In Memoriam
Juice WRLD
December 2, 1998 – December 8, 2019 · aged 21
Emo Rap · Hip-Hop
Jarad Anthony Higgins, known professionally as Juice WRLD, was the defining, tragic voice of the SoundCloud rap generation. Born in Chicago in 1998, he possessed a seemingly supernatural ability to freestyle complex, emotionally devastating songs off the top of his head for hours on end. Fusing the melodic, angst-ridden elements of mid-2000s pop-punk with heavy trap beats, he pioneered the 'emo rap' genre. His 2018 breakout hit 'Lucid Dreams,' built on an eerie Sting sample, became a colossal, era-defining anthem of heartbreak. Juice WRLD sang openly and vulnerably about his severe struggles with depression, anxiety, and heavy prescription drug addiction, acting as a musical therapist for millions of struggling teenagers. Despite achieving staggering global superstardom by his early twenties, he could not outrun his demons. Just days after his 21st birthday, on December 8, 2019, he died from an accidental overdose of oxycodone and codeine after suffering a seizure at Midway International Airport. His heartbreaking, premature death robbed hip-hop of one of its most uniquely talented melodic minds.
Milestones
Lucid Dreams, Robbery, All Girls Are the Same
Chart legacy
- 2018: Lucid Dreams (US #12)
- 2019: Lucid Dreams (US #48)
- 2020: Godzilla (UK #29), Bandit (US #45), Suicidal (US #46)
Also remembered in 2019
- Ginger Baker (1939–2019)
- Keith Flint (1969–2019)
- Marie Fredriksson (1958–2019)
- Nipsey Hussle (1985–2019)