On Sunday, November 28, the combined world of design, fashion and music lost one of its brightest minds and most important pioneers when Off-White founder and Louis Vuitton artistic director of menswear, Virgil Abloh, passed away at just 41-years-old. Abloh, who had privately been battling a rare form of cancer since 2019, was a staple in the culture that exists at the intersection of hip hop and fashion, and was revered by seemingly everyone who crossed his path.
In the days following his tragic death, social media tributes poured in from every corner of the internet.
Frank Ocean, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug and so many other mainstays in the modern music landscape paid their respects to the man who had driven the culture to new heights. Kanye West wiped his Instagram and dedicated his weekly Sunday Service performance to his longtime friend, collaborator, and Donda creative director.
Drake, who has referenced Abloh in songs on numerous occasions, also shared a handful of photos of he and the late legend.
"My plan is to touch the sky 1000 more times for you…love you eternally brother," he captioned the carousel of memories. "Thank you for everything."
Last night, the Certified Lover Boy rapper returned to Instagram with another tribute to the man who had the Patek on his wrist doing front flips.
In a short video of the of his fabled Air Drake private jet, Drake captured footage of the massive "ABLOH ENGINEERING" logo scrawled across the plane's tail. Holding up a small pin reading "Virgil Was Here," Drake's latest IG tribute is a nod to the fact that Abloh was responsible for designing the cloud-covered exterior of Air Drake, and transforming the private jet into a flying Nothing Was The Same album cover.
To go along with the video of Air Drake, the Toronto rapper also included a photo of himself wearing the "Virgil Was Here" pin on his lapel.
Rest in peace, Virgil.
