21-year-old rapper Jarad Higgins, known professionally as Juice WRLD, unexpectedly passed away on the 8th of December after suffering from an apparent drug-induced seizure at Midway Airport in Chicago. Higgins was a titan in the music industry having 25 appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 in under two years and being awarded top new artist at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. 

Higgins, born December 2, 1998, always had an interest in music. At age four Higgins began learning piano and later played trumpet in his school’s band, this strengthened his musicianship and broadened his musical prowess. His love for music only heightened after playing video games such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Guitar Hero, which influenced his musical palette and inspired him to start making music of his own. 

In his sophomore year of high school, Higgins began posting his own music to SoundCloud. At first, his music didn’t garner much attention but with the release of his debut album Goodbye & Good Riddance in 2018, Higgins exploded in popularity. His growth didn’t seem to stop nor slow for the remainder of his career. He would continue to find success in 2018 with the release of multiple hit singles, a collaboration album with Future (Wrld on Drugs), and a featured song in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, one of the biggest films of the year. Higgins’ last album to release before his passing was Death Race for Love, in early March of 2019. 

It is clear to see that during his life, Jarad Higgins had no shortage of talent. He overcame many personal obstacles to make a career out of doing what he loved. His music touched and inspired many of those who listened and will continue to do so–even if some speculate that his death could have been a hoax.