By Stetson Hines July 16th, 2025

Imagine, for just one second, if heaven allowed you to hug someone you loved one more time? Unfortunately, it’s a sad commonality and tree we could all hang from those who have lost a parent. Notably, the stages of grief include wondering if that person sees you crying, and your desperate attempt to try, needing a hug, or to hold your hand. Consequently, burying the first person you ever loved.

Moreover, this feeling of grief is what Memphis legend Juicy J raps about on his latest collaborative conversation album produced by Maryland native Logic. Differing from other songs on the album, along with the soulful beat, Juicy J immediately opens “I need a hug” with his vulnerability, pleading to heaven for a hug from the first person he ever loved—his late mother. Without a doubt, the pain Juicy J feels in this song is of not knowing where to go because his mother was always there for him. Subsequently, he felt that the end was near due to a sense of emptiness, in his line where he talks about how N*ggas probably won’t even pour out a beer for him. Nonetheless, it’s getting real for him, and he hasn’t been getting sleep about it.

Furthermore, a casket full of regrets about the things we could have done differently, or the pain we might have caused our parents growing up as adolescents, is what you hear Juicy J grapple with. The agony of needing his mother's shoulder to lean on, or probably wanting to put a mink coat around it. Woefully, remorse is one thing; as men, we carry. On the contrary, the call for repentance or forgiveness arises from feelings of guilt and a wish for more time. Hence, we are left to ask for guidance from God silently, because He sees us all, as Juicy J raps.

Lastly, affliction and sadness are things. Are the parts of life that I wish we could all avoid, the pain and loss of losing a loved one? Somehow, I know that's not how life works; to heal, you have to feel. Additionally, to better understand Juicy J's pain in "I need a hug," he uses a voicemail recording of his late mother's voice, telling him congratulations on his new album and hoping his fans would enjoy it. Above all, telling him to take care and that she loved him is something we could all relate to as sons.