Nearly all fans were shocked when they heard that Jarad Anthony Higgins, famously
known as “Juice WRLD,” had passed away on Dec. 8.
Juice WRLD was a popular American rapper who rose to fame after his top hit song,
“Lucid Dreams” was released on SoundCloud in June of 2017. Since then, he released
albums containing more hit songs that attracted millions of listens around the world, especially
rap-loving teenagers.
“If I’m ever going through a rough patch or just have a lot to worry about, I can usually
relate to a lot of Juice WRLD’s songs. Juice WRLD also worked to spread positivity, which
really inspires me,” said freshman Ava Demarzo.
In the two years of his success and fame, Juice WRLD produced four albums
respectively titled Wrld on Drugs, Goodbye & Good Riddance, Death Race for Love, and Too
Soon….
Juice WRLD’s albums focused on rejection, heartbreak, and the exploration of drugs.
Among each album, some of his most well-known and appreciated songs include “Lucid
Dreams,” “Robbery,” “Legends,” “Hide,” “Bandit,” and “Armed and Dangerous.”
“My favorite Juice WRLD song is definitely “Robbery” because it’s extremely catchy and
always my go-to song,” said senior Ali Martinez.
About a week after the death of Juice WRLD, his girlfriend, Ally Lotti, and a few of his
other close friends honored him at the Rolling Loud music festival in Los Angeles. A great
number of rappers performed and spoke in front of Juice WRLD’s fans to commemorate him.
After their performances, Lotti walked onto the stage to speak on behalf of her former
boyfriend. Lotti mentioned that Jarad would’ve wanted all of his fans to try to be optimistic and
to find the positive aspects of life, even in negative situations.
Juice WRLD liked to think that the number “999” helped him to overcome negativity
because “999” is the opposite of “666,” which is a well-known allusion to satan.
She also expressed that Juice WRLD sincerely loved and appreciated every single one
of his fans. After Lotti spoke at the festival, “Lucid Dreams” was played on a speaker. Juice
WRLD wrote this song about the mental distress that comes along with losing a loved one–
which reflected the emotions surrounding this event.
“Juice WRLD was a really inspirational person who always looked on the bright side of
every situation he encountered. He will truly be missed by everyone,” said sophomore Rebecca
Gaidis.
Juice WRLD passed away due to a drug abuse incident followed by a seizure. Several
other artists passed away in the past few years and are sorely missed as well. XXXTentacion,
Lil Peep, and Mac Miller were all world-renowned artists who were friendly with Juice WRLD.
Because there has been an increasing number of rappers who have unfortunately
passed away due to drug abuse, other rappers such as Trippie Redd and Famous Dex are now
raising awareness about the issue. They are also making more of an effort to stay clean and
take care of themselves. While it is extremely unfortunate that Juice WRLD is no longer sharing
his optimism with the world, his art and spirit will live on forever.