It goes without saying that the untimely demise of an artist, or anyone for that matter, is often a demanding catalyst to reminisce. This motif becomes increasingly difficult when the point of speculation comes from an individual that made it their prerogative to proclaim a perpetual sense of pain and previously taboo ideologies through a desired means of expression. This sentiment remains an unendurable one when relating it to the tragic passing of Chicago native Juice WRLD. Prolific for using his platform to document the unfortunate deprived and troubled demeanor, the promising up and comers had a sense of relatability that few others ever could attain. This harrowing reality remains truthful throughout his gut-wrenchingly raw posthumous album ‘Legends Never Die’, as even beyond the grave Juice manages to continue his life-dedicated legacy. Only on this occasion, the honour falls to the constituents as audience and industry alike are granted a mournful opportunity to honour the cumbersome conclusion of a cultural spectacle.
What is made immediately prominent are the raw and intimate aspirations of the project, as the body of work seeks to undress the perhaps unresolved regions of existence. ‘Anxiety – Intro’ carries this sentiment to the grave, as the short-lived spoken monologue explores back and forth dialogue pertaining to Juice’s troubles with substance abuse and music as a form of escapism. Paired with sombre and melodramatic synths, the multifaceted dreamlike reality is established as a cinematic opener that refuses to settle. The piece extends beyond the confines of purely musical boundaries as its existence stands as an ode to the inspirational and monumental stance Juice acclaimed within his short-lived time in the limelight.
Avoiding the criminal act that so many posthumous albums blatantly conform to, the project prides itself on following a logical progression of artistic growth and style. In an age where capacity and name appropriation is championed as a means of blatant greed and advertisement monopolisation, ‘Legends Never Die’ prioritises the presence of Juice. The track ‘Conversations’ is an example of this ingrained desire to capture logical extension and artist progression. Built upon a foundation of flamboyant, glitchy synths and the relentless galvanised distortion of a Ronny J crafted bass line the production through and through exists as an matured ode to the late maestro. This sustained honour is further done justice through the inclusion of his synonymously slick and adventurous vocal acrobatics that remain stained by the dour tones of demonic vocal inflections and a dilapidated atmosphere. A similar desire to maintain tradition and uphold a sense of quality is instilled on the track ‘Titanic’. Reveling in an oppressively defeated and sense of perpetual dystopia, Juice relates the pain-stricken failures and emotes of eternal distraught through the metaphorical evocation of the Titanic’s submission. The vivid relation to drowning provokes the audacious comparison of Juice becoming submerged and lost within the diluted detours of his own mind. It is through the titular stimulant in which Juice truly captures such a moment of harrowing reality and reaffirms his strengths as an archetypal, relatable storyteller.
Intertwined within the grand narrative and celebratory body of work are some truly haunting cuts that not only stand out within the canonical Juice WRLD catalog but bear a daunting state of omniscience. Capitalising on the sombre, introspective journey the album advocates for, is the track ‘I Want It’. Juice, vocally, adopts a whimsical, ghostly sound that serenely glosses over the instrumental mix. The aloof, ominous vocals revel in a delicate state, so much so that it feels as if his preachings are being heard beyond the grave. The dreary, hazy synths accentuate the unnerving atmosphere as nothing on the track feels full-bodied, as elements remain in a state of perpetual apparitions. Angelic vocals towards the back end of the track further provoke the otherworldly agenda and sense of divine guidance or spectacle. Where ‘I Want It’ gains haunting roots from its sonic appeal rather than it’s lyrical emphasis on desirable infatuation, ‘Fighting Demons’ subsequently flips the script. Whilst the production fits a far more jovial and dreamlike trope, the lyrical content tells of a nightmarish reality. Juice WRLD breaks down on the paranoia that accompanies such a heralded position within the hip-hop pantheon, whilst detailing the lack of fulfillment associated without materialistic success and the collapsing of his inner demons. Whilst the sentiment on its own is one, irrespective of a position whilst alive, chilling, given the context and post endeavours, the message comes crashing down into a truly visceral and heartbreaking reality.
