“You Can Do It Too”: Songs for, by, and with Virgil Abloh

In so many different ways, Virgil Abloh was a bridge. A trained architect and designer, Abloh was not only keenly aware of the ways in which art shaped our daily lives, but also how “the art world can lose touch with things that real people identify with.” His creative expression took many forms—fashion, furniture, music, curation, graphic design—and each permutation was firmly rooted in personal connections.

As a young person, he was “just like any other kid, growing up in the ’90s as a teenager. Wanting to be a part of culture in a unique way.” And that’s exactly what he did.

Abloh brought streetwear into the mainstream, changing the course of fashion for the past decade. His trailblazing vision also reshaped entrenched institutions like Louis Vuitton where, as the first Black director of menswear, he toppled design typologies and challenged the expectations of what fashion is and can be. At the same time, he breathed new life into art history, finding ways to resurface and remix styles like Bauhaus. Throughout his life and career, Abloh exemplified the very quote thousands of people have shared through social media over the past several days: “You can do it too.”

“You know who I am most inspired by?” he once stated in an interview. “That kid that hasn’t had the chance to showcase their brand yet. ...That’s the muse for me: the next generation. And I want my work to inspire people like them.”

There’s no question that Abloh was an inspiration. This is especially apparent in music, where his name and career are peppered throughout verses and choruses, functioning as a symbol of success and creativity. Abloh was also much in demand as a DJ—he even performed at MoMA and MoMA PS1 under his DJ name FLAT WHITE. As much as Abloh loved music, it’s possible that the music world loved him even more. From references to his fashion labels, to the iconic album covers he designed, to songs incorporating his voice and musical influence, this playlist pays tribute to the ways Virgil Abloh shaped the history and future of art.