By: Dylan Kemp
It has almost been three weeks since Juice WRLD’s untimely death at Chicago’s Midway Airport. While the autopsy report has not been released yet, reports say that the rapper allegedly swallowed multiple Percocet pills while still in the plane and suffered a seizure moments later.
Fellow Chicago rapper, Vic Mensa, believes that rap music is partially to blame for Juice WRLD’s death. Mensa was stopped by TMZ while in Los Angeles and was asked how he felt about Lil Pump’s recent decision to omit “drug addicts” from his Rolling Loud set out of respect for Juice WRLD.
He feels as if it’s time for artists to use their platform more responsibly instead of promoting drugs and other self-destructive behaviors.
“I think that, as members of the Hip Hop community, we need to take responsibility for the things that we say,” he said. “We need to recognize that the shit we talk about influences children. So when we are steady pushing a message of lean and Percocets and Xans, we are polluting the minds of the youth. We have a responsibility to give it to them in a real way.”
Mensa makes sure to note that what he’s saying doesn’t mean other rappers can’t or should not tell their story, but that it should be done more responsibly.
“Not to say that you can’t talk about your real life and the things that are happening, but I think that we need to start holding each other and ourselves accountable for our glorification of the drug culture, 100 percent,” he added. “That’s just what it is. Anything else, that’s parasitic to our people to just act like this is the shit to be on lean all the time.”
You can watch the interview below.
