Rappers have been citing Virgil Abloh as an inspiration for years. His combination of streetwear expertise and unmatched creativity led to artist wearing his clothes and sneakers regularly.
Young Thug was one of Virgil's primary customers, and more importantly, good friends. After Abloh passed away on Sunday (Nov. 28), many rappers including Thug felt it necessary to tribute him.
While Kanye West dedicated his Sunday Service ceremony to Virgil, and guys like Lil Uzi Vert and Tyler, The Creator posted in-depth tributes to Abloh, Thugger decided to keep it short and simple. On Monday (Nov. 29), he posted a photo to Instagram of him and Virgil talking. The picture is close up, capturing a private, intimate conversation between the two. Young Thug captioned it with a broken heart emoji, certainly encapsulating his feelings about Virgil's demise.
As many other rappers did, Thug had once before shouted out Virgil in a song of his. In the 2019 smash hit "Surf" featuring Gunna, on his No. 1 debut album So Much Fun, Thug explained how much Abloh respected his opinion with the bar: "Virgil was sending me drip just to see if I like it or rockin' with it."
It is evident in many of these artists' stories of Virgil that he admired their vision as much as they admired his. The relationships he created with many prominent rappers were impactful, as they allowed for him design some of hip-hop's most iconic album covers in the last 15 years.
Check out Young Thug's Instagram post below.