Virgil Abloh

**Virgil Abloh** (September 30, 1980 – November 28, 2021) was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. He was the founder of the fashion label, Off-White, and died from his ongoing battle with cancer.

He was featured in Lupe Fiasco's songs "Homme Made" and "Shoes" from Fiasco's first extended play, *House* (2020).

## Background

Concerning the criticisms online about the amount Abloh donated to Fempower in June 2020, Fiasco defended him, stating, "When you look at the people that are critiquing Virgil, how much did *you* give, first? It was just one instance of a person who had people giving money to an organization in D.C. that was bailing people out of jail." He continued, "To be clear, I'm joking a little bit. But there were people who were criticizing Virgil for posting up that he gave 50 bucks but not understanding that he had already given tens of thousands of dollars and, in the process, was raising millions of dollars for all kinds of things. You weren't beating down Virgil's door to do anything prior to this shit, but this is the shit that he was already doing. And the reason that he posted up the thing about 50 bucks was because the campaign was for people who were saying, 'Man, I can't donate $1,000. I'm not rich like Virgil.' There was a certain level of disingenuousness to it that I didn't really fuck with. If we really want to start saying that the amount of money you give dictates your relationship to the struggle, that's absurd. So, for me, it was depressing not because of what Virgil had to go through; Virgil don't give a fuck about that shit. It was just that, even in moments of actual potential and raw revolution, we still have this toxin in our system."

In terms of their collaboration, Fiasco explained that they've known each other way back, ever since Abloh created merch for *Lasers*. Abloh also helped produce the radio show, FNF Radio, and designed other merch. Additionally, he thought of Abloh with the idea of designing shoes in a song. He told *Vulture*, "And who is the best running-shoe designer in the world? Virgil is super-creative, super-forward-thinking, and super-artistic, and so it was easy."

In 2021, the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 Men's Collection by Abloh, entitled 'Amen Break,' was documented in the Mahfuz Sultan-directed film of the same name. It featured many collaborators and friends, including Fiasco, where the rapper also participated in the fashion show. The official description of this collection read:

> It is a story of about a father and son united by an unnamed loss, crossing a dream world to deliver a message to the other side. Along the way, adversaries conspire against the child, heroes emerge to guide him, and great sacrifices are made to get him across the divide. The film observes life's supporting figures: those who embark on long journeys to make the passage less difficult for those who follow; who fight the battles for the future of others, break the boundaries, and dismantle archetypical notions. Metaphorically informed by the Amen Break – the singular, little-known drum break that would become a founding factor in hip-hop and jungle, and go on to be sampled in thousands of tracks in its aftermath – the film reflects on a historic moment in Black art and culture when electronic music and hip hop emerged like twins from the same egg, and trickled into every part of the globe.
>
> The film's narrative is an abstract interpretation of the story of Lupe Fiasco, the American fine artist and rapper, who grew up on the Southside of Chicago amid the gang turbulence of the 1970s and '80s. Determined to offer another way out for young people in the area, Fiasco's father – an African drummer and member of the Black Panther Party – organised martial arts studies as an alternative path. By employing the philosophical values of martial arts as a solution to the problem, Fiasco impacted a generation of kids with ideas of peace, understanding and empowerment. A local legend, his work in the community served to neutralise archetypical preconceptions and open a gateway of opportunity previously obscure.
>
>

Upon the news of Virgil's death, Fiasco posted the song "V.F." (Virgil Forever) in tribute over social media days later on December 1, 2021. He reposted the video in 2022 with a link to the posthumous creative company, Virgil Abloh Securities.

When asked about Abloh's legacy, Fiasco responded, "It's less about legacy and more about Virgil. Virgil was my friend, I knew him. For me, it was less about what he was doing and more about him as a person." He added, "I knew his mentality, his expectations, what he wanted to accomplish, who he was as an individual in addition to all the stuff that he did. For me, there's nothing that Virgil made that compares to who he was as a person. Who he was as a person was more important, more impressive, more powerful, more creative than anything he's ever designed. We've designed stuff together, we worked together for years, but if there was a choice between a pair of shoes that he made or having a conversation with him, let's have a conversation. I loved him deeply, man. With all that said, the things that he made are also phenomenal."

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ketchum III, William (August 4, 2020). "Lupe Fiasco vs. Everybody (Even Himself) "People don't really know the basics of any f - - - - - - thing, let alone Lupe Fiasco rap."". *Vulture*.
2. ↑ Threadcraft, Torry (June 24, 2021). "RZA, GZA, Lupe Fiasco and More Star in Louis Vuitton Summer 2022 Show". *Okayplayer*.
3. ↑ "Louis Vuitton Men Spring Summer 2022 Collection". *Louis Vuitton*. June 24, 2021.
4. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco (@lupefiasco)". *Instagram*. December 1, 2021.
5. ↑ Robinson, Joshua (December 3, 2021). "Lupe Fiasco Gives Virgil Abloh a Heartwarming Send-Off in "V.F."". *HotNewHipHop*.
6. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco (@lupefiasco)". *Instagram*. November 28, 2022.
7. ↑ Turner-Williams, Jaelani (June 24, 2022). "Lupe Fiasco Is on to His Next Chapter". *Okayplayer*.