Virgil Abloh: A Designer For The Culture

Renowned designer Virgil Abloh tragically passed away Sunday at the age of 41. While battling silently with a rare form of cancer, he continued to pour out the mastery of his craft. From styling the greats, to designing for one of the most iconic fashion houses, he leaves an enormous legacy in his wake.

Virgil Abloh was known for his close-working relationship with Kanye West. He assisted in crafting modern fashion with his unique taste. He created his brand Off-White in 2013, leading to a partnership with Louis Vuitton in 2018. Although he was vastly known for his work in fashion, his influence on hip-hop has been cemented for years to come. Let’s dig a little deeper.

The Virgil Abloh Influence

The culture of rap and hip-hop, especially its overlap with fashion and streetwear, is the foundation of Abloh’s designs. He both marveled at the culture and influenced it, without rapping. With today’s hottest rappers mentioning his name, he didn’t have to drop a verse.

“Life Is Good”- Future ft. Drake

“Haven’t done my taxes I’m too turnt up. Virgil got a Patek on my wrist goin nuts.”

“Surf”- Young Thug ft. Gunna

“Virgil been sending me drip just to see if I like it, or rockin wit it.”

“Virgil Discount”- 2 Chainz ft. Skooly

“Walked out of Louis lookin like a Virgil discount, if it ain’t a hundred, its a miscount.”

His Cover Art Genius

With Abloh’s catalog is not lengthy enough, why not add album cover curator to the list? Cover art, like rap music itself, is it’s own art form. It gives a listening eye to what’s expected of the album. Here are some of the most iconic albums and covers that illustrate Abloh’s design genius:

Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Released in 2010, Abloh was a credited designer on the cover art for Kanye’s masterpiece. Abloh enlisted George Condo to produce several pieces to showcase throughout the album art. Although some of the controversial images were frowned upon, they pushed the boundaries on what rap album covers would look like. Condo expressed, “Virgil makes things happen, intrinsically knowing that his talent is to move into an electric field and create a transcendent art experience for our people.” This insert is from Abloh’s Figures of Speech book.

Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne

Watch The Throne was undoubtedly one of the greatest albums to slam hip-hop lover’s ears. Two greats collaborated on a hype, flashy, luxurious album. Virgil illustrated the theme of the album effortlessly, creating an intricate gold plaque. It was truly fitting for the hip-hop throne.

Kid Cudi’s WZRD

Kid Cudi and close friend Virgil foreseeably collaborated to produce this simple but futuristic design. As Cudi put it, his “ahead of the curve” designs placed him a step ahead of other designers on this 2012 project.

A$AP Rocky’s Long.Live.A$AP

This classic album, dropped 2014 and released on streaming last month, set a young A$AP Rocky apart from the rest. As if the name wasn’t enough, the album cover made this one easily recognizable. To put it another way, Virgil showed undeniable talent. The grey tones exhibited timelessness, hence “long live.”

Celebrating Abloh’s life

After news of Abloh’s passing, Kanye West dedicated his Sunday service to his longtime friend. While this dedication was fitting, it was a tough pill to swallow for Ye. As creative director of Donda, Abloh’s magic touch will be missed, but lasting. Kanye enlisted Adele to sing her hit “Easy on Me” in Abloh’s memory.

https://twitter.com/raptvcom/status/1465069445672411142?s=20

 

Easy On Me by @Adele Live at #SundayService pic.twitter.com/20J8dk6af0

— Place Magazine (@placemgzn) November 28, 2021

This is surely a difficult time for his family, friends, and admirers. All of us at FMHipHop.com send our condolences to Abloh’s friends, family and fans.

Read more as FM Hip Hop shows our continued support in remembering his predominant legacy.

Written by Antoinette Ford