As a way to honor the legacy of her son and help other young people facing depression and addiction, the mother of Juice WRLD has established an organization that will seek to address these issues and others.
Carmela Wallace established the Live Free 999 Fund to address addiction, anxiety and depression, especially in underserved communities, and normalize conversations around those particular issues.
Wallace’s son also faced those challenges, so she started the Live Free 999 Fund, an organization that will work toward removing the stigma associated with people talking about things like anxiety, addiction and depression.
Juice WRLD, who was born Jarad Higgins, passed away from an accidental drug overdose on Dec. 8, 2019. The singer and rapper was just 21 years old.
“Young people around the world were truly touched by Jarad’s music, because he spoke to issues and situations in his music that resonated with them so deeply,” said Wallace in a statement. “I made the decision upon his death that I was going to share his struggles with the world with the objective of helping others.
“It is my desire to help those who are hurting by providing access to education, prevention and treatment for opioid and other forms of drug addiction,” she added. “It is my hope that Live Free 999 will help people just as Jarad’s music has and will continue to touch lives for years to come.”
Live Free 999 will back various programs that help young people deal with their struggles in healthy ways. The organization will also get backing from Juice WRLD’s label Grade A and its parent company Interscope Records.
Juice WRLD passed away after he traveled from the Los Angeles area to his hometown of Chicago on a private jet. At some point, police in Chicago were alerted that drugs and weapons were onboard.
Reportedly, those on the jet with Juice WRLD said they saw him swallowing pills right before police came on to conduct a search, which resulted in drugs and guns being found.
On Thursday, April 23, Juice WRLD’s family released one of his never released-songs, and there’s also a video. The cut is called “Righteous,” where the late artist talks about his drug addiction.
“Five or six pills in my right hand / Codeine runneth over on my nightstand / Takin’ medicine to fix all of the damage / My anxiety the size of a planet,” sings Juice WRLD in the chorus.
