Juice Wrld was an influential artist in emo rap and SoundCloud rap genres that saw mainstream success during the mid to late 2010s. His death, along with that of fellow young artists Lil Peep and XXXTentacion has left an indelible mark on pop culture.
He honed a unique sung-rap style that spoke of internal struggles that exist no matter how many mansions or certified platinum records one acquires.
Jarad Anthony Higgins (June 18, 2009 – January 18, 2019)
Jarad Anthony Higgins was one of hip-hop’s most promising emerging artists. Since making an impressionful debut with “Lucid Dreams”, Higgins produced numerous impactful singles as both an independent artist and in collaboration with some of its top talents. His impactful music remains timeless today.
Higgins was raised in Chicago by a single parent household where music entered through video games and older cousins who played rock and pop punk music. Over time, these genres combined with influences from rappers Travis Scott, Kanye West and Chief Keef to form his musical palette and eventually merge into one cohesive style that blended emo, hip hop elements with rock punk and R&B elements – eventually creating his unique brand of R&B infused hip hop soundscapes.
Higgins was known for being candid about his own struggles, from drug addiction and isolation to depression and loneliness. His emotive songs touched millions of listeners’ hearts as they often dealt with themes related to mental health.
Higgins led the emo rap and SoundCloud rap genres that gained mainstream recognition during the mid-to-late 2010s, as well as being an essential collaborator with Florida rapper Ski Mask the Slump God. He took on his name “Juice WRLD” after being inspired by 2Pac’s 1992 film, Juice; whilst “WRLD” stands for his desire to take over the world.
Higgins made his debut as Juice WRLD with the mixtape Wrld on Drugs in 2018, followed by Death Race for Love later that same year. Higgins collaborated with Future on his song, “Robbery”, featured on Music to Be Murdered By.
After Higgins’s death, his family and Grade A Productions continued releasing music under the Juice WRLD moniker. Their posthumous album Legends Never Die (2020) debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and their single “Come & Go” featuring Marshmello peaked at number two on Hot 100 chart.
Emo rap
Emo rap has quickly emerged as a new genre of hip hop that has captured audiences worldwide in recent years. Combining elements of both genres to produce an accessible sound that appeals to a broad spectrum of listeners. Its rise has been propelled by talented young artists expressing themselves musically while tapping into emotions through sound; lyrics explore topics ranging from heartbreak and depression, drug use and suicide in this music style.
Emo rap music is defined by emotive themes and catchy melodies. Similar to alternative rock, its style uses distorted vocals and acoustic guitars accompanied by heavy use of reverb for an anthemic feel. Emo rap has become immensely popular among both millennials and Gen Z audiences due to its relatable themes of heartbreak and loss that resonate with these generations. However, its immense popularity has caused some controversy; for example, the Drug Enforcement Agency has accused this genre of glorifying opioid use by glorifying this particular style of music.
Emo rappers have proven to be successful artists despite critics, most notably Lil Uzi Vert, Juice WRLD and XXXTentacion who all share an exceptional knack for storytelling with music reminiscent of grunge-era 90s music and making the mundane seem urgent.
As the music scene evolves, emo rap may be on its way out. Many emo rappers have begun abandoning its angsty themes for mainstream styles and losing contact with their fan base; some may even turn to pop punk as an inspiration – potentially prompting backlash among their listeners.
Emo rap remains an ever-evolving genre and its impact on younger generations is undeniable. Emo rap’s rise is reflective of Gen Z and millennials experiencing distress from addiction, depression, heartbreak, etc in ways their predecessors didn’t, leading them to turn to music for comfort and solace – with emo rap being one form that provides that.
SoundCloud rap
When people hear “SoundCloud rap,” their minds may wander to immature teenagers with dyed hair and face tattoos rapping about prescription drugs, but there’s more to this genre than meets the eye. SoundCloud rap represents Gen Z’s disillusionment with society as they find solace through unhealthy forms of escape such as drugs and self-harm on SoundCloud as an escape route from society that feel marginalized by society at large.
Roger Gengo has covered SoundCloud rappers that have gained prominence since its emergence on his podcast Masked Gorilla since its onset, and describes this genre as “grunge rap,” similar to punk rock which emphasizes emotions over structure and rawness over dexterity. Many songs of these SoundCloud artists feature drug use or self-destruction themes while they claim that their lives are far more chaotic than that of their predecessors.
SoundCloud rappers differ from their predecessors by not relying on record labels to release and promote their music; as opposed to older, more established rappers who relied on record labels. By self-releasing music quickly and gaining a following more quickly than with older, established rappers; plus without gatekeeping restrictions preventing rappers from all across America from finding success; examples being Philadelphian Kid Laroi and Florida native Juice WRLD both began as SoundCloud artists before going on to become mainstream stars!
SoundCloud rap is revolutionizing how we consume hip-hop. It has opened a whole new era of music that blurs traditional hip-hop with pop, which many old guard members had written off as just passing fad – however, due to its enormous popularity this genre is forcing labels to change their business models! How did all this come about? Thanks to the internet.
Singer-songwriter
Rap musicians are music artists that combine elements of both singer and rapper into songs, often singing as well. While most rappers also sing in their work, they are most commonly classified as rappers due to the lyrical content of their music. Conversely, singer-songwriters do not incorporate rapping into their work but instead focus on melodic vocals instead. Although both genres share many similarities there are significant distinctions between them as well.
Juice WRLD (real name Jarad Anthony Higgins) was an American rapper and songwriter best known for his dark, sometimes macabre lyrics about drug use and substance abuse, popular on SoundCloud alongside artists like Lil Peep and XXXTentacion. Often singing about depression and anxiety in his songs.
Born and raised in Chicago, he learned to play both guitar and drums from an early age with encouragement from his mother Carmela Wallace. By six, band lessons had begun for him at which point teachers started recognizing his natural musical talent; by high school time he had already started recording songs using his phone!
Higgins had success but struggled with drug abuse. He spoke publicly about this in interviews and on radio programs as he attempted to overcome his issues through addiction treatment programs. Over time, however, his drug use increased until it rendered him incapable of maintaining either steady work or healthy relationships and ultimately led to his untimely death at 21.
Legends Never Die debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Additionally, his mother Carmela Wallace established a foundation dedicated to him called Live Free 999 that aids youth struggling with mental health issues.
One thing that makes Juice WRLD’s flow so effective is his use of layers upon layers of patterns layered one upon the other. For instance, when he rhymes on beat 4 of bar 3, you can hear him raise his voice pitch slightly so it feels more powerful and consistent with other patterns within his song. Learning this trick will help build an efficient rap flow and will be useful when developing your own songs.