Legends Never Die is Juice WRLD’s first posthumous album. Despite only having three LPs under his belt, he was able to achieve legendary status. How did he accomplish such prominence?
Born on December 2, 1998, in Chicago, Illinois, Jarad Anthony Higgins admired music at an early age. But living in a conservative household meant no Hip-Hop. However, as he grew older, his love for the genre could not be forever denied.
Once he started taking rap seriously (2015), he began uploading music to Soundcloud. And this is the beauty of the internet. Such platforms allow content creators to release music on a global scale while remaining independent. But how does someone succeed in the streaming era where massive content is uploaded on a daily basis? Talent.
His two EPs named “9 9 9” and “Nothings Different“ (2017) included his breakout songs “Lucid Dreams” and “All Girls Are the Same,” respectively. Behind the lens is American videographer Cole Bennett. Shoutout to Bennett, he has been killing it for a minute. After generating a buzz, he signed a record deal with Interscope Records in 2018.
On May 23, 2018, he released his major debut “Goodbye & Good Riddance.“ It peaked at #15 on the Billboard chart. In the music industry, the second album weighs more than the first. As an artist, you have to prove you are not a “one-hit-wonder” and can keep the momentum going. And so he did. His sophomore “Death Race For Love“ debuted at #1.
In addition, Juice loved to freestyle. In 2018, WRLD visited London station Tim Westwood and freestyled for one hour over Eminem beats. The art of “freestyling” is common in Hip-Hop. Top-tier lyricists like Tupac (R.I.P.), Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne are legends. The fact that he mastered such a craft at such a young age is mind-blowing.
Juice WRLD Legends Never Die
Juice WRLD was already working on his third album when he passed away in December 2019. Out of respect, I won’t be covering any further details. On July 10, 2020, his LP “Legends Never Die” was released.
The main topics in the project are anxiety and depression. Something he battled his entire life. Songs such as “Conversations” and “Wishing Well” chronicle his feud with demons. Furthermore, “Come and Go” depicts his desire for a long-lasting relationship, and “Righteous” is an emotional yet uplifting ballad. It features Marshmello, The Weeknd, Halsey, The Kid Laroi, and Trippie Redd.
I don’t believe in one-time-listen reviews but upon listening to the LP, you can point out he was on his path. Since freestyling in the booth was his passion, I’m sure his unreleased catalog expands beyond “Legends Never Die.” Let’s appreciate artists while they are alive and not dead. As Joyner Lucas (2020) said:
“And we never know just when it’s our time.
The legends are gone and we don’t know why.
So before they go, look here goes a toast,
so give them a rose while they are still alive.”
R.I.P. Pop Smoke (2020), R.I.P. Juice WRLD (2019), R.I.P. XXXTentacion (2018), R.I.P. Mac Miller (2018), R.I.P. Lil Peep (2017).
Watch Juice WRLD’s first posthumous video and listen to “Legends Never Die“ in the link below.
