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The Undeniable Appeal of the Late Great Juice WRLD
How the hip-hop superstar normalized mental health and became the voice of a generation
In one breath, Juice WRLD would recite a line about drinking codeine and abruptly shift to thoughts on heartbreak and mortality. He never used a pen to write down lyrics, which provided audiences with an unfiltered glimpse into his psyche. He longed for happiness, but instead found himself haunted by dark thoughts he tried to numb with self-medication. And yet, Juice WRLD openly acknowledged this damaging behavior. He knew his flaws. He sang and rapped about those flaws. His music introduced us to a level of raw vulnerability and personal reflection rarely seen in mainstream hip-hop.
A little over five years ago, Jarad Higgins — the artist better known as Juice WRLD — tragically passed away. He had been open about his struggles with anxiety and addiction, but nothing could have prepared the world for the shocking end to his career. Just days after his 21st birthday, the musician accidentally overdosed on a combination of codeine and oxycodone. If you listen to any interview with him, you can hear the pain in his voice when addressing his emotional challenges.
I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Righteous.” The haunting melody, combined with his painfully…