Juice WRLD, Legends Never Die | Album Review 💿

Ultimately, Legends Never Die, the second major posthumous rap album of 2020, is an enjoyable, fitting & well-rounded LP from Juice WRLD. 

Juice WRLD Is a prime example of a rapper gone way too soon. He tragically passed away in December 2019 just days after his 21st birthday.  It seems as if the popular rapper’s demise came at the hands of one of his demons, drugs.  Even though he is no longer with us, his music and his spirit live on. Also, fans and stans get a huge treat with the release of his posthumous album, Legends Never Die. Unsurprising is the fact that Legends Never Die easily earned the no. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, with absolutely gargantuan numbers.  More notable is the overall quality of the album, which is a great way to remember a truly colorful artist. 

“Conversations”  

“Anxiety (Intro)” is a fitting way to commence Legends Never Die.  It finds Juice WRLD reflecting on the bigger picture – his ‘dash’ so to speak. It’s quite mature and insightful, perhaps a side of the rapper that hasn’t always come through until now.  “Conversations” follows, featuring slick production by Ronny J and Scheme. The sound perfectly suits Juice, who embraces a melodic approach.  Fittingly combining a trap backdrop and emo sensibilities regarding the rhymes, this is exactly what we’ve become accustomed to from him. Strong start.

Legends Never Die keeps the momentum rolling with ✓ “Titanic,” one of my personal favorites.  It all starts with a super catchy chorus that highlights the legendary Luxury cruiser that sunk from the jump: “Abandon all ships, it’s about to go down / No Titanic (Titanic) / There’s a lot going on in my head right now / But I manage.” Of course, this isn’t about the ship or the Academy Award winning film. Juice WRLD uses this as an opportunity to reflect on himself, specifically his issues and drug use.  “Bad Energy” follows, and as you can expect, the ‘highs’ and introspection continue. It seems as if Juice is trying to rid of the pain – the ‘bad energy’ – but of course, drugs don’t ultimately atone.  Ultimately, the various drugs he consumes are only a temporary diversion.

“Righteous”

✓ “Righteous”, the first posthumous single from Juice WRLD’s estate definitely represents him in top-notch form musically. Musically, “Righteous” represents his sweet spot musically, as Legends Never Die has overall so far (melodic approach, exhibiting chill and swagger simultaneously).  He has a fitting backdrop (Nick Mira and Charlie Handsome), comprised of smooth guitars and anchored by a sleek urban beat. Following the intro, Juice gives us ‘the juice’ with a sweet chorus:

“All white Gucci suit, I’m feeling righteous, yeah
I know that the truth is hard to digest, yeah
Five or six pills in my right hand, yeah
Codeine runneth over on my nightstand...”

Although ‘druggy,’ the chorus is one of the selling points, again representing his demons.  Those demons spill over into the verses: “We may die this evening / Coughing, wheezing bleeding / … Blood moons are my eyes, stay low / Red and black, they glow.” Unsettling and it doesn’t stop there: “Too busy drinking codeine doin’ high speeds / Crash, pour a four, sip it slow, make the time pass.” While the lyrics are tragic much like his untimely passing, his talent shines particularly bright here.

“Blood on My Jeans”

✓ “Blood on My Jeans” has a tough act to follow.  Thankfully, it’s a banger that is clearly up to the task.  “Blood on My Jeans” again is another winner for Juice WRLD with its banging trap drums, melodic sensibilities, and unapologetic, swagger-laden rhymes from the rapper.  One of my favorite lyrics hail from the chorus when he memorably raps, “If you feel on my dick, there’s a gun / Not right there, just a little above.”

Released for his girlfriend’s birthday, “Tell Me U Luv Me”, featuring Trippie Redd wasn’t bad, but upon release, the record certainly didn’t feel nearly as triumphant as “Righteous.” In the context of Legends Never Die, it plays out stronger. Trippie Redd delivers the chorus which is okay – repetitive and certainly not game changing. Juice WRLD is characteristic on the first verse, focused on drugs and love: “Bitch, I’m a druggie, so can you hide my drugs from me / And when I get lonely, can you be my company.” He also delivers the second verse and bridge. Here, he references his emotions but also acknowledges the state of his world:

“Babe, welcome to my world, dark and confusin’
Get lost in it often, the same way I’m lost in you
And it’s often my mind that I’m losin’
See, half of it stuck in a pill bottle, high and confused
Don’t even know what the fuck I be doin’...”

