The mother of up and coming rapper, Juice WRLD, has spoken out for the first time since the passing of her son, hoping that his untimely death will be used to better other young people struggling with addiction.

Carmella Wallace said in a statement released to TMZ,  “We loved Jarad with all of our hearts and cannot believe our time with him has been cut short. As he often addressed in his music and to his fans, Jarad battled with prescription drug dependency.” 

Juice WLRD had long been open about his struggles with pill addiction in his music, as well as interviews. Last October, he released WRLD on Drugs, a collaborative effort with fellow rapper Future. Nearly every track gives a glimpse into Juice’s usage of pills. His transparency attracted young fans who were also battling addiction, giving them someone to relate to. 

“Addiction knows no boundaries and its impact goes way beyond the person fighting it. Jarad was a son, brother, grandson, friend and so much more to so many people who wanted more than anything to see him defeat addiction.” she continued in her statement.

Wallace only hopes that the rappers music and honesty about his struggles will someway assist his fans on their journey to sobriety, which was his ultimate goal before his death.

“We hope the conversations he started in his music and his legacy will help others win their battles as that is what he wanted more than anything.” 

21-year-old Juice WRLD died following a seizure while in a Chicago airport this past Sunday. According to reports, the rapper and singer allegedly ingested multiple percocet pills before the seizure took place.