Takashi Murakami's art and influence are scattered throughout recent Hip-Hop history. From his iconic work on Kanye West's Graduation album cover to his recent OVO collaboration with Drake, the Japanese contemporary artist has been one of rap's go-to creatives for decades. In a recent virtual interview with Genius News, Murakami discusses his legacy and reveals that he had an unfinished project with Juice WRLD in the works.
“I was a big fan of Juice WRLD. He came to my studio, he looked so happy with his girlfriend,” Murakami told Genius News. “He wanted to make some animation project, kind of a demon and angel battle.”
Unfortunately, the late Chicago rapper perished from an accidental overdose mere weeks after linking with Murakami in Japan to discuss the horror-style anime project.
“I found [out] he had passed away, so I was so shocked,” the world-renowned artist continued. "I'm listening every day [to] Juice WRLD 'Lucid Dreams,' so this is my heavy rotation music."
Judging from the interview footage, it's clear that Juice WRLD was an artist dear to Murakami, and unfortunately, fans of both artists will never get to see what their collaborative anime project would have looked like. Throughout the rest of the Genuis News interview, Takashi Murakami also talks about past collaborations with artists as well as his desire to work with Taylor Swift in the future, so you check out the full video below.
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