Takashi Murakami Speaks on the Juice WRLD Collaboration That Never Came to Be

The Japanese artist recalled meeting with Juice back in 2019, just weeks before he died. Murakami says he has listened to "Lucid Dreams" every day since.

February 18, 2021

Takashi Murakami’s impact on music is undeniable. Over the past decade, the Japanese artist has been referenced in a number of records, and has even collaborated with some of entertainment’s biggest names; we’re talking everyone from Kanye West and Kid Cudi to Billie Eilish and Drake to ASAP Rocky and J Balvin. But there was one particularly notable collaboration that never came to be: an anime series with the late Juice WRLD.

Murakami spoke about the proposed project during a recent sit-down with Genius, recalling the time Juice had pitched the idea during a studio visit.

“I was a big fan of Juice WRLD. He came to my studio, he looked so happy with his girlfriend,” Murakami said. “He wanted to make some animation project, kind of a demon and angel battle.”

Just several weeks later, Juice died at the age of 21 from an accidental overdose.

“I found [out] he had passed away, so I was so shocked,” the artist said, adding he listens to Juice’s hit track “Lucid Dreams” almost every day.

Juice’s love for anime was well known among his fans. He had expressed his desire to create an anime series in the year before his untimely death.

Elsewhere in the interview, Murakami talked about his work with Kanye, including the much-anticipated Kids See Ghosts show. A trailer for the animated series was released last summer, about a year after Ye and Kid Cudi dropped their album of the same name. Murakami said he doesn’t have any updates on the show, as he’s just waiting on Kanye and Cudi to call the next move.

You can check out the artist’s full Genius interview above. He also speaks on his collaboration with Drake’s OVO imprint, working with Eilish on the “You Should See Me In A Crown” video, and which music artist he hopes to work with one day.