Nearly three years after budding hip-hop superstar Juice WRLD died of an accidental drug overdose at Chicago’s Midway International Airport, fans and friends have gathered online to celebrate what would have been the late rapper’s 24th birthday.
“Happy Birthday Juice WRLD!!” former manager and Grade A Productions record executive Lil Bibby tweeted.
“Greatest to ever do it,” he added in a separate tweet. “RIP Juice WRLD!!”
“Happy birthday to one of the most loving and giving souls I’ve ever met,” producer and frequent collaborator DJ SCHEME chimed in. “@JuiceWorlddd I miss you so so much kiddo.”
The Kid Laroi—with whom Juice WRLD released multiple tracks including 2020’s “GO!”—took to Instagram with a touching message of his own.
“Happy birthday bro. Not a single day goes by where I don’t think about how grateful I am to have met you,” he wrote, including a picture of the two in a recording studio.
“Thank you for changing my life [and] millions of others,” the “Stay” singer continued. “There will never be another you.”
Juice WRLD, born Jarad Higgins on December 2, 1998, in Chicago, experienced massive musical success throughout his tragically shortened career, landing numerous RIAA-certified platinum records and building a dedicated fanbase in the process.
Following his debut album Goodbye & Good Riddance in 2018, and the critically acclaimed Death Race for Love in 2019, fans have been graced with a pair of posthumous albums: Legends Never Die in 2020 and Fighting Demons on December 10, 2021.
Last year, Juice WRLD was Spotify’s third-most streamed artist in the United States, behind megastars Drake and Taylor Swift.
The “Lucid Dreams” rapper was also the subject of a recent HBO documentary, titled Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss.
Lauded as one of the best and most prolific freestyle rappers in hip-hop history, Juice WRLD’s legacy has been honored on multiple occasions, most notably during the first annual Juice WRLD Day, held last December at the United Center in Chicago.
This year’s Juice WRLD Day celebration is scheduled for December 8.
Carmela Wallace, Juice WRLD’s mother, also announced plans to open a new brewery and restaurant in the Chicago suburb of Homewood to honor the late rapper, according to a recent report by ABC Chicago 7.
“Jarad loved Homewood,” Wallace said. “After he became famous, he would come back to Homewood until it got to be that too many people were coming to my house. But he always came back home, so it’s special.”
Special, along with its many synonyms, is a word often used to describe Juice WRLD, his musical capabilities and his impact on fans.
“Happy 24th birthday to the legendary, #JuiceWRLD,” rap outlet Our Generation Music tweeted earlier Friday. “You changed the game on so many levels. Your impact is immeasurable to this day.”
“Happy Birthday Juice WRLD,” music website Pigeons & Planes echoed. “He touched so many people in such a short time. RIP.”
Newsweek reached out to Grade A Productions for comment.
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