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News / Nation & World

Rapper Juice WRLD dies after medical emergency

By Associated Press
Published: December 8, 2019, 7:39pm
2 Photos
FILE - In this May 1, 2019 file photo, Juice WRLD accepts the award for top new artist at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Chicago-area rapper, whose real name is Jarad A. Higgins, was pronounced dead Sunday, Dec. 8 after a &quot;medical emergency&#039;&#039; at Chicago&#039;s Midway International Airport, according to authorities. Chicago police said they&#039;re conducting a death investigation.
FILE - In this May 1, 2019 file photo, Juice WRLD accepts the award for top new artist at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Chicago-area rapper, whose real name is Jarad A. Higgins, was pronounced dead Sunday, Dec. 8 after a "medical emergency'' at Chicago's Midway International Airport, according to authorities. Chicago police said they're conducting a death investigation. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) Photo Gallery

CHICAGO — Rapper Juice WRLD, who launched his career on SoundCloud before becoming a streaming juggernaut and rose to the top of the charts with the Sting-sampled hit “Lucid Dreams,” died early Sunday after a “medical emergency” at Chicago’s Midway International Airport.

The rapper, whose legal name was Jarad A. Higgins, was 21. Authorities have not released details about his cause of death.

He was pronounced dead at a hospital around 3:15 a.m. and taken to the Cook County medical examiner’s office several hours later, according to office spokeswoman Natalia Derevyanny, who said an autopsy would take place Monday.

Chicago police launched a death investigation after a 21-year-old male experiencing a “medical emergency” was transported from Midway to an area hospital. Police said there were no signs of foul play and those aboard the aircraft were cooperating with authorities. Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said the man experienced cardiac arrest and was taken to a hospital from a hangar operated by Atlantic Aviation at Midway, away from the main terminal, where private planes land. Atlantic didn’t return a message Sunday.

The rapper, who was named top new artist at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards in May, lived in the Chicago suburb of Homewood where he stood out as a musician early on.

Juice WRLD turned 21 only days earlier.

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