Nearly a week after his tragic and sudden death, family and close friends gathered near Chicago to celebrate the life of Juice WRLD. The 21-year-old recording artist was laid to rest during a private ceremony at the Holy Temple Cathedral Church of God in Harvey, Ill. on Friday (Dec. 13)
According to TMZ, attendees included numerous staff members and executive from Juice WRLD’s label home, Interscope Records. The funeral program featured a photo collage of the “Lucid Dreams” rapper, born Jarad Anthony Higgins, and a touching dedication from his mother, Carmella Wallace.
“My dear son Jarad, God trusted me to raise you and I poured all I had into you as the Lord guided me. We were inseparable and even though you left home early, we were always in each other’s hearts and always had a special bond,” she wrote. “We were always overjoyed to see each other, and you still called me ‘mommy’ as you hugged and kiss me when you saw me. Your love was pure and innocent, and your heart was genuine. You truly cared about people and wanted to make the world a better place.”
“I am going to miss you dearly,” Wallace added in closing. “Rest in peace my dear one; mommy loves you.”
#JuiceWRLD Funeral Held Today In Chicago 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/NlpB7Eg37W
— Kollege Kidd (@KollegeKidd) December 13, 2019
Fans also held a memorial in his honor at Chicago’s Cloud Gate, also known as The Bean.
On Dec. 8, Juice WRLD suffered a seizure upon landing at Chicago Midway Airport via private plane. After receiving a tip about drugs and weapons being on the plane, federal authorities began searching passenger bags which allegedly prompted Juice WRLD to swallow multiple Percocets in an attempt to hide the pills from FBI agents.
His exact cause of death has yet to be determined.