Rapper Juice Wrld dies at 21 after landing at Chicago airport

Juice Wrld, who was born and raised in the Chicago area, achieved a career high in 2018 when “Lucid Dreams” made it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Dec. 8, 2019 1:30 PM PT

Hip-hop star Juice Wrld, who broke through in 2018 with the smash hit “Lucid Dreams,” died Sunday after having a seizure in Chicago’s Midway airport. He was 21.

“Juice made a profound impact on the world in such a short period of time,” read a statement issued by his record label, Interscope Geffen A&M. “He was a gentle soul whose creativity knew no bounds, an exceptional human being and artist who loved and cared for his fans above everything else. To lose someone so kind and so close to our hearts is devastating.”

Rap superstar Drake posted a tribute to Juice Wrld on Instagram along with a message for artists: “I would like to see all the younger talent live longer and I hate waking up hearing another story filled with blessings was cut short,” he captioned a photo of the 21-year-old.

The rapper, born Jarad Anthony Higgins, had a seizure shortly after deplaning from a California outbound flight, TMZ reported. Law enforcement told TMZ he was bleeding from the mouth when paramedics arrived on the scene.

The rapper was still conscious when he was rushed to a hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital around 3:15 a.m. and taken to the Cook County medical examiner’s office later, according to office spokeswoman Natalia Derevyanny, who said an autopsy would take place Monday. The cause of death remains unknown at this time.

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Juice Wrld achieved a career high in 2018 when “Lucid Dreams” made it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His debut single, “All Girls Are the Same,” became a hit when Lil Yachty joined the remix. He was also featured on Travis Scott’s successful “AstroWorld” album on the song “No Bystanders,” for which he sang the hook. Juice Wrld’s latest album, “Death Race for Love,” was released in March and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart.

He was signed to a multimillion-dollar contract with Interscope Records, where he released his first studio album, “Goodbye & Good Riddance.” A month later he released the two-track EP “Too Soon” in tribute to the late Lil Peep and XXXTentacion.

His death comes less than a week after his 21st birthday. The rapper was eerily prescient, noting on his song “Legends,” “We ain’t making it past 21.” The Times has reached out to the rapper’s management, which has not yet responded.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.