Legends Never Die : The Story of Juice WRLD, XXX Tentacion & Lil Peep – An Emotive Documentary by Alastair Uhlig on the Untimely demise of three Gen Z Mega Stars
Masterfully Directed by Alastair Uhlig and Released via BBC Studios
By: Summer-Raine Thesner for SA Music News Magazine
Legends never die, is a gripping and highly informative new documentary directed by up and coming producer/director Alastair Uhlig – released this past weekend via BBC Studios on BBC3, and now available to Watch HERE on BBC Three Iplayer (Unfortunately it is not viewable via the platform for South Africa but we will let you know as soon as it is made available to us)
UK based Uhlig “captures raw realism in a unique arresting style“, having filmed numerous documentaries for broadcasting television and online content for some really big names. He is also an avid supporter of new entry Grime artists trying to cut a break in the gruelling music Industry. Lyle Ashun, the AP on the project, hailing from the Princes Trust, gained his first linear TV documentary credit through the short film. It is said that there is not a detail Lyle doesn’t know about these artists lives. Anna Sadowy filled the position as Executive Producer on this especially revealing production.
Graphic designer, Alice, just 25 years old entered into her first TV commission via the documentary. Trained at Framestore she previously worked on titles such as James Bond. Alice changed direction in her career to become a freelancer and work on projects she was passionate about that would express her creativity and skill to its fullest potential. She landed the win with this one.
Legends Never Die is the whole scoop – as Alastair Uhlig took on the difficult plight of sourcing 60 people from across the globe to interview and shed light on the highs and lows leading to the tragic deaths of these young Superstars – snuffed out way too soon at the peak of their fame.
The documentary intricately covers the hype of the three artists who achieved overnight success – to shedding light on the haunting questions we are left with – how and why these Mega stars of Generation Z, Lil Peep (21), XXXTentacion (20) & Juice WRLD (21) – end up dead in the prime of their short-lived, yet phenomenal, careers.
Opening with a few recorded moments from the artists pasts – how they entered the music scene from their bedrooms as unknowns, to pinnacle moments of their careers, – then the downer – hitting hard with the devastating news headlines on International TV announcing their shocking demise, leaves the echo of XXXTentacions statement “If I’m gonna die, I wanna make sure my life made at least five million kids happy“…
Barely two minutes in and conflicting emotions are experienced, from being hugely impressed, to deeply saddened is mind boggling – kind of like bipolar – from manic high to saddened in an instant. With such a powerful inception to this documentary Alastair Uhlig lives up to his reputation in capturing that “RAW realism.”
Preview Legends Never Die: The Story of Juice WRLD, XXX Tentacion & Lil Peep that incited Controversy
Though it may have been social media that boosted the artists overnight success, the documentary states that this came with a “deadly catch”. Featured guest speaker, Tariq Cherry, Music entrepreneur and co-founder of Rolling Loud music festivals touches on how the introduction of the internet negatively impacted the musical artists.
Guest speakers, DJ Scheme, YungGoth (close friend and collaborator to Lil Peep) and Tiffany Calver also add input on the topic of how difficult the internet made things for upcoming artists.
“Music was made by record companies and distributed on CDs. But the internet came along and changed everything. It became possible for artists to record music in their bedrooms on their laptops on relatively inexpensive equipment and upload it on to platforms like Soundcloud, directly to their fans on the internet.”
“You didn’t have to have a record label or be a signed artist to release music – it cut out the middle man at the records labels, a move which turned the music industry on its head. This film explores this revolutionary and pioneering DIY music genre and the tragedy that followed with each artists’ death.”
” It ruined the lives of so many execs, it was cutting out that middle man, it was revolutionary to the music industry, truly“.
YungGoth goes on to chat about his involvement and experiences with his close friend, Lil Peep. It becomes evident that the young artist was deeply troubled, struggling with anxiety, loneliness & drugs right from the beginning.
Ski Mask The Slump God also delves into the darker side of X saying that they had originally met in jail where they began freestyling. Also in their circles at the time was close friend DJ Scheme.
The documentary goes on to cover the early days of X with rare footage sure to appeal to his most avid fans. Again revealing that he too grew up greatly troubled as a youth, experiencing blatant rejection from his Mother.
“One of the common threads with this emerging wave of musicians is their brutal honesty about their emotions”
Dr Calvin Smiley adds “These young men are talking about the struggles, the experiences that many of their fans are going through, a lot of them are overtly talking about their own struggles, with anxiety, drug use, not something that we really hear in Hip-hop – so the fans want to hear more of it, because it’s something they can relate to”
Following in the footsteps of XXXTentacion & Lil Peep – enter Juice WRLD. He was actually inspired by X & Lil Peep says Tariq Cherry. “Juice WRLD freestyled every day of his life, that was his God given talent”
Going back to XXXTentacion, the documentary portays X as an artist that welcomed interaction from his fans, inviting them to hook up via instagram and Twitter, even going above and beyond by offering his number should anyone need to talk. Social media became their direct link to fans, enabling them to promote themselves to the max. When he needed something to happen, he turned to the internet and his fans, and it happened!
