December 8, 2022 marked the 3 year anniversary of Jarad Anthony Higgins's death (more widely known as Juice WRLD). Juice was only 21 years old when he passed, but in his short time on Earth, he was able to create a legacy that lives on to this day. His music spoke to the world, healing & empowering listeners through whatever they were going through. I like to think of the concert as a reflection of his impact. The show was not only entertaining; it was also beautifully produced.

His mother, Carmella Wallace, opens the show with a reflection about Juice’s life & words of encouragement for the fans in the crowd. You can feel everyone taking the moment in, the stillness in the air as everyone is attentively listening and paying respect to the mother that raised an idol. In between some of the acts, we got short glimpses of Juice’s life. Raw, unedited footage of his humanity. A lot of people tend to think of Juice WRLD as almost godlike, or some kind of anomaly. But this footage was inspiring in that it showed how he was human, just like everyone else in the crowd. How just a kid from Rockford Illinois achieved greatness & how if you focus on your passions you can do it too.

The rest of this concert carried the same vibe. The ambience of the concert was set with light up wristbands that correlated to the music. The stage lighting would go from a moody blue to flashing lights or even a red to set the tone of whatever song an artist was performing. G Herbo, Trippie Redd, Ski Mask the Slump God, Lil Durk and many more made appearances. Each of them performed some of their biggest hits which had the crowd energetic, ready for whatever was next. Notably though, they all made sure to pay homage to their friend whether it was through a rap, a short word, or even by performing a collab song with them. I found myself moved hearing some of these songs. Reminiscent of my own memories & also thoughtful of a young artist gone too soon. 

Juice will forever be remembered. His music spoke volumes, beyond what most artists will ever be capable of creating. Legends never die. Juice WRLD may no longer be with us physically but his spirit is kept alive through the fans & friends who continue to celebrate his existence.

Amira Maurice