Polo G Reveals That Juice WRLD's Death Made Him Stop Taking Percocet

BYGabriel Bras Nevares3.1K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Claudio Lavenia/Getty Images & John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images
On his episode of "RapCaviar Presents," the "Neva Cared" MC reflected on even his father making the choice to quit taking pills as a result of Juice's passing.

Juice WRLD's shocking loss raised an unfortunately common conversation on drug use within not just hip-hop, but the youth and addicted community at large. In the wake of his passing, many vowed to both keep his spirit and memory alive and reflect on their own substance relationships. One rapper to do so is fellow Chicago star Polo G, who opened up about the tragedy during his episode of RapCaviar Presents on Hulu. During his interview, he spoke on how the "Lucid Dreams" star's absence made him reevaluate his life choices. Not only that, but it also changed his family for the better.

"It made me look at a lot of s**t differently,” the "Pop Out" MC remarked. “That made me stop popping Percocets altogether, though. ‘Cause I know he wouldn’t want me on that s**t." Furthermore, his decision also influenced his father to follow suit, who spoke on his own thought process. "Being able to see that and say, ‘Damn, my son can get it together' — I need to [as well]," Taurus Bartlett Sr. expressed. Sadly, this isn't the only recent reflection on mourning in hip-hop that the 24-year-old offered. As a guest on the Full Send podcast, he revealed that he meant to link up with Pop Smoke in the studio on the day of his murder.

Polo G Reflects On Collaborator Juice WRLD's Passing

"I f***ed with Pop Smoke and the whole Drill sound," the Old Town native stated. "You know, coming from Chicago, that’s where that s**t started at. So, I really tapped into they s**t. I hit up Pop like, ‘Yo, let’s do this.’ He had been hitting me up in the past, but before I knew who he was. And then, when I seen they wave going strong, I hit him like, ‘Yo, I f**k with y’all s**t. Let’s do something.’ The craziest thing, I worked with him right before he passed. I was in the studio with him. He said he was leaving to L.A. I stayed in New York an extra day to make sure Fivio [Foreign] laid his verse [for ‘Clueless’].

“And Pop, a contact was telling me Pop wanted to get in the stu in L.A. the night he passed," he continued. "‘Cause I live there, he live there. We was supposed to get up." Further into the interview, he described the process of working with him. To honor the city of Chicago for their collaboration, the Woo asked Polo for the name of a popular spot in the region, which he included. For artists like the "RAPSTAR," part of their assumed responsibility is doing right by their fallen friends. Though he surely carries that with a heavy heart, fans remember those lost for their greatness through others' touching testimonies. Check out Polo's collaborations with Juice and Pop above and below, and share your favorite moments in the comments from those gone too soon. Also, return to HNHH for the latest on Polo G, Juice WRLD, and Pop Smoke.

Pop Smoke & Polo G's "Clueless"

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
...