Juice WRLD Dead: Hip-Hop Mourns ‘Lucid Dreams’ Rapper’s Sudden Passing

Rapper Juice WRLD passed away on Sunday morning, and the hip-hop community is in shock. The 21-year-old rapper was one of the biggest rising talents in the genre, and his unexpected death leaves many at a loss for words. Social media tried to make sense of his passing as the news spread on Sunday.

Juice WRLD suffered a seizure at Chicago’s Midway Airport on Sunday morning, according to a report by TMZ. The rapper was flying home from California when he collapsed on his way off the plane, and was rushed to the hospital. Sources said that paramedics found Juice WRLD bleeding from the mouth, but he was still conscious when he arrived at the hospital. He was pronounced dead not long after that.

Fans were devastated by the news, as were his colleagues. Juice WRLD was considered a generous spirit by many other performers, and his lyrics left no doubt that he was sensitive to those around him. He was particularly affected by the recent deaths of his contemporaries, including Lil Peep, Fredo Santana, XXXTentacion, and Mac Miller, making his own death that much more tragic.

Twitter filled with tributes, eulogies and prayers for Juice WRLD on Sunday, from fans, journalists and even other performers. Here is what the hip-hop community had to say about the 21-year-old musician.

Lil Nas X

One of the most heartfelt tributes to Juice WRLD came from Lil Nas X, the rapper behind “Old Town Road.” Putting aside his usual layers of irony and sarcasm, Lil Nas X posted three tweets in honor of his fallen colleague.

“RIP Juice. So sad how often this is happening lately to young talented rising artists,” he wrote.

Ella Mai

Another mournful tweet came from singer Ella Mai, who hoped that Juice WRLD would “rest in paradise.” Mai and Juice WRLD performed together at the Complexcon Chicago Live music festival over the summer, mashing up two of their biggest hits.

Fabolous

Rapper Fabolous posted a sincere note addressed directly to Juice WRLD on Sunday to both Twitter and Instagram. He noted that, while he is in an older generation of performers, he had a particular connection to Juice WRLD through his son, who was a die-hard fan. He said that his son called him in tears to inform him about Juice WRLD’s passing.

PAZ

Producer and DJ Paz was especially affected by Juice WRLD’s passing because of his age. He wrote that the 21-year-old rapper “didn’t even get a chance to live,” and wondered why this trend of musicians passing so young was on the rise.

Disbelief

Many fans searching for clarity in Juice WRLD’s passing tweeted about how hard it was to believe he was really gone. Some even dredged up conspiracy theories suggesting he was not, including one tweet from 2017.

My goal is to get overly famous, shine for a couple years… then fake my death,” Juice WRLD wrote at the time.

Others re-posted an old 2017 video where Juice WRLD really did refute internet rumors that he had died. This time around, however, the news comes from reputable sources.

‘Legends’

Fans were also fixated on Juice WRLD’s song “Legends,” a tribute for other young rappers who had passed away too young. That included contemporaries of Juice WRLD such as Lil Peep, XXXTentacion, Mac Miller and Fredo Santana.

“What’s the 27 Club?” he rapped in the song. “We ain’t making it past 21 / I been going through paranoia / So I always gotta keep a gun / Damn, that’s the world we live in now.”

Some thought this song hit shockingly close to home after Juice WRLD’s real-life death on Sunday.

Highlights

While drugs and depression were a theme in his work, Juice WRLD’s music was not all sad, and many shared the general highlights of his career. They showcased the raw talent that made his passing such a tragedy to the community as a whole, rather than focusing on the darkest parts of his confessional writing.

Young Thug

Finally, many fans brought up an interview with Young Thug from July, where he compared Juice WRLD to a younger Lil Wayne. He said that Juice WRLD shared all the same raw talent and baggage that Lil Wayne had in his early days, but expressed hope that he would not fall prey to the same vices.

“He like, that 2006 to 2009 Lil Wayne,” he said. “He that n—, like, so I be trying to make him like… I watched all of Wayne’s mistakes… I watched all them mistakes, and tried not to make them. That’s why my relationship is so tight with him. I look at him like that, cause [Juice WRLD] really can freestyle. Like, he really don’t write.”