How Kanye got his Stylist to Drop out of Yale

Kanye wrote emails to Cassius Clay telling him "I inspire people like Rihanna and Beyonce and you inspire me." while convincing him to drop out of school.

This past summer, Kanye West was shopping at Barneys when he saw a person who made him stop short. His name? Cassius Clay — but not the famous boxer. This Clay was a wiry, 6-foot-5 Yale sophomore wearing slippers embossed with gold crests.

The rap artist liked the kid’s shoes so much, he tapped him on the shoulder and complimented him on his style.

And so began one of the most unlikely friendships in hip-hop history.

Kanye, still on damage control after dissing Taylor Swift at the VMAs last year, urged 19-year-old Clay to drop out of college and become his personal stylist — and full-time confidant.

“[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,’ ” says Alex Klein, a Yale junior who runs in the same circles as Clay.

Clay left Yale just after Labor Day and, according to the university, has taken a leave of absence.

Now the boy from Brookline, Mass., is officially part of Kanye’s full-time entourage. He’s been running around New York dyeing Kanye’s jeans red for televised appearances, sifting through designer showrooms and desperately trying to find himself an apartment.

And so far, their partnership is a hit. Kanye’s performance on “Saturday Night Live” this past weekend was lauded for its theatrical quality, thanks to the singer’s all-red outfit in the midst of 12 white-clad ballerinas. “Kanye West stole the show,” raved TV Guide. Meanwhile, the musician’s new album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” slated for a Nov. 22 release, is now hotly anticipated, signaling a turnaround for the star.

Kanye’s people have refused to comment on Clay’s role other than to confirm that he is working for the singer. Earlier this week, the hip-hop artist tweeted a shout-out to his three-person art-and-style team, which included “Cassius Clay.”

And how’s this for a ringing endorsement? The day after Kanye met Clay, he signed up to collaborate with Stubbs and Wootton, the maker of Clay’s shoes. Clay will be an integral part of this process.

“We were honored that he approached us to do something together,” says Percy Steinhart, owner of Stubbs and Wootton. “We do a lot of crests,” Steinhart adds. “And [Kanye] loves crests.”

The company is now planning to create a West crested shoe, among others, which will be available this spring.

Friends who know Clay say his sudden trajectory surprised them initially — but now makes sense. “At first I was a little shocked. For me and my friends, it was just a cosmic what the f - - k?” says Alexander Kalil, a classmate of Clay’s at posh prep school Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. “But to tell you the truth, if there is any person from high school to do this, Cassius is probably the least surprising.”


But that won’t stop the fashion sphere buzzing about Clay — and his influence on one of the world’s most famous dapper rappers.

A few weeks ago, Clay stopped by Phillip Lim’s showroom in New York and picked out a woman’s jacket for Kanye. “The staff thought he was nuts,” says his gal pal from Andover. Then Kanye walked in. He loved it and requested that a man’s version be made.

“They’re both very similar. I can absolutely see how they can get along extremely well,” the anonymous friend says. “Or they might each be too big of a diva that it can go either way,” she adds with a laugh.

So will this partnership last? According to friends, Clay’s only taking a semester or a year leave, which would enable him to return to Yale next year. Plus, it’s not like style is the only thing he cares about.

“I think Cassius has always been intrigued by entertainment and fashion,” says the source, “but deep down, he’d be so happy being a librarian.”

Jacked from The NY Post