A 19-year-old student at Yale University is making headlines for becoming the new stylist of Kanye West.
Cassius Clay who bares no relation to Muhammad Ali, met the rapper at Barneys over the summer after Ye complimented him on a pair of slippers embossed with a gold crest.
According to The New York Post, Ye then began emailing the student encouraging him to drop out of school and become his stylist full time.
Alex Klein, a junior at Yale, tells the paper;
“[Kanye] was e-mailing Cassius saying, ‘You are an inspiration to me. I inspire people like Rihanna and Beyoncé and you inspire me. I need you during this difficult time,”
Clay reportedly left the school just after Labor Day and Yale confirms that he’s taken a leave of absence.
The Postalso reports that Clay has been dying the rapper’s jeans red much like the pair he wore during his recent appearance on Saturday Night Live.
Reps for Kanye confirm that Clay is part of the rapper’s full time staff but would not comment on his role.
Earlier this week Ye gave a shout out to his “art-and-style” team on Twitter which included Cassius Clay.
Cassius Clay
