Updated 30 Oct 2026
Juice WRLD built a whole lane of melodic emo rap by pairing catchy vocals with a guitar or piano that carries real emotion, and producers like Nick Mira of Internet Money turned that into a blueprint on tracks like Lucid Dreams in 2018. If you listen closely, the production is doing something simple on purpose. A looping guitar or piano progression sets the mood, a counter melody sits just underneath it, a warm synth bass or a huge 808 pushes the low end, and the drums stay out of the way so there is room for a hook. The trick most beginners miss is that the feeling comes from the melody and the little human imperfections in it, not from busy drums or stacked effects. Strum the chords so they are not perfectly on the grid, drop a counter melody that answers the main line, and let one guitar part breathe. Get that right and your loop stops sounding like a stiff preset and starts sounding like something an emo rap artist could actually sing over. Here is how the sound is built, step by step.
You do not need a finished beat to start. The Juice WRLD loops sit in step 1 and again at the bottom, ready to play.
A Juice WRLD type beat usually runs around 160 BPM in a minor key, with a workable range of roughly 150 to 165 BPM. Tempo sits in the melodic emo rap pocket, Juice WRLD tutorials call 160 BPM a solid middle, and some producers start slower around 140 for a more ambient vibe. One tutorial even pitches an idea up toward 170 after speeding it up. Pick a tempo in that window and let the melody set the mood, because the energy here comes from emotion and movement rather than from fast drums.
The key leans minor. A go to move in these tutorials is to turn on scale highlighting and set E minor natural, also called aeolian, so every note you place stays in key. Other producers build around a guitar sample in B major and write melodies over chords like A sharp minor, D sharp minor and F sharp major. Keep the progression short, emotional and simple, often around four chords with a little rhythm, so the vocal has space to lead.
Start on a guitar or piano, because that is where almost every Juice WRLD beat begins. A simple trick for related chords is to take a chord and move it down five, or turn three notes into a major chord, so the progression hangs together without any theory. Give the chords a little rhythm instead of making every one the same length, since that uneven push is part of the signature feel. Keep the top melody simple, just a few notes, because the mood matters more than complexity.
The detail that makes it sound human is the performance, not the notes. Producers randomize the timing and strum the chords so the notes do not all land at the exact same moment, the way a real player hits a piano or guitar. Record the guitar by hand if you can, or play in a line that feels loose, then de click and tidy the recording afterward. A slightly imperfect, strummed progression is what separates an emotional Juice WRLD loop from a stiff quantized one.
Guitar and piano carry the whole beat. Producers reach for a played guitar, often with a capo placed somewhere random for fresh voicings and new ideas, or a Kontakt library like Evolution Modern Nylon. On the keys a cinematic piano such as Keyscape is a common starting point, alongside presets pulled from Omnisphere and Electra. You do not need a huge palette, just one or two melodic sounds that feel emotional and sit well together.
The character comes from light processing and layering. RC20 adds a vintage, slightly broken texture, Thermal brings warm drive to a dry guitar, and Valhalla reverb pushes parts back for space. A classic Nick Mira style move is a half time arp copied from the main chords, pitched up an octave and turned way down so it only reads as background texture. On pads, producers often use GrossBeat gating and roll off the low end. One resampling trick worth knowing is pitching a part up six semitones, rendering it to audio, then pitching the clip back down for a slightly warped, lo fi sound.
The counter melody is a Juice WRLD trademark. It is a second, contrasting line that sits right under the main melody and answers it, the way the counter melody in Wishing Well complements the lead. Browse your sounds until one complements the melody you already recorded, then write a line that fills the gaps instead of fighting the main part. Process it with reverb so it sits underneath rather than on top.
A single note, palm muted guitar line is another signature move, often used only in the verses to add a pulsing energy under everything else. Pick the counter notes so they line up with the chords already playing, which guarantees they sound right. Keep this layer quiet and supporting, because its job is to add feeling and movement, not to steal attention from the main melody or the vocal.
