Up-and-coming rapper Juice WRLD died on Sunday, December 8 in Chicago. He was 21-years-old. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office in Illinois confirmed his death in a statement to The New York Times. While the Chicago police have confirmed that the rapper, whose real name was Jarad A. Higgins, died after suffering a “medical emergency” early Sunday morning at Midway Airport in Chicago, the coroner has yet to confirm the official cause of death. An autopsy will be performed, according to the office.
Juice WRLD got his start posting songs on Soundcloud in 2015, before going viral two years later with his single “Lucid Dreams.” The track’s success led him to be picked up by Interscope Records, marking a commercial breakthrough for Soundcloud rappers.
Known for his emo-influenced rap, Juice WRLD’s music frequently dealt with mental health and morality. In 2018, Juice WRLD released a joint mixtape with Future before dropping his debut solo record Goodbye & Good Riddance later that same year. He put out his sophomore record, Death Race For Love, earlier this year. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, marking his first No. 1 album.
In his short career, Juice WRLD dropped two albums, two mixtapes and 13 singles. He worked with artists like Halsey, Kodak Black, Travis Scott, and Young Thug. He also opened for Nicki Minaj on her 2019 tour. Juice WRLD was slated to drop a new mixtape, Evil Twins with Ski Mask the Slump God, before the end of this year.