Hours after Abloh was announced to have died following a private two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer, Ye enlisted his Sunday Service choir to honor his late collaborator.

Ye revealed on Sunday that his choir would meet via a livestream, which he posted a link to in his Instagram story in the afternoon. As usual, the performance was moving, with singers debuting a fresh take on Adele’s No. 1 hit “Easy On Me” as well as some other cuts. And as things wrapped up, the stream displayed a message in honor of the creative legend.

A choir assembled for a moving rendition of Adele‘s “Easy on Me” at Kanye West‘s latest Sunday Service, which was dedicated to Virgil Abloh, his longtime creative director who died on Sunday (Nov. 28).

Ye’s Sunday Service choir sang new lyrics set to “Easy on Me,” the chart-topping lead ballad from Adele’s album 30. The performance was live streamed briefly at dondalive.com Sunday afternoon, shortly after Ye shared the link on his Instagram Story.

In a reworked first verse, they sang: “I know your love flows like a river/ And I could wash myself in it forever/ I know there is hope in these waters/ But I can’t bring myself to swim/ When I am drowning in my sin.”

“Go easy on me, father,” Ye’s choir harmonized on the reworked “Easy on Me” chorus. “I am still your child/ And I need a chance to/ Feel your love around.”

“In loving memory of Virgil Abloh, the creative director of Donda,” the screen read. Abloh, who most recently served as men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton, passed away after a private two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare, aggressive form of cancer. He was 41.

Watch the Sunday Service choir sing “Easy on Me” in the clip

 

“In loving memory of Virgil Abloh, the creative director of Donda,” the message read.

Virgil and Ye have a long history together, dating back to their first encounter via a Chicago print shop in the early 2000s. In the years since, Abloh has designed some of Ye’s most iconic album covers, such as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Yeezus, as he secured his place as the creative director of Louis Vuitton Men’s and Off-White, and revolutionized fashion in the process. The pair’s friendship was on full display at the end of Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton Men’s show in Paris in 2019, when they embraced in a warm hug.

“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,” a post from Virgil’s official Instagram page reads.

Ye’s Sunday Service was streamed “in loving memory of Virgil Abloh.”