music sang an interpolation of Wiz Khalifa's hit "See You Again." It's easy to get overwhelmed in the deluge of Grammys content every year, but Quavo's appearance last night is perhaps the most touching tribute performed for the Recording Academy since Kanye West sang "Hey Mama" in the days after the passing of Dr. Donda West.