It was early 2019 at a chicken-and-sneaker shop in Sydney called Butter. Most kids there were just trying to get a selfie with Juice WRLD, who was in Australia for a tour. Among them was a fifteen-year-old with a bleached mop of hair and enough confidence to fill the whole restaurant.
That kid was Charlton Howard, now known to the world as The Kid LAROI.
He didn't just get a photo. He got a career. Honestly, if you look at the trajectory of modern melodic rap, that meeting at a boutique restaurant in Surry Hills is basically the "Big Bang" moment. Juice WRLD didn't just see a fan; he saw a protégé. Within months, LAROI wasn't just opening for Juice on the Australian leg of his tour—he was living in his house in Los Angeles, watching a legend work until the sun came up.
How Juice WRLD basically hand-built The Kid LAROI’s blueprint
The mentorship between these two wasn't some PR stunt cooked up by label execs. It was raw. Juice WRLD was known for his "one-take" freestyle ability, and he forced LAROI to adapt to that same high-pressure environment. Imagine being sixteen and sitting in a dark studio while the biggest artist in the world tells you to get in the booth and just "go."
No writing. No pads. Just vibes and melodies.
Juice’s influence is all over LAROI's debut. You can hear it in the way he stretches vowels and leans into the heartbreak. But Juice gave him more than just technical tips. He gave him a platform. He brought LAROI onto his private jets, introduced him to the Grade A Productions family (Lil Bibby and George Dickinson), and essentially vouched for him when the rest of the industry was still trying to figure out where Sydney even was on a map.
It wasn’t all business, though. LAROI has talked about how they’d just hang out, play video games, and talk about life. Juice was like a big brother who happened to have 30 million monthly listeners.
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The songs that defined their bond
If you want to understand why the Kid LAROI Juice WRLD connection still resonates in 2026, you have to look at the discography. It’s a short list but every track is heavy.
- "GO": This is the big one. Released in 2020 after Juice’s passing, the music video is basically a home movie. It features footage of Juice telling LAROI he’s going to give him a verse for his birthday. It’s sweet, it’s sad, and it’s a triple-platinum reminder of what was lost.
- "Hate The Other Side": A harder, more aggressive track from Juice’s Legends Never Die. LAROI holds his own alongside Polo G and Marshmello. It showed he wasn't just the "little brother" anymore; he was a peer.
- "Reminds Me of You": Dropped on the first anniversary of Juice’s death. It’s a reimagining of a Kim Petras song, and while some fans were split on it, the emotional weight of LAROI releasing it on that specific day was massive.
There are also dozens of leaks floating around. Tracks like "Unexplainable" (sometimes called "Look Away") show a chemistry that most artists spend decades trying to find. They just clicked.
The tragic turning point and the "Survivor's Guilt"
December 8, 2019. It’s a date etched into the brain of every 999 fan.
LAROI was actually there. He was on the plane.
Think about that for a second. You’re sixteen years old, you’ve moved across the world to follow your idol, and then you watch him collapse in an airport. In his 2024 documentary Kids Are Growing Up, LAROI finally opened up about the trauma of that morning. He talked about the confusion, the fear, and the sudden, crushing weight of being the one left behind to carry the torch.
People started calling him "the next Juice WRLD." That’s a lot of pressure for a teenager.
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For a while, the internet was pretty cruel about it. Critics claimed he was "industry planted" or just a clone. But anyone who actually listens to the music knows that while the influence is there, the pain is his own. LAROI had to grow up in front of the whole world while mourning his best friend. He didn't have the luxury of a private grieving process.
Why the Kid LAROI Juice WRLD legacy matters in 2026
We’re several years removed from the peak of the "Emo Rap" explosion, yet these two names are still inseparable. Why? Because it’s one of the last true "passing of the torch" moments in hip-hop.
Juice WRLD was a generational talent who died at the absolute height of his powers. By mentoring LAROI, he ensured that his specific style of melodic, vulnerable storytelling wouldn't just vanish. LAROI has since moved into more "pop" territory—think "Stay" with Justin Bieber—but he still sprinkles Juice’s DNA into everything he does.
He still plays Juice’s music at every single concert. He still mentions him in almost every major interview. He even released a specific tribute song, "Where Does Your Spirit Go?", which touches on the hole left in his life by both Juice and his friend Saiko.
Common misconceptions about their relationship
People get some facts mixed up. Let’s clear the air.
- "Juice WRLD signed LAROI": Technically, Lil Bibby and Grade A signed him. Juice was the one who brought him to the label's attention, but the business side was handled by the management team.
- "They have a full album together": They don't. There are plenty of unreleased demos, but they never sat down to record a "joint project" in the way fans often claim.
- "LAROI left Grade A because of Juice": When LAROI moved to management under Scooter Braun (and later back to others), it wasn't a slight against Juice’s memory. It was just a young artist trying to navigate the shark-infested waters of the music industry.
What you can do to keep the legacy alive
If you’re a fan looking to dive deeper into this history, there are a few things you should actually check out. Don't just stick to the Spotify "This Is" playlists.
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First, watch the Steve Cannon-directed music videos. Cannon was a close friend to both and captured the candid moments that the "official" press releases miss. The video for "GO" is the gold standard here.
Second, listen to the remixed leaks. While I'm not telling you to go download illegal files, the "Unexplainable" sessions give you a much better look at their creative process than the polished, posthumous radio edits.
Third, check out the Kids Are Growing Up documentary on Prime Video. It’s probably the most honest LAROI has ever been about how much Juice’s death messed him up. It’s not a fun watch, but it’s a necessary one if you want to understand the man behind the hits.
Lastly, keep an eye on the 999 Day events and the Live Free 999 Foundation. Established by Juice’s mother, Carmela Wallace, it’s the best way to support the mental health and addiction causes that were so central to Juice’s struggle—a struggle LAROI witnessed firsthand.
The Kid LAROI is his own artist now. He’s a global superstar. But a part of him will always be that fifteen-year-old kid at a chicken shop in Sydney, looking up at his hero and wondering if he could ever be that big. Turns out, with a little help from his "big brother," he could.
To truly honor the bond between these two, fans should focus on the music's message: it's okay to not be okay. Whether it's Juice's raw honesty or LAROI's melodic reflections, the best way to keep the connection alive is to share the music with someone who needs to hear it. Support the Live Free 999 Foundation to help others facing the same battles Juice did, and continue to celebrate the art that came from a brief but world-changing friendship.