SLAYING & SUBSTANCE: DEATH IN HIP-HOP

In the closing days of 2019, fans of hip-hop, trap music, and contemporary emo rap alike were dealt an emotional blow both tragic and unexpected: The sudden passing of rapper Juice WRLD, real name Jared Higgins, in the very early hours of Dec. 8, at age 21.

After rising to stardom by releasing hits on Soundcloud (an open music-streaming service known for its cultivation of young talent), WRLD quickly became mainstream and began influencing his fellow artists just as fast, helping build an entire genre seemingly overnight and out of nowhere. “Emo rap” is characterized by its moody production and vocals in addition to traditional hip-hop lyrical forte, things WRLD carried in spades, and his legacy in this regard is one already revered and highly respected. His work sealed this newborn style into the encompassing musical landscape, and it’s his incredible achievements that made his untimely death that much more of a tragedy for so many people.

WRLD’s death was officially reported to have come as a result of a seizure having taken place upon landing in Chicago’s Midway airport, and further details regarding the event are yet to be officially disclosed.

Upon the news breaking, however, reactions were telling of another phenomenon entirely. Initial speculation regarding the cause of his medical emergency was overwhelmingly similar, with a drug overdose considered the potential culprit.

While it is true that Juice WRLD has often spoken on his own issues with substance abuse and his dissatisfaction regarding it, that isn’t all that is going on here.

Countless hip-hop artists, most notably Mac Miller and Lil Peep as of late, have met their end losing a lifelong battle with this very affliction. Even in the broader scope of rap history, looking much further into the past, this does not change. D.J. Screw, A$AP Yams, Pimp C.: just a few of so many musicians with massive vision and creative strength, with their lives cut short by their addictions.

While it is rumored that Juice WRLD may have taken drugs before his sudden death, this assumption is currently unconfirmed.

It wasn’t just substance abuse that many fans and detractors alike jumped to, however. It is no secret that violence has never been a stranger to rap culture, either.

TRAGIC TREND

Fellow Soundcloud alumni XXXTENTACION was found murdered in his vehicle the year before, following a robbery gone wrong, and veteran rapper Nipsey Hussle was killed earlier in 2019 in front of his clothing store.

Arguably the two most infamous hip-hop deaths, those of rap-rivals Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. (more commonly referred to as Biggie Smalls) came as murder victims, as well.

Unfortunate circumstance for demise is something that is far more widespread than among just one genre of music, or even one medium of art, but its concentration in hip-hop is has by no means gone unnoticed. In a study conducted by news outlet The Conversation, more than half of all (premature) hip-hop artist deaths were determined to be the result of murder alone.

Hip-hop and rap music has changed unimaginably since its inception, splitting off into numerous sub-genres along the way. The one constant throughout its life, however, has always been its ability to grant the unheard a voice – the neglected teenager on the street, the denied and struggling parent, etc. This enduring musical style has given the gift of poetic expression to anybody who feels its passion. It does not reserve its composition for the wealthy or similarly privileged. Hip-hop has opened its arms to all, especially those who have felt the systematic rejection of other art forms so many times.

Unfortunately, success that guarantees safety is a hard gamble. Ultimately, those who have been blessed with an articulate voice are so often born from downtrodden communities that are overlooked by most establishment entities. Help from the outside is something rare. And even if one achieves some level of safety from direct violence, one often cannot fully escape this reality from a psychological standpoint. You might be wealthy, but what of your loved ones? Your best friends? Those that looked out for you when you had nothing? In these contemplations, one may just turn to one of few physical things in that has never failed to bring happiness: substances.

If we are to help any future masters of the art form, we must confront these things head-on, and cease ignoring the problems that plague those unable to fight them alone. These issues are far more wide-reaching than a single genre of music, and it is cowardly to think of them in this way. We are living in a relentless opioid crisis, after all, and the suffering and bloodshed it has entailed and will entail as it continues is sure to rear its merciless head further in every aspect of the world around us.

Action to address the insatiable beast of poverty and affliction is not an option; it is the only option – lest the next Tupac or Biggie has their potential taken from them by one last bottle of pills, or one more piercing gunshot.

Advocate Staff