With December 8, 2021 marking the second anniversary of Juice WRLD's tragic death, there have been many attempts to honor the late rapper and the legacy he left behind.
Earlier this week, MONTREALITY released "in memory of Juice WRLD," an eight-minute YouTube video featuring multiple rappers including Lil Durk Big Sean, Migos, Trippie Redd and Ski Mask The Slump God and their reflections on Juice's impact on them, and his impact on hip hop.
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Today (December 10), Lil Bibby and Grade A Productions (Juice signed with Grade A in 2017) released his second posthumous album, Fighting Demons—a follow up to 2020's Legends Never Die. Fighting Demons, which features guest appearances from Justin Bieber, Eminem, Polo G, Trippie Redd and Suga from BTS, is an introspective look at the trials and tribulations Juice faced during his short-but-illustrious career, and further addresses his battles with substance abuse and addiction.
Before Fighting Demons hit digital streaming platforms at midnight, however, fans and family celebrated the first annual Juice WRLD Day at Chicago's United Center.
During the celebration of Juice WRLD's life and legacy, fellow Illinois native and Lyrical Lemonade founder, Cole Bennett shared some words about the artist he came up alongside. After directing and hosting the music videos for "All Girls Are The Same" and "Lucid Dreams," both Bennett and Juice WRLD skyrocketed into the upper echelons of the modern hip hop landscape, and for years, Lyrical Lemonade has received a ton of credit for introducing the Death Race For Love rapper to the rest of the world. But in a heartfelt address to Juice himself, Bennett said it was the other way around.
"The narrative was always, you know, Cole and Lyrical Lemonade were such a blessing to Juice's career," he said. "As time went on, I realized that he was really the blessing to me."
While the semantics of who helped who more are ultimately unimportant, Juice WRLD's impact on his fans, Bennett and the rest of those around. him is undeniable. At just 21-years-old, Juice was already cemented as a legend in the game, and sentiments like Bennett's and events like the one held yesterday at the United Center are sure to keep his legacy alive.
Rest in peace, Juice WRLD.