Though Juice WRLD is a name you might associate with melodies, that’s only a fraction of his songwriting and emotive talent. For example, watch any of his viral freestyles — such as an hour-long Tim Westwood juggernaut -– and you’ll see his penchant for sharp flows, wordplay, rhyme schemes, and charming references. But the Chicago native’s just as potent when pulling together a song concept or emotive focus, even when most of it’s still off the dome.
With that in mind, we compiled seven of his best verses across his solo catalog (features and freestyle lists may come further down the pipeline). To varying degrees, they represent the “Robbery” hitmaker’s honest, vulnerable, and nuanced portrayals of love, mental health struggles, addiction, and above all, a willingness to be a beacon of hope for those battling the same demons he faced.
Furthermore, Juice WRLD has so many great verses that missed the cut (“Lean Wit Me,” “Conversations,” “10 Feet,” and more were so close), but we want to highlight “Burn” and its second verse in particular. It’s based on a real-life experience in which his girlfriend Ally Lotti woke him up from a troubled dream. Apparently, the 999 leader told her that he never woke up from it. That aside, to determine this list, we looked at the late legend’s versatility, performance (flows, bars, etc.), emotional potency, and how concisely they represent his artistry.
“The Light” (Verse 1)
One of Juice WRLD’s most recent tracks became one of his most loving, committed, and comforting. It’s dedicated to Ally Lotti, and over bright guitars and a poppy drum beat, he speaks on how she’s been the one to ground him away from his battles. Sure, Juice acknowledges their path wasn’t perfect, yet despite these bumps, he expresses more assurance, loyalty, and care because of them. “I owe fines, the devil say I owe him for life / But I could feel it, I got God on my side / Remember when He sent you to me that night” and “Wouldn’t be real love without rough nights / Can’t feel these drugs, but I feel your eyes” are particularly powerful lines. Even though his work is typically perceived as more melancholy than most, “The Light” is… well, the title says it all.
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“Lucid Dreams”
How could we leave off the song that got most of us into this singular artistry? The metaphor of lucid dreaming on this cut’s sole verse became such a succinct representation of this track’s themes of heartbreak, 20/20 hindsight, and not wanting to let go of someone despite their toxicity. Across multiple flows and a dynamic vocal performance, Juice WRLD bluntly, but powerfully, wears his heart on his sleeve, which may be his most special and resonant quality as a musician. “I take prescriptions to make me feel a-okay / I know it’s all in my head” and “I didn’t want it to end / I watch it blow in the wind / I should’ve listened to my friends / Leave this s**t in the past, but I want it to last” crystallize his processing of these troubles, and it helped make “Lucid Dreams” one of the 2010s’ catchiest verses.
“Empty” (Verse 2)
This is another heavily melodic offering from Juice WRLD, but that patient pace and clarity make his second verse on “Empty” all the more powerful. Out of his entire catalog, he dedicated this record the most overtly to his fanbase and those he tried to help. Of course, lines like “I ain’t suicidal / Only thing suicide is suicide doors / Fight for survival,” plus “Yeah, I was put here to lead the lost souls / Exhale depression as the wind blows” sum this up pretty well. In that last line in particular, Juice suggests the expulsion of his aches will dissipate them. He always sought that freedom, and from its second verse’s top to its bottom, this cut inspires others to follow suit.
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“Doomsday”
While this is by no means the most important or emotionally potent verse in Juice WRLD’s catalog, this recent verse is easily one of his most fun to listen to. Not only do his rhyme schemes, wordplay, narrations, and charismatically cheeky lines put a smile on your face, but his chemistry with Cordae is something to behold here. Meanwhile, it’s impossible to convey all the great bars here. “I smoke ten J’s with two h*es that go both ways / Funny how two plus two equals foreplay,” “This isn’t mumble, it’s murder rap / Type of s**t your grandma understand with her old a**,” “The hair trigger Brazilian, you would get your whole hood waxed,” “Beef with anybody, even if you vegetarian / My flow on ebola, your flow just need Claritin“… and so many more. This song is a Juice-loving hip-hop head’s dream.
“Rich And Blind” (Verse 1)
Juice WRLD dedicated this song to XXXTENTACION and Lil Peep, who sadly passed away due to violence and drug use, respectively. This track– and “Legends,” too– see him reckon with these losses and ponder his own mortality. “I know I have a purpose, but I don’t see the purpose / They tell me the death of me gon’ be the Perkys / I know they laced pills, I bought them on purpose” and “I promise y’all I’m finna touch the world, yeah, I’ma touch the Earth / But hold on, your girl on my line, I think I may just f**k her first / Yeah, gotta have some crude humor/ Just to keep a good vibe going, keep the song grooving” are particular heartbreakers. “Rich And Blind” aged tragically, but few tribute tracks in the 2010s were as gut-wrenching and hauntingly self-aware.
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“No Good” (Verse 2)
When Juice WRLD ends this song with the line “Who am I to say that this ain’t one of my best verses?“, we truly believe him. From a pure flow and rhyme scheme perspective, this is one of his most impressive while retaining what makes his craft universally beloved. Juice tells his come-up story and delivers one of the most recovery-focused and confident pen performances of his entire career so early on. “Oxycodone got me sewed up, gotta remain focused / And these groupie h*es bogus, everybody knows it / But they turn me to a poet with the love commotion” and “[My momma] sent me Bible verses / Then I got distracted by some nudes from a sex worker / Who am I to not text back? That’s networking / Who am I to lie about my life? I know the truth hurts” cut like a knife.
“Juice WRLD Speaks 2”
Finally, “Juice WRLD Speaks 2,” one of his most recent and unique tracks, sums up what makes him so captivating. Jarad Anthony Higgins tackles his haters, his origin story, fake rappers, his substance abuse, his artistic mission, and so much more here, with a measured flow that no other song of his showcases and a drumless, somber, but peaceful instrumental. However, sharp lines still crack through: “Bunch of these n***as is my sons / I apologize to ’em ’cause I been a bad parent,” “I got a way with words, like I’m running with a phonics book / In school I didn’t do the homework but I still got the subjects / Money ain’t the object, money is the objective, gotta admit that,” and plenty more.
Most importantly, Juice WRLD takes accountability for his commitment to making others’ lives better. He even calls on his hip-hop peers to do the same, all with a focus and calmness that he rarely exhibits so tenderly. No matter what pulls you into Juice’s world, this lone, long verse has something for you to resonate with. It’s a powerful moment that arrived a couple of years after its recording, and that will offer solace to listeners for many more to come. LLJW.
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The post Juice WRLD’s Essential Verses appeared first on HotNewHipHop.