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“The Way” is a single by American rappers Juice Wrld and XXXTentacion, included on the fifth-anniversary edition of Juice Wrld’s posthumous third studio album, Legends Never Die released on July 11, 2025. It marks the second posthumous collaboration between the two artists, following Juice’s remix of XXXTentacion’s song “Whoa (Mind in Awe)“, which was officially released less than two months prior this song.

Background

In November 2021, Solomon Sobande, XXXTentacion’s manager, revealed that a posthumous collaboration between XXXTentacion and Juice Wrld was in development.[1]

The track was completed posthumously by the estates of both artists. On January 28, 2018, XXXTentacion shared a video on social media of himself jokingly performing the song’s chorus with a Ugandan accent, which is believed to have been recorded in the studio in a more serious way around the same period. The title is a reference to the popular Ugandan Knuckles meme and its associated catchphrase, “Do you know da wae?”.[2][3]

Juice Wrld’s vocals originate from his unreleased track “Traveling (Inner Peace)”, recorded at Paramount Recording Studios in Santa Monica on June 21, 2018.[2][4]

The song features an acoustic guitar-driven instrumental accompanied by subtle keyboard elements, creating a minimal and intimate atmosphere. Both artists reflect on themes of isolation, uncertainty, and emotional struggle, topics that frequently appeared in their previous work.[5]

The animated music video was directed by Juice Wrld’s longtime collaborator and photographer Steve Cannon and animated by frequent collaborator KDC Visions. It depicts animated versions of XXXTentacion and Juice Wrld embarking on an intergalactic journey and floating through space.[6][7]

Critical reception

“The Way” received generally positive coverage from music publications, which praised its emotional tone. Michael Saponara of Billboard described the track as a “poignant” addition to Legends Never Die,[6] while Gabriel Bras Nevares of HotNewHipHop highlighted its acoustic, guitar-led production and introspective lyrics.[5] Antonio Johri of Complex noted that the song combines XXXTentacion’s unfinished vocals with Juice Wrld’s vocals from his unreleased track “Traveling (Inner Peace)”,[4] forming “a remarkably seamless duet.”[2] However some fans questioned the decision to posthumously merge vocals from separate songs, reigniting debate over the ethics of posthumous releases and their commercial motives.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Apple Music.[8]

  • Juice Wrld – artist, songwriter
  • XXXTentacion – artist, songwriter
  • John Cunningham – songwriter, producer, engineer
  • Robert Soukiasyan – songwriter, additional producer
  • Jon Castelli – mixing engineer
  • Dale Becker – mastering engineer

Charts

Chart performance for “The Way”
Chart (2025) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[9] 29

References

  1. ^ “XXXTentacion’s Manager Solomon Sounds Teases “Big Collab” with Juice WRLD”. Daquan.tv. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c “9 Facts About Juice WRLD’s ‘Legends Never Die’“. Complex. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  3. ^ Juice WRLD & XXXTENTACION – The Way, retrieved October 18, 2025
  4. ^ a b Juice WRLD – Traveling (Inner Peace), retrieved October 18, 2025
  5. ^ a b Nevares, Gabriel Bras (June 29, 2011). “Juice WRLD & XXXTENTACION Find “The Way” On New Single”. HotNewHipHop. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Saponara, Michael (July 11, 2025). “Juice WRLD Posthumously Joins Forces With XXXTENTACION for ‘The Way’: Watch”. Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  7. ^ “Juice WRLD’s ‘Legends Never Die (5 Year Anniversary Edition)’ Is Out Now”. Hypebeast. July 11, 2025. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  8. ^ The Way by Juice WRLD & XXXTENTACION on Apple Music, July 11, 2025, retrieved October 18, 2025
  9. ^ “Explore our 50 year history”. aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz. Retrieved October 18, 2025.