Through his unique voice, which stood out amongst a sea of SoundCloud rappers, the late Juice WRLD (Jarad Anthony Higgins) proved that “Legends Never Die.” Wearing fits you would see at a college kickback while running across stages, the rapper sang and rapped song lyrics you’d be more likely to hear from a screamo band.
Taking the angst of metal and rock bands, he paired tormented lyrics with auto-tuned hip-hop melodies, bridging the two genres he knew intimately. This resonated with millions, turning him into a star and immortalizing him in emo-rap history.
But a 250-word description doesn’t do his story justice or explain why he’s so influential. So, we’re breaking down his legacy and how he impacted emo rap, from his influence on fans to the artists that carry the subgenre today.
How did he impact “emo rap?”
Emo rap has been around since the 2000s. Artists like Linkin Park, Eminem, Yung Lean, and Kid Cudi contributed to its start. But in the mid-2010s, Juice WRLD, alongside rappers such as Lil Peep, XXXTentacion, and Trippie Redd, catapulted its popularization to new heights.
1. He broke genre barriers
Juice WRLD’s music was described by The Guardian as “impassioned blood-lettings full of frankness and vulnerability that listeners battling similar emotional storms might be able to find comfort in.” He was able to get the inspiration for his music not only from his trials and tribulations but from other artists as well.
He broke down his top five in a 2019 interview with Complex, sharing that it’s “Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, this rock band named Escape the Fate, and… I’m trying to think of the last one. Honestly, the last one, I would have to go with Future.”
Emo rap, in essence, was an amalgamation of Juice WRLD’s musical inspirations—rock and rap. He didn’t see a trend in the underground and tried to fit in, it was an organic and authentic expression of his identity.
2. He challenged the rapper stereotype
Juice WRLD’s music was different from the talks of sex, partying, and flexing that could be heard in mainstream rap. By being open about his struggles with his mental health and substance abuse, he was able to reach “millions by filling a void in hip-hop: tackling depression, addiction, and heartbreak in anthems trembling with trauma,” according to The Guardian.
A large part of a stereotypical rap persona is being the strongest and the toughest. However, Juice WRLD personified the “there’s great strength in vulnerability” Pinterest quotes that most rappers stayed away from. He fearlessly shared his truth by showing the most intimate parts of who he was, encouraging his fans and other artists to do the same.
3. He took a rockstar approach to pain rap
In his song “Legends,” he shares what is seen as one of the most powerful lyrics in his catalog, “This time, it was so unexpected, Last time, it was the drugs he was lacing, All legends fall in the making, yeah, sorry truth, uh, Dying young, uh, demon youth, What’s the 27 Club? We ain’t making it past 21.”
Like many other rappers on the scene, Juice WRLD was facing substance abuse issues and put his pain into the music. In his 2020 song “Wishing Well,” he sings that he has “stress on my shoulders like an anvil, Perky got me itching like an anthill, Drugs killing me softly, Lauryn Hill, Sometimes I don’t know how to feel.”
These issues can also be seen in the rock world as well, with legends in the genre passing away way too young. Jimi Hendrix, one of the most famous electric guitar players of all time, passed away at 27 from a barbiturate (depressive drug) overdose. Layne Staley, lead singer of the band Alice in Chains, passed away at 34 after mixing heroin and cocaine.
The openness about pain and angst that can be felt in rock music inspired and ultimately became a trademark of Juice WRLD’s own music. While some rappers like Future would casually talk about their use of coping mechanisms like “Dirty Sprite,” Juice WRLD was straight up about how it made him feel.
4. He destigmatized vulnerability for his fans
When talking about what emo rap means to him in a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Juice WRLD said, “For me, it’s therapy…Every time I make music, it helps me cope. Part of the reason I make it is also for other people to get that release, too. I know I can touch lives with my voice, so I choose to use it.”
Through his music, he created a safe space for listeners, especially Black men, to feel seen and heard in their struggles from an empathetic voice.
The vulnerability in his music helped teenagers and young adults feel as if they weren’t alone, even after his untimely death in 2019, just days after his 21st birthday. He encouraged his listeners and other musicians to show their vulnerability and proved through his success that they could be rewarded for it.
5. He opened doors for the next generation
Even after his death, his songwriting and melodic tracks have inspired a new generation of emo multi-hyphenate artists. Juice WRLD was somewhat of a mentor to Aussie artist The Kid LAROI, who told NME in 2020 what the rapper meant to him personally and professionally.
“Shout out to my brother, RIP, one of the greatest of all time. He was a close friend of mine and a mentor… He is one of the greatest of all time… He is one of the people who made me who I am today,” LAROI said.
Rapper iann dior also shared how Juice WRLD impacted him with NME in 2020. “I come out of my own pocket. I love doing me. But if I had to say what my role is, I would say I’m picking up where Juice Wrld left off … I want to tap into the youth, and I want them to feel good about themselves. It’s hard to explain.”
In many ways, Juice WRLD’s impact on rap, specifically emo rap, is his legacy. Even though he isn’t physically here, his love of music and others can be felt beyond just listening to one of his tracks. Legends Never Die and through his introspective lyrics and genuine soul, the rapper will continue to be felt in the rap game for years to come.
