In the new video for “Already Dead” by Juice WRLD, the late Chicago rapper battles his dark side in an epic duel to the death. Directed by Steve Cannon, the latest video from Juice’s posthumous album Fighting Demons is heavily influenced by his love of animation.
Borrowing from such Japanese anime as Dragon Ball, Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X for you non-weebs out there), Akira, and more, the video turns Juice into a roving samurai who finds himself in a sword fight with his evil doppelganger. While the two get their respective licks in, neither side can truly gain the upper hand, leaving them at a stalemate by the video’s conclusion. It’s clear that the video aims to illustrate Juice’s internal struggle with his own self-destructive habits, although its draw outcome paints a more optimistic ending than the one Juice really got.
In addition to “Already Dead,” Juice’s team also released his collaboration with Justin Bieber, “Wandered To LA,” as a single, as well as sharing a video for “Burn,” which illustrates an apocalyptic ending for the world at large. With these posthumous concepts reflecting Juice’s tormented worldview, it looks like the Chicago rapper’s vision is at the very least being preserved by these video collaborators, even without being able to feature him personally.
Watch the “Already Dead” video above and stream Fighting Demons here.