The Hip Hop community is still reeling from the loss of Juice WRLD, whose untimely passing on December 8, 2019, shook the music industry. On the night of his death, Juice reportedly consumed various pills to hide from the police, who got a tip there were guns and drugs onboard the rapper’s private jet. As a result, Juice suffered a fatal seizure at Midway Airport in Chicago.
However, Chris Long, Juice WRLD’s photographer, was with him when the rapper passed and took to Twitter Tuesday (May 10) to reflect on his friend and reveal what happened to the “Lucid Dreams” rapper that fateful night.
Long tweeted he is still having a difficult time processing the death of Juice while thanking fans for the uplifting messages of support. But Long made sure to explain that even though he’s struggling, he will do his part to stop the rumors of what went down on the jet.
“J did not swallow a bunch of pills because the police where at the airport,” Long wrote. “We gave no fucks about them being there. He could have flushed them down the toilet if he cared. J was just hooked bad. The amount he took daily was absurd and he hid how much he really took from mostly everyone. Everyone around him tried really hard to get him to slow down. When he agreed to rehab it was because he wanted to lower his tolerance. He didn’t want to stop.”
J did not swallow a bunch of pills because the police where at the airport. We gave no fucks about them being there. He could have flushed them down the toilet if he cared.
— chrislongfilms (@chrislongfilms) May 11, 2021
J was just hooked bad. The amount he took daily was absurd and he hid how much he really took from mostly everyone. Everyone around him tried really hard to get him to slow down. When he agreed to rehab it was because he wanted to lower his tolerance. He didn’t want to stop.
— chrislongfilms (@chrislongfilms) May 11, 2021
It was no secret that Juice had struggled with drug addiction in his life. His mother spoke on her son’s mental health issues and self-medication, which resulted in him using pills. Lil Bibby, Juice’s manager, shared a similar story to Long’s and also spoke about the rapper agreeing to go to rehab after his circle started to realize what was going on.
“J was supposed to go to rehab that month,” Long continued with his tweets. “We tried so hard to do positive things everyday like ride dirt bikes or paintball to keep busy and not do pills but every night once he hit the studio that was it. He loved it. I never thought he would od I was always scared of getting bad pressed pills so got test strips. I tested every batch he got, but no one knew how much he really took because he was hiding it. Once max and I really started counting how much he had and how fast he went though them.”
J was supposed to go to rehab that month. We tried so hard to do positive things everyday like ride dirt bikes or paintball to keep busy and not do pills but every night once he hit the studio that was it. He loved it.
— chrislongfilms (@chrislongfilms) May 11, 2021
I never thought he would od I was always scared of getting bad pressed pills so got test strips. I tested every batch he got, but no one knew how much he really took because he was hiding it. Once max and I really started counting how much he had and how fast he went though them
— chrislongfilms (@chrislongfilms) May 11, 2021
The photographer provided grim details of when the fatal seizure struck Juice after he took the pills. Long also confirmed Juice’s crew placed a gun inside his bag since he had a clean record.
“I had to watch little bro die at my feet,” he tweeted. “I had to look in his eyes while he was dying and I could do anything about it. He had nothing to worry about. He knew the cops where there before we landed. We put that strap in my bag it was all good I had a clean record and I’m a register owner. I had no problem taking that charge.”
Long continued, “And I can’t stop thinking about him over and over again there on the ground and I was just looking in his eyes that’s how I had to say bye to him. It’s just burned into my brain. I want it to stop. I had to watch Ally holding him screaming losing the love of her life right in her arms.”
I had to watch little bro die at my feet. I had to look in his eyes while he was dying and I could do anything about it.
— chrislongfilms (@chrislongfilms) May 11, 2021
He had nothing to worry about. He knew the cops where there before we landed. We put that strap in my bag it was all good I had a clean record and I’m a register owner. I had no problem taking that charge.
— chrislongfilms (@chrislongfilms) May 11, 2021
And I can’t stop thinking about him over and over again there on the ground and I was just looking in his eyes that’s how I had to say bye to him. It’s just burned into my brain. I want it to stop.
— chrislongfilms (@chrislongfilms) May 11, 2021
I had to watch Ally holding him screaming losing the love of her life right in her arms.
— chrislongfilms (@chrislongfilms) May 11, 2021
Although he’s no longer here in the physical form, Juice’s legacy lives on through his music. According to Chart Data, on October 21, the fallen Chicago rapper’s posthumous LP, Legends Never Die, surpassed two-billion on-demand streams in the United States three months after its release.
In addition, Legends Never Die debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with roughly 497,000 total album equivalent units sold in the first week. With fans obviously having an appetite for more music, Grade A Records head Lil Bibby confirmed he’s working on Juice’s second posthumous album.