” X was very quick tempered, quick to engage, quick to fight, quick to argue, and we saw that across social media” adds Dr Calvin Smiley.
“In 2016 the lines blur when X is arrested for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon – then he is charged with imprisoning, strangling, and beating up his pregnant girlfriend so badly she could hardly see”
At this point of the Documentary we become aware that Tiffany Calver was no fan of X, as she states “It’s a tough one to speak about someone like him – like XXXTentacion, because I don’t want to talk about him. I don’t want to use my voice to give a platform to someone who was an abuser in the most horrific way, if you do something wrong, then you’re wrong, and that’s it!
The honesty and transparency of the Documentary reflects a ‘no holds barred’ objective, not only glorifying the late star XXXTentacion, but exposing the dark and heinous side as well – some fans may disapprove of this, whilst others such as myself gain much respect for Alastair Uhligs forthright approach.
More controversy flared up as X and Drake have beef over plagiarism whereby X accuses Drake of stealing his beat. Drake blatantly denies the accusations. X tapped into the negative press and his following grew even bigger!
The speed of the three Hiphop artists rise to fame was insurmountable – rushing everything and perhaps ignoring things that should have been of more importance – the pressure was obvious. Lil Peep was a perfect example of a young star under immense strain. He was open about his struggles with his mental health and drugs from the start, his new found fame exacerbating his circumstances. YungGoth validates this fact.
As with Lil Peep, the immense pressure of fame began taking it’s toll on Juice WRLD too. His drug addiction became his crutch to deal with life. DJ Scheme tried hard as a friend to get him back on track, to no avail. In 2017 Lil Peeps drug habit also spirals out of control during a gruelling world tour.
“I am a depressed drug addict and I’m nearing my breaking point. Everything I love is disappearing” ~ Lil Peep (17 February 2017)
About to perform his second to last show in Tucson, Arizona on the 15th November 2017 Lil peep tweets his final message to the world – “Nightmares to you, is my life to me“. Later that night his management found him “out of it and cold” in his tour bus. It was announced the following morning that Lil peep had died from a Xanax overdose.
YungGoth still evidently gutted at the time of filming shares sadly, “When I first heard the news, honestly, it was like….it felt like a piece of me, like inside of me imploded, and just turned into a blackhole, you know”
Back in Florida and four months out of prison, XXXTentacion, finds himself paying the price for “playing villain” throughout his career. Live footage shows him being physically attacked on numerous occasions – becoming a target for anyone seeking a fight. People were not happy with him.
On a live instagram video, though the love was coming in, haters were voicing their disdain for the artist too, and it seemed that the negativity is what X focused on. On the stream he somberly says “Most of the nigga’s around me don’t give a fuck, if you want me to be honest. it’s probably like super easy to kill me, if you ever wanted to kill me, it’s probably not that hard”
Eight months after the live video, X’s life came to an abrupt end when he was shot dead whilst shopping for a motorbike in a botched robbery attempt. It has been said that there was more to the story. Conspiracy theorists go as far as fingering Drake as having some involvement in his untimely demise. To commemorate the heart wrenching loss of Lil Peep & XXXTentacions passing, JuiceWRLD writes “Legends” in their honour.
“What’s the 27 club, we ain’t making it past 21” ~ JuiceWRLD (Legends)
In December 2019 JuiceWRLD joins the “21 club” after a sell out tour he drops down at the airport, said to have suffered a severe seizure and dies from an accidental drug overdose. The world mourned at the loss. Three tragic deaths in the space of three years.
Legends never die ends on a sombre note with Drake commenting, “People don’t understand how overwhelming it is for these young kids man – you know, you can’t understand till you get here, how insane this shit can be. I just want people to stay around, when we lose people and stuff like that, I don’t like that stuff coz I wanna hear what all these kids have to offer”
YungGoth closes off the documentary grievously with “The trajectory you get from being on social media, from being an artist on social media and just how fast everything happens, as fast as it happens, it can end just as quickly, you know what I’m saying”
Viewing the images now of the young deceased stars, as I include them in this article, I can’t help but feel a renewed connection, with profound sadness – more so than at the time of the Headlines, as each of the three “21 club” Legends passed from this world. How is it that I had missed the deep sadness in their eyes previously?
Legends never die will hurt – whether you were a fan or just viewing for the purpose of curiosity or entertainment. It’s gonna hurt….it’s the morning after viewing the Documentary and I still find myself emotionally unsettled.
Bravo to Alastair Uhlig for the most moving and informative Documentary I have ever had the bittersweet pleasure of viewing. Indeed – Legends Never Die!
Listen to the BBC Sounds podcast, Legends Fall In The Making, HERE
