Juice WRLD's mother Carmela Wallace has announced the launch of the Live Free 999 Fund.
In a statement, Carmela said she established the fund—which will receive additional support via Grade A and Interscope Records—in an effort to provide access to education, prevention, and treatment options for opioid addiction and other forms of drug abuse.
"Young people around the world were truly touched by Jarad's music because he spoke to issues and situations in his music that resonated with them so deeply," Carmela said. "I was aware of his struggles with addiction, anxiety, and depression; we had many conversations about his challenges with these issues. I know he truly wanted to be free from the demons that tormented him. I made the decision upon his death that I was going to share his struggles with the world with the objective of helping others."
The goals of Live Free 999, per a press release, include:
- providing support to programs that address addiction, anxiety, and depression in compassionate ways
- normalizing the conversation on these topics, particularly in underserved communities
- assisting programs that help people find positive ways of processing mental health challenges, i.e. music or similar creative pursuits
Live Free 9999 is a fund of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
"It is my hope that Live Free 999 will help people just as Jarad’s music has and will continue to touch lives for years to come," Carmela said.
Juice WRLD died last December. He was 21 years old and had released two massively successful full-lengths, 2018's Goodbye & Good Riddance and 2019's Death Race for Love. As announced in January, his family has plans to share unreleased music "and other projects" in the future.
R.I.P.
