Early Death

On December 8, 2019, Higgins was aboard a private Gulfstream jet flying from Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles to Midway International Airport in Chicago. Law enforcement officers were waiting for the jet to arrive, having been notified by federal agents, while the flight was en route, that they suspected there were guns and drugs on the plane. Law enforcement officials later revealed that they found 70 lb (32 kg) of marijuana on the aircraft and said several members of Higgins' management team aboard the flight told them that Higgins had taken "several unknown pills", including allegedly swallowing multiple Percocet pills to hide them while police were on board the plane searching the luggage.

Higgins then began convulsing and seizing, after which two doses of the emergency medication Narcan were administered as an opioid overdose was suspected. Higgins was transported to the nearby Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. On January 22, 2020, the Cook County Medical Examiner stated that Higgins died as a result of toxic levels of oxycodone and codeine present in his system. Higgins' funeral was held on December 13, 2019, at the Holy Temple Cathedral Church of God in Christ in Harvey, Illinois. Friends and family were in attendance, including collaborators Ski Mask the Slump God and Young Thug.

Fellow rapper Boosie Badazz suggested that the pilot of the plane was ultimately responsible for Higgins' death, referring to him as a snitch. Higgins had been under suspicion by Federal authorities following an incident that occurred in November 2019 before he departed for Australia which prompted a search of his plane. Badazz gave an interview threatening violence upon the pilot, before later calming down and reflecting on the dangers of young artists suddenly being overwhelmed with money.

American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God, Higgins' close friend whom he collaborated with on the hit song "Nuketown", said on Twitter "They keep taking my brothers from me", referring also to best friend and longtime collaborator XXXTentacion, who was shot and killed in June 2018. Lil Yachty, who remixed Higgins' song "All Girls Are the Same" mourned his death along with Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, the Weeknd and others.

Higgins' mother expressed hope that her son's legacy would help others in their battles with addiction saying, "Addiction knows no boundaries, and its impact goes beyond the person fighting it ... We know that Jarad's legacy of love, joy and emotional honesty will live on". She later established the Live Free 999 Fund in honor of Higgins and the battle he fought against addiction, anxiety and depression. The fund's primary goal is to support programs that target young and underserved populations. With a focus on addiction, anxiety and depression, the organization hopes to normalize the conversation about the mental health challenges that Higgins faced, and provide an avenue for people to process those challenges in a healthy way. Higgins' production team and record label have committed to supporting the organization.

In his song, "Legends"—which was dedicated to XXXTentacion, who was murdered in mid-2018 at age 20, and Lil Peep, who overdosed in late 2017 at age 21—Higgins raps "What's the 27 Club? / We ain't making it past 21". Fans and media outlets commented that he had predicted his own death, as he had died only days after his twenty-first birthday.