Low end in this sound comes in two flavors. A warm synth bass fits the intros and verses, where a steady, gliding patch holds the mood without punching too hard. Producers often grab a warm synth bass preset, take out the attack and kill any LFO that opens and closes the filter, so the sound stays smooth and even. Copy the root notes of your chords onto it and let it glide down into place.
In the chorus the synth bass usually gives way to a big 808 that sits right at the front, almost as loud as the vocal. Copy the same root notes onto the 808, bring it up an octave or two so it reads clearly, and ride the velocity. Many producers sidechain the kick to the 808 so both punch without clashing. The 808 is a huge part of the emotional weight here, so pick a heavy sample and keep the written notes simple.
Keep the drums supportive. A simple two step hi hat, a clap or counter snare, a kick, some open hats and a perk are plenty, because the melody and the vocal are the stars. Randomize the hat velocity so it breathes, pan two hats into opposite ears for width, and spread the perks and open hats left and right so the groove feels wide rather than cramped. Rim shots and a clap layer fill out the chorus.
Arrangement is where a Juice WRLD beat really comes alive. Introduce part of the hook or the counter melody in the intro, then cut most of the drums out right before the drop so the beat breathes, add a riser and a crash going into the chorus, and pull sounds in and out so no two sections feel identical. Automate reverb and volume so parts fade in and out smoothly, which gives that spacious, emotional dynamic the style is known for.
Once the guitar or piano progression, the counter melody, the bass and the drums sit together, the hardest part of the sound is done. The part that eats the most time is that emotional, hand played melody, the strummed guitar or loose piano that gives a Juice WRLD beat its feeling, so instead of fighting the piano roll you can grab a free hand played loop in exactly this melodic emo rap lane, drop it into your session, and build the counter melody, the 808 and the drums around a progression that was actually performed.
Every loop on ndacompany.de is hand played by real producers, free to download and never AI generated, so you can audition ideas fast and keep the ones that spark something. There is no login wall to hear them, and a free account simply lets you save your favorite loops and come back whenever inspiration hits, so your next Juice WRLD type beat starts with a real idea instead of a blank arrangement.
Pick a loop and drag it into your DAW. 808 under it, clap on top, your first Juice WRLD beat is running.
All Juice WRLD loopsTempo, key and mood of the Juice WRLD loops, straight from our catalog.
| Loop | BPM | Key | Vibe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Million | 158 | Cmin | Ambient, Sad |
| Alien | 146 | Sad | |
| Näher | 140 | Sad | |
| Chosen | 140 | Cmin | Sad |
| Babyblue | 140 | Gmin | Ambient, Sad |
| Fantom | 140 | Ambient, Sad | |
| 2Times | 146 | Dark, Sad |
Tutorials call 160 BPM a solid middle, with a workable range of roughly 150 to 165 BPM. Some producers start slower around 140 for a more ambient vibe. The tempo is melodic emo rap, so the melody carries the mood rather than fast drums.
Minor. A common move is scale highlighting set to E minor natural, also called aeolian, so every note stays in key. Others build around a guitar sample in B major with chords like A sharp minor, D sharp minor and F sharp major. Keep the progression short and emotional.
A played guitar, often with a capo, or a Kontakt library like Evolution Modern Nylon, a cinematic piano such as Keyscape, and presets from Omnisphere and Electra. Add a warm synth bass, a big 808 and simple drums, with RC20, Thermal and Valhalla reverb for vibe.
A second, contrasting line that sits right under the main melody and answers it, like the counter melody in Wishing Well. A single note, palm muted guitar line is a common version, kept quiet and used mostly in the verses to add pulsing energy.
A warm, gliding synth bass fits the intros and verses, then a big 808 takes over in the chorus and sits right at the front, almost as loud as the vocal. Copy your chord root notes onto both, keep the notes simple, and sidechain the kick to the 808 so they do not clash.
You can download free hand played loops in this melodic emo rap lane on ndacompany.de and build your beat around them. The loops are never AI generated, there is no login to listen, and a free account just lets you save your favorites and return anytime.
They are not royalty-free. Free in your own beats; a 50/50 publishing split with NDA Company applies to every commercial release. License Terms
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