Tyler, the Creator shared a moving message on Monday in remembrance of the “helping hand” of Virgil Abloh, who died over the weekend at the age of 41.
In an Instagram post that included several photos, including one of the two of them together, Tyler reflected on the permanent impact of the tireless artist and how his legacy will continue to inspire him moving forward. The Call Me If You Get Lost artist also remembered “Sir Abloh” as a “true geek” whose passion for creativity was present in all of his work and revealed the G-Class collab with Mercedes-Benz as his personal favorite of Virgil’s uniquely monumental pieces.
“I wish i was able to see him see what his helping hand did for me,” Tyler, who noted that Virgil was “always a cheerleader” for other artists and their work, said on Monday. “His spirit is around tho. i feel it. he’ll see it. i’ll keep pushing and trying things while leaving the door open. he’ll shake those pom-poms. we’ll keep that on loop. safe travels.”
See more from Tyler below.
Tyler and Virgil were both known to be publicly supportive of each other’s work. In January 2020, for instance, Virgil offered a co-sign to Tyler’s comments about the Grammys, specifically his criticism of how the IGOR album was placed “in a Rap or Urban category.” In an IG post at the time, Virgil praised Tyler as a “young, wise, and gifted” artist.
In 2018, Virgil utilized Tyler’s Flower Boy track “See You Again” in an Off-White show for Paris Fashion Week that also included music from Weezer (the eight-minute “Only in Dreams”) and a spoken word excerpt from Charles Bukowski.
Virgil’s death was announced to the world on Sunday with a post on the prolific multi-hyphenate’s Instagram account.
“For over two years, Virgil valiantly battled a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma,” the post read. “He chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture.”
On Tuesday, Louis Vuitton will continue the worldwide celebration of Virgil’s legacy with a final show in Miami. Per LV, who also shared a special “Virgil Was Here” video on Sunday, the presentation is being done according to Virgil’s wishes.
