The True Meaning Behind Burn By Juice WRLD
Juice WRLD's posthumous album "Fighting Demons" was met with instant commercial success following its release shortly after the two-year anniversary of the young rapper's untimely death. Complex reported that "Fighting Demons" earned 155.49 million song streams, many of which came from devoted fans still mourning Juice WRLD's death.
Juice, born Jarad Higgins, died at age 21 of an accidental drug overdose in 2019. His death followed a long battle with mental health issues, including drug addiction, depression, and anxiety. The rapper's ex-girlfriend Alexia Smith told the Daily Mail that the rising star turned to drugs like Percocet and lean, a cough syrup concoction, to cope with his mental health before his death. Juice WRLD translated much of his pain into his music and discussed his personal battles on his hit songs like "Lucid Dreams."
On his new track "Burn," which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at the 34 slot, Juice again speaks openly about his dependency on drugs and the pain they caused him prior to his tragic death.
Juice WRLD describes a hellish addiction
Juice WRLD doesn't hold back the truth about his drug addiction on "Burn." He admits in the first line of the song, "I can't take one Percocet, start tonight off, I just took a 60," referencing upping his dosage of the opioid. Juice later compares his substance abuse to eternal suffering. "This remind me of hell, sometimes I wonder if that's where God really sent me," he raps. "Hands up in the fire, burn, burn, burn, burn / I pray to God for some water to wash down these Percs."
Released in tandem with his album "Fighting Demons," the recent documentary "Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss" spotlighted the rapper's struggles with mental health and addiction. The film's director Tommy Oliver spoke to The Guardian about the obvious severity of Juice's personal struggle. "It seemed like he was keenly aware of the possibility or the likelihood [of death]," he said, adding that "is probably one of the reasons why he lived his life as fast as he did." Ultimately, Juice died of accidental overdose in December, 2019, as a result of oxycodone and codeine toxicity, The New York Times reports.
Juice WRLD fulfilled his mother's biggest fear
Juice WRLD speaks out about his desire to put away the drugs on "Burn." He raps, "Gotta put the narcotics down, I can feel 'em f***ing up my kidney / And punching my liver." He continues, warning himself, "If I let it kill me, my mama'll never forgive me / Ain't numbing my feelings, if I let it kill 'em, my baby will never forgive me."
Higgins' mother, Carmella Wallace, had indeed feared for her son's life amid his addiction struggles. "I talked to him about it," Wallace revealed to ABC Chicago. "I told him my biggest fear was him overdosing on the stuff." Juice's mother went on to stand by her decision to not hide the fact her son died of a drug overdose. "I did not want to keep that a secret because there are a lot of people who deal with that every day," she said.
In Juice WRLD's memory, Wallace has launched Live Free 999, a foundation that seeks to normalize mental health assistance. On why she started the project, Wallace told XXL, "I started receiving messages from people, how [Jarad's] music helped them with depression and anxiety." She explained it felt like her obligation to continue sharing Juice's message of healing with the world. "He talked about mental health," she explained. "So, I felt like as his mom, I needed to carry that forward."
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).