Unfortunately, for every ounce of emotion and aspect of care that has clearly motivated such a craft, the album welcomes an equally bizarre and incohesive element. This is largely at fault when the role of an outside influence shapes the direction of a given track, or to more specifically pin the point of uninspired blemish, when Marshmello lends his talents, or rather lack thereof. Following his usual pattern of failing to find a medium between horrendously thin and calculated guitar work, to overbearingly obnoxious, clunky, convoluted synth lines, Marshemllo stains ‘Come & Go’ with his lack of artistic integrity and character. The overly pristine and squeaky clean approach to the production lacks any of the usual Juice WRLD angst and an impending sense of looming doom. Further removing any sense of character and usual dramatised vocals is the soulless EDM drop. The enamoring, tumultuous production leaves Juice buried and lost as if he were the feature on his own song. Marshmello’s reign of lifeless uninspired terror further spills onto the track ‘Hate The Other Side’. For as clunky and invasively abrupt the drop on the aforementioned track is, ‘Hate On The Other Side’ fails to even optionally fail with such variation. The watered-down, one-dimensional guitar loops, and cheaply made percussion stands out as the single most lifeless aspect of the project. Bolstered by underwhelming vocal performances from Juice and Polo G only further accentuate the sheer horrid mess that spoils a focused sound. Kudos goes to The Kid LAROI for a valiant effort to inject any semblance of character into the track, but the attempt remains undermined by spoilt, devoid efforts.
With an album that boasts such a lengthy tracklist, bloated and oversaturated trends tend to become a relevant curse. Unfortunately, this sentiment remains prevalent, as the project features more than a few derivative solo filler cuts. ‘Blood On My Jeans’ champions a particularly half baked instrumental, that feels like a hollow regurgitative shell of the typical Juice WRLD trope. Built upon limp guitar refrains and cheap percussion sources the production falls flat without any indicative character or enthralling components. Juice vocally fails to impress, with a particularly sparse and vapid appearance the clunky, disjointed delivery feels like a cheap Lil Uzi Vert impression. The tracklisting manages to make a few misconceived detours that essentially derails an otherwise cohesive and expansive exploration of a focused style. One instance of the abrupt and messy transitional overhaul is manifested on the track ‘Up Up And Away’. The jovial tone evoked through the tropical synths feels far too out of reach, stylistically for Juice to convincingly pull off, as well as being an unrevised mishap in regards to prolonged cohesion. Juice’s overbearingly whimsical and feathery vocals feel far too distanced and preachy, ultimately coming off as a pitchy and unflattering showing. Whilst artistic deviation and growth are always welcomed, the abrupt and baffling switch feels all too bizarre and beyond artistic limitation. Perhaps the goofiest and miscalculated misstep on the album is the penultimate track ‘Man Of The Year’. Plagued by amateurish mixing, the instrumental becomes a cheap-sounding, muddled amalgamation of characterless features buried under a clunky bass, a truly unflattering and undefined moment. Matched with the outright corny uplifting vocal passages, Juice’s well-intentioned and inspiring anthem lacks any of the emotional conviction or artistic integrity needed to amplify authenticity or sonic pleasantries.
With an album so prone to pulling on the heartstrings of audiences globally, the admissive decision to delve into an almost theatrical representation of Juice’s expression feels appropriate. ‘Can’t Die’ is the most prevalent of the poetically cinematic tracks. Incorporating an outlandish, unparalleled swagger through multifaceted guitar refrains, the track gains a distinct hypnotic quality. Juice matches the expansive production with his most emotionally withered and enamoring sense of dejection vocally. The lyrical material is primed for success as Juice vividly paints a picture of an intimate connection that redefined his life, a case he so often operates with. The track bears a wealth of authenticity and see’s Juice at his most emotionally distraught and defeated. The gargantuan heights of the unbridled cinematic and unapologetically raw material is gathered on the conclusive track, ‘Juice WRLD Speaks From Heaven – Outro’. The static, intentionally unpolished audio truly evokes a sense of reality, as the gut-wrenchingly poisoned truth bleeds into the track. Brought to life via delicate, sorrow-stricken strings the outro seeks to serve as an eternalised introspective memoir that glorifies Juice in an angelic light. The dialogue serves as the seemingly only natural ending to an incredibly moving and introspective listen that truly heralds Juice and his life in a respectful manner.
An ode to Juice WRLD. In its most blatantly fundamentally deconstructed form, the project feels like a true representation and logical extension of Juice’s artistic direction. Unlike so many posthumous projects, ‘Legends Never Die’ demands and ensures that Juice remains the unsolicited protagonist of the work, and in that regard, the project inextricably conforms to a tried and true Juice WRLD formula. With that said, the project fails to hone in one a continuing criticism regarding authoritative refinement, as the 21 orchestrated tracks host a range of derivative, uninspired filler that derail the overarching cohesion and raw emotional invigoration. This bloated narrative is further accentuated when outside influences meander into the shaping of the project, which typically dilutes the otherwise clear cut, aspirations of homage, and stylised superlatives. Most important, however, is the succinct glorification of one of the modern era’s most prolific and profoundly poetic. The title’s sentiment prevails as an ever true statement as the harrowing tale of Juice WRLD has, and shall forever be immortalised.
Legends Never Die – Juice WRLD – 5/10
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