Entertainment Gists
‘Visionary’ Fashion Designer Virgil Abloh Dies Aged 41
Tributes pour in for designer who brought streetwear aesthetic to luxury fashion and championed a more diverse and inclusive industry.
Top fashion designer Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection, died on Sunday at the age of 41 from cancer, the fashion and luxury house’s French owner LVMH has announced.
Abloh, the American-born son of Ghanaian immigrants who became fashion’s highest-profile Black designer, also worked as a DJ and visual artist and had been at Vuitton since March 2018. He also founded the Italian luxury streetwear label Off-White, in which LVMH took a 60 percent stake earlier this year, and was a former collaborator with rapper and fashion designer Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
“We are all shocked by this terrible news,” LVMH chief executive Bernard Arnault said in a statement.
“Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, but also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom.”
Born in 1980 near Chicago, Abloh and his sister were brought up in Rockford, Illinois. According to a 2018 Vogue magazine profile, his mother Eunice Abloh, a seamstress, taught him the basics of the craft at a young age.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he completed a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Abloh and Ye became interns at Fendi in Rome, and by 2010, Abloh was working as creative director for Ye’s creative agency, Donda. He also designed album covers for Ye’s Yeezus and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
His arrival at LVMH in 2018 marked the marriage between streetwear and high-end fashion influenced by graffiti art, hip hop and skateboard culture.
The designer addressed environmental and social issues in his work with Louis Vuitton, with anti-racist and anti-homophobia messages at his January show in Paris.
Abloh said earlier this year he planned to use his partnership with LVMH “to expand opportunities for diverse individuals and foster greater equity and inclusion in the industries we serve”.
Virgil Abloh acknowledged the audience at the end of an Off-White show in Paris. Abloh, who found inspiration in hip hop, graffiti and skateboard culture, was renowned for marrying streetwear with luxury fashion Tributes to Abloh poured in from across the world of fashion and beyond.
“You left us way too soon Virgil,” said Nine Garcia, the former editor-in-chief of Elle magazine.
“Your creativity, your infinite sense of curiosity, your love for design, your impeccable work ethic and your enormous generosity shaped a creative universe that challenged old misconceptions about how fashion should establish a dialogue with other disciplines. Your understanding of fashion bridged a gap, attracting a new audience that revered your designs.”
Veteran designer Donatella Versace said she was “lost for words” at Abloh’s death.
“The world has lost a fashion superstar,” she said. “An innovator. A creator for the history books. I am thinking of all your loved ones on this tragic day. Love, Donatella.”
Abloh had a close following well beyond the fashion industry and was a celebrity name in his own right.
British actor Idris Elba wrote on Twitter: “Too soon Virgil. You will be missed from this world man.”
Fellow British actor Riz Ahmed added that Abloh had “stretched culture” and “changed the game”, helping to “reimagine what’s possible”.
French actor Omar Sy, famed for his role in the Netflix series Lupin, wrote simply on Twitter: “Rest in Power Virgil.”
Abloh is survived by his wife, Shannon, his children Lowe and Grey, his sister Edwina, and his parents Nee and Eunice.
“For over two years, Virgil valiantly battled a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma,” said a message posted to his Instagram account, announcing his death.
“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.”
Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits? 😂🎶
Nigerian comedian and content creator Josh2Funny has taken his comedy game into music, and Nigerians are definitely having something to say about it.
The comedian released his 15-track album, “On Behalf of Josh,” on July 10, 2026, but instead of fading away after release, the project has continued to generate conversations on X.
And the big question now is:
Should Josh2Funny continue with music or go back to skits? 😂
Fans have been divided. While some listeners openly criticized the album and told him to return to comedy, others found songs they genuinely enjoyed.
One X user joked:
“Josh2Funny stopped doing skits and started music, Everybody wan chop this music money 😂”
Another simply said:
“This Josh2Funny Album no enter make he just go back skit abeg 😂”
But then came “Lembe.” 🔥
The track caught fire on X and eventually became a trending topic in Nigeria. The #LembeChallenge also gained momentum as creators began jumping on the song.
Josh2Funny later announced ₦1 million for winners of the challenge, giving the song another major push.
And it didn’t stop there.
‘INTERNATIONAL’ FT. ICE PRINCE ALSO TRENDED
On another day, “International” featuring Ice Prince generated its own buzz on X.
One fan even called it their favourite song from the album, while praising the collaboration. The post itself pulled thousands of views, showing that people weren’t only talking about Lembe.
From album criticism to trending songs and challenges, “On Behalf of Josh” has kept Josh2Funny’s name in the conversation.
Whether you love the album or think he should return to skits, one thing is clear:
Josh2Funny has succeeded in getting Nigerians talking. 😂🔥
So, let’s settle this once and for all:
Should Josh2Funny continue with MUSIC 🎶 or return to SKITS 😂?
Music or Skits? Drop your answer! 👇
RUAN-Badkid.96 is a Nigerian recording artist whose music refuses to live inside a single genre. Blending Afrobeat, Afrofusion, trap, hip-hop, melodic rap, R&B, and global influences, he creates records that move effortlessly between raw street energy, soulful storytelling, and infectious melodies. Whether delivering hard-hitting bars, emotional love songs, or rhythm-driven African records, his sound is defined by authenticity rather than limitation.
Inspired by both African culture and international music, RUAN-Badkid.96 embraces the confidence and ambition of global hip-hop while staying deeply connected to his roots. His lyrics explore love, heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, social injustice, hope, and the everyday realities of life. He doesn’t create music to follow trends, he creates music to reflect truth, emotion, and human experience.
Behind his fearless image is an artist who believes in kindness, equality, justice, and genuine human connection. His appearance may be intimidating, but his message is rooted in compassion and authenticity. Every record carries a piece of his journey, proving that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same voice.
For RUAN-Badkid.96, music is more than entertainment, it’s a language, a testimony, and a lifelong mission to connect with people through honesty, versatility, and unforgettable sound.
Entertainment Gists
Meet the Man Who Turned Hype Into a Science: Emmy Blaq, Nigeria’s G.O.A.T. of Hype
If you have ever been at a Nigerian event and found yourself on your feet before the main act even stepped on stage, there is a good chance a hype man was responsible. But not just any hype man. Emmy Blaq, born Ikechukwu Emmanuel Chima and raised in Auchi, Edo State, has spent the last few years quietly becoming the most talked-about name in that profession, and the Nigerian press has taken notice. Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, and Independent Newspaper have all sat down with him, and every conversation leads back to the same thing: this man does not just make noise; he makes moments.
What makes Emmy Blaq different is the journey behind the energy. Before the stages, the collaborations with Waje on her “Waje 2.0” album, DJ Consequence, and DJ Kaywise on the massively streamed “Joor Party Mix” series, he was repairing generators, cutting hair, and sewing clothes in Auchi. His first professional hype gig happened at a local fast food spot called Valchi, and the crowd response that night changed everything. He told The Nation directly: “My passion for entertainment and desire to make people happy led me into the craft.” Punch also captured his bigger mission when he said that hype men deserve more than what they currently earn, a statement that sparked a real conversation across Nigerian entertainment circles.
With over 1.7 million TikTok followers, 23.6 million TikTok likes, a viral “Wife Material” challenge that landed on Pulse Nigeria’s top ten social media moments of 2021, and an international performance at the Cameroon International Music Festival that Cameroonian media described as electrifying, Emmy Blaq is not building toward something. He is already there. The G.O.A.T. of Hype is not a title he gave himself and hoped would stick. It is one the rooms keep confirming every single time he grabs the mic.
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