Rapper Juice WRLD is remembered in song, film, two years after his death

Just over two years after he passed away at the age of 21 from an accidental overdose, the rapper known as Juice WRLD is being memorialized in a new documentary.

Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss is slated to drop on the HBO and HBO Max platforms on December 16. The film digs into the native Chicagoan’s rise to fame. Juice WRLD, born Jarad Anthony Higgins, was known for recording his early tracks on his cellphone before uploading them to SoundCloud. Later, his 2018 single “Lucid Dreams” would peak at the second spot on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as racking up a whopping one billion plays on Spotify.

The first trailer for the documentary hit the internet on December 2, what would’ve been Juice’s 23rd birthday. The mishmash of footage includes images of Juice performing as well as glimpses at his life behind the scenes with filmmakers working to showcase his growing popularity as well as his personal struggles including issues with mental illness and substance abuse.

In one clip, Juice speaks about the reality of fame, saying, “When you’re a fan of this sh*t, you look at it from a certain perspective, but when you’re in it, you see it for what it really is. I’m still happy I could change the world, but… It’s not what it looks like.”

Juice’s fans are in for a double treat this month as the rapper’s second posthumous album is due to drop on December 10. Fighting Demons comes courtesy of Grade A/Interscope records and features a pop star Justin Bieber on one track entitled “Wandered to LA.” The first single, “Already Dead,” was released last month.

Juice’s mother, Carmela Wallace, shared her own tribute to her son, posting a heartfelt open letter. “When you were born 23 years ago,” Wallace wrote, “I never expected that you would not be here today celebrating your birthday. Although it has been nearly two years since you’ve been gone, I still think about you every day and losing you has changed my life forever.”

She later pledged to help others in her son’s name, saying, “I promise to continue your message of healing and use Live Free 999 [the organization she started in her son’s memory to help those struggling with addiction, anxiety and depression] as an avenue to normalize the conversation around mental health and substance dependency and help those who suffer in silence.”Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss is the latest (and final) installment of HBO’s Music Box docuseries. Artists already featured include Kenny G, DMX, Alanis Morissette, and the now-infamous Woodstock 99 festival.