Late last week social media platforms flooded with pictures and prayers saluting Mac Miller, his craft and his contribution to the hip-hop world. At only 26 years old, Mac Miller passed away due to a drug overdose.
Mac Miller was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At a young age, Miller showed great interest in sports and musical instruments. At the age of fourteen, Miller began rapping. Since he had a love for music as a whole, he really enjoyed listening to artists like Prince, The Beatles and Bob Marley.
The rap groups that helped create this love for rap and hip-hop were A Tribe Called Quest and Wu Tang Clan. However, in an interview on BET’s 106 & Park, Mac Miller stated that the artist that made him start making music was legendary rapper Big L. Lastly, his approach to creating a brand for himself was heavily influenced by OutKast’s classic approach.
Mac Miller created buzz around his name back in 2010 when his mixtape “K.I.D.S” was released. It was inspired by the movie “KIDS,” which came out in 1995. At this time, he was an unsigned artist with the primary goal of “making it.” The track within this mixtape that built this buzz for Miller was “Nikes on My Feet.”
This track was great for a variety of reasons. First, Miller invited his audience to his point of view on the world and used something fairly simple to do so. His use of a regular pair of Nikes allowed listeners to relate with what Miller was talking about. Because this mixtape was such a hit, an independent label named Rostrum Records from his home town signed him.
Rostrum president, Benjy Grinberg, met Miller in a studio where he was working with Wiz Khalifa who went to the same high school as Miller. After signing with the label, the mixtape had a significant breakthrough leading to Miller’s “The Incredibly Dope Tour” which sold out at every single location.
Because of the success of this tour, a great deal of popular producers and record labels were interested in working closely with Miller. He began working with people like Just Blaze and 9th Wonder who were producers that were dedicating a lot of time to artists like Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Kendrick Lamar. Later in his career, Miller landed a record deal with Warner Bros. and was featured on XXL magazine’s annual “Freshman Class” list of the year. This exposure created a platform for him to lay his foundation and flourish as an artist.
Miller’s death created a sad time for the hip hop world. Artists from all around the globe stopped what they were doing and paid their respect to the late artist. More specifically, artists like Chance The Rapper thanked Miller for his unconditional commitment to his craft and how much Miller dedicated to Chance’s work. Ariana Grande, Mac Miller’s ex-girlfriend, gained a lot of the attention because of their past relationship. Ariana Grande posted a picture of Miller and told media outlets that she “can’t believe he is gone,” to which she received a lot of negative comments blaming her for leaving Miller because of his drug problem.
One of the most meaningful reactions I have seen to his death was posted by J. Cole. Cole called for anybody who has a drug, mental, or even social issue to contact him and his team.
With that, be sure to take care of yourself! As the semester continues to pick up, focus on taking care of yourself by staying hydrated, working out, and maintaining a healthy balance between the social and academic realms of DePauw.
Mac Miller’s work will forever stay engraved in the hip-hop world. His dedication and commitment to his work as well as the work of other artists helped him stand out amongst other musicians. Prayers go out to him and his loved ones! Rest Easy, Mac!