Juice Wrld posthumous single drops on what would have been his 22nd birthday

A new posthumous single from Juice Wrld, who died almost exactly a year ago, dropped Wednesday on what would have been the late rapper's 22nd birthday.

"Real S---," a collaboration with producer Benny Blanco, explores Juice Wrld's major career successes juxtaposed with his mental health struggles, which he frequently opened up about.

"Life’s good so I'm living great," he sings, later adding "I know that they hate me / I see it on their face."

Blanco posted a lengthy tribute on Wednesday, sharing that his friend has played a Juice Wrld song for him a few years ago and Blanco instantly knew he wanted to work with the rapper.

"It was one of the best songs I had ever heard," he wrote. "He just wanted to make music."

The rapper Juice Wrld plays in Philadelphia during his Death Race for Love tour on May 15, 2019.
The rapper Juice Wrld plays in Philadelphia during his Death Race for Love tour on May 15, 2019.
OWEN SWEENEY, INVISION/AP
The newly released single was the first song the two recorded together.

"It was the first time I saw his magic," Blanco wrote. "The whole room dropped their jaws and watched him in awe. we knew we were in the room with a man who was going to change music forever."

He added: "he was an absolute genius to say the least but above all he was one of the kindest and most considerate people I have ever met... he was my friend... happy birthday juice... we miss u"

The rising hip-hop star, whose real name was Jarad Anthony Higgins, died after suffering a medical emergency at Chicago Midway International Airport on Dec. 8, 2019, just six days after his 21st birthday.

Autopsy and toxicology results show that Higgins' death was the result of "oxycodone and codeine toxicity," according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. His manner of death was accidental, the autopsy report added.

'Way too young.You won't be forgotten': Chicago rapper Juice Wrld dies at 21

Spotify announced Tuesday that Juice Wrld was its most-streamed artist in the United States in 2020. His posthumous album, "Legends Never Die," released in July, was also its most-streamed album in the U.S., and he made it into the top 5 list of most-streamed artists globally.

Despite the major commercial success with his latest album, the rapper was left out of Grammy nominations altogether. Last month, he won favorite male artist – Rap/hip-hop at the American Music Awards.