Frank Ocean pays tribute to “hero” Virgil Abloh in touching statement

Frank Ocean has paid tribute to Virgil Abloh, following the DJ and designer’s passing yesterday at age 41.

Taking to Instagram stories via @blonded, Ocean recalled a conversation he once had with the influential Louis Vuitton and Off-White designer, who passed after enduring a secret battle with cancer.

“In 2018 I believe it was I called V and asked him how it was possible to play hundreds of shows a year and do numerous fashion collections a year and be a father and a husband and return EVERYONE’s texts with enthusiasm and emojis and encouragement and seemingly.. with ease.

“I cannot remember how he responded verbatim but I’m sure it was quotable whatever he said,” Ocean continued. “He was always quotable. But the gist of his response was that he was interested in living and living to the maximum extent of his level… which proved to be Impossible today because he was BEYOND.”

The statement then goes on to address Abloh’s relationship with Ocean’s late younger brother, Ryan, who passed away in a car crash last year at just 18 years old.

“When Ryan went to his prom you got him some pieces from your new collection at LV and he was GEEKed. Couldn’t get him to take it off,” Ocean wrote.

He later shared, “When my brother passed I never said anything because it was way too much but he loved you and really looked up to you. He was going to fashion school and everything. He wanted to be a designer.”

Elsewhere in the statement, Ocean shared how Abloh supported him in his own endeavours, from 2016’s ‘Blonde’ to his recently revealed luxury company, Homer.

“When I went to Miami and you played a set on the beach in 2016 you played ‘White Ferrari’ – a song with no drums or bars anywhere to be found lol – and started a sing-along,” he wrote. “When I played demos of shit I was working on or showed you Homer way before it was ready you put the battery in my back.”

Ocean closed his statement by writing, “My fam was proud of you like you were our family.

“I know grief is love that you don’t get to express so is an attempt at expressing it. Love you V. You’re a hero.”

Frank Ocean is just one of many artists to have paid tribute to Abloh, following posts from Drake, Kevin Abstract, Finneas and more.

Kanye West paid tribute to Abloh through his Sunday Service performance, where the choir dedicated a cover to Adele‘s ‘Easy On Me’ to the late artist.