“Hate the Other Side”

The brief but potent ✓ “Hate the Other Side” pairs Juice with Marshmello.  This is one of two collaborations that go down on Legends Never Die.  Both are successful. Polo G and The Kid LAROI serve as featured guests.  The two rappers who have seen their profiles greatly elevated in 2020. With Juice’s sole responsibility the chorus, and Marshmello doing his thing behind the boards, that leaves the verses to The Kid and Polo.  Again, the results are positive.  Another thoughtful interlude, “Get Through It (Interlude),” precedes another ‘big’ moment from the album, “Life’s a Mess.”

While “Life’s a Mess” isn’t the crowning achievement of Legends Never Die, it was the final promo single released ahead of the album.  Also, it features Halsey, who has had a very successful year with the best album of her career (Manic). Halsey performs alongside the rapper on the second chorus and performs the outro herself. Otherwise this is mostly a solo cut where Juice reflects on the difficulty of love.

If “Life’s a Mess” was a bit to emo or mellow, ✓ “Come & Go,” the second Marshmello joint, packs a bit more punch, while still embracing introspective vibes.  While the aforementioned “Hate the Other Side” was great, Marshmello definitely gets more of his flex on here.  As for Juice, well, he sounds damn good.

“I Want It” 

“Baby girl, don’t run from me, don’t run, I want it.” That’s about the size of it on “I Want It,” which likens drugs and infatuation.  “I know you don’t trust me / I’m sedated, baby, baby, did you drug me?” he asks on the pre-chorus the precedes the aforementioned chorus where he makes it clear, he ‘wants it.’ From matters of the heart, it’s those demons he struggles with on the banging ✓ “Fighting Demons.” Despite the fact that he’s ‘came up,’ the rapper has a case of being ‘rich and sad.’ “My demons are breakin’ out of their cage,” he sings on the chorus, continuing, “I’m praying that I see another day /… On my knees, I pray for better days.”  What’s clear is that the 21-year-old had lots of things swirling in his mind.  But think about it – don’t so many of us have struggles that we don’t even bother open up about?

Dr. Luke and Chopsquad DJ stitch up banging production for Juice WRLD on ✓ “Wishing Well,” one of the very, very best.  Everything feels right about “Wishing Well.” While it’s melodic hip-hop, there’s ample pop crossover written all over it.  In some ways, it reminds me of “Robbery”, at least in regard to genre bending. The chorus is one of the very best of the album, latching instantly, as he’s “…Waiting for the exhale / Toss my pain with my wishes in a wishing well.” Once more, Juice bears his soul, fighting depression with pills, knowing “Drugs killing me softly, Lauryn Hill” and admitting, “But if I keep taking these pills, I won’t be here.”

“Screw Juice”  

On “Screw Juice” the saga of Juice WRLD continues.  Matters of the heart and matters of unhealthy substance abuse.  Again, if this was your first experience with the rapper, you can see how his life was clearly in danger due to his demons.  Again, on the brief, mellow “Up Up and Away,” he seems to cope with things that ultimately can’t fix it.  “I’m walkin’ through Prada, tryna solve my problems,” he sings on the chorus, later adding, “I tell her that I’m high, but she don’t seem surprised.” The longest interlude up to this point, “The Man, The Myth, The Legend (Interlude)” features numerous, uncredited artists and personalities including Young Thug, J. Cole, Travis Scott, and Eminem.

The remainder of Legends Never Die is pleasant, once more showcasing a relatively strong representation of who Juice WRLD was artistically. “Stay High” mixes depression, drip, and drugs seamlessly, without threatening the top-tier cuts. “Can’t Die” references invincibility, yet at the same time, Juice knows it’s unrealistic, particularly given how many people he’s seen die.  The final full-length cut is actually more optimistic and also a bit more left field. ✓ “Man of the Year” certainly falls under the umbrella of hip-hop, albeit via pop-punk.  This wouldn’t work for everybody, but, it’s not the least bit surprising it works for Juice.  Of course, “Juice WRLD Speaks from Heaven (Outro)” serves as the celestial, yet heartbreaking outro that this talented individual is no longer with us.

Final Thoughts 

Ultimately, Legends Never Die is an enjoyable, fitting, and well-rounded posthumous album from Juice WRLD.  Posthumous albums are always tricky and depending on how much material one has to work with, and the quality of the material, the results can be great or a hot mess. In this case, I feel like there’s nothing that the estate of the rapper has put out is a fail by any means. Legends Never Die isn’t a perfect, tour de force mind you, but overall, it easily does its job reminding us of the great talent we lost, and how much more artistry he had to bring to the table.

✓ Gems: “Titanic,” “Righteous,” “Blood on My Jeans,” “Hate the Other Side,” “Come & Go,” “Fighting Demons,” “Wishing Well” & “Man of the Year”

Juice WRLD • Legends Never Die • Grade A Production / Interscope • Release: 7.10.20

Photo Credits: Grade A Production / Interscope