The Rap Industry Loses Young Legend, Mac Miller.

Mac Miller, the 26-year-old rapper who was able to be vulnerable yet witty through his music, passes away due to an alleged drug overdose.

Malcolm McCormick, known to his fans as Mac Miller, started his humble beginning in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His knack for music began at the tender age of six when he fell in love with the piano. Miller began his music career by releasing several mixtapes under the stage name ‘EZ Mac’ which eventually led him to release his debut album ‘Blue Slide Park’ in 2011. From his early party rap to his most recent contribution to the jazz-rap movement, his listeners embark on a journey which ranged from details of his tribulations, experiences, advice with the beautiful addition of his comical lyricism.

After the news of his death his family, friends, celebrities, and fans took to social media to express their love and admiration. Though the circumstances of his death there was nothing but positive messages and posts being shared about the young rapper. Miller’s long-time friend, Dylan Reynold, shared a heartfelt message about their close relationship and Miller’s selflessness; “He is the most magnetic, loyal, caring, and inspiring person I have ever met.”

Saddened fans misdirected their grief by attacking Miller’s former girlfriend and artiste, Ariana Grande, by blaming her for his drug abuse and subsequent death. Grande received death threats and also had persons showing up to her New York apartment with weapons. This ignorant behaviour perfectly highlighted how our society still lacks awareness of the depths of mental illness and drug abuse.

In one of my personal favourites, ‘Faces’, which is one of his rawest pieces of work, Miller allows his listeners to delve into his mind and explore his most authentic emotions. His psychedelic and dark beats guide his lyricism to tell his story.

“Got a little Whitney, put it in a blunt for now

She was supposed to get me high

Why the fuck I wanna die now?”

On ‘New Faces v2’, Miller personifies cocaine into Whitney as it is an allusion to Whitney Huston’s death by a cocaine overdose. He questions how a drug that’s purpose is to make him feel high and blissful makes him feel so low and suicidal. This mixtape is riddled with similar dark allusions and references that highlight his struggle with substance abuse. Despite its dark themes, he includes his playful lyricism and begins to explore his more musical side by being one of the main producers, ‘Larry Fisherman’.

His most recent album ‘Swimming’ contrasts ‘Faces’ as it dissects Miller’s struggle to stay enthusiastic while battling his depression and addiction. Critics describe ‘Swimming’ to be his most progressive album that he has ever released. He incorporates jazz inspired and orchestral production simultaneously with his singing to explore themes such as heartbreak, self-care, and personal deliverance. The album begins on a hopeful note as he addresses that he is finally afloat after his recent stressful situations.

“And I was drowning, but now I’m swimming,

Through stressful waters to relief.”

In his most iconic song on the album, ‘Self Care’, Miller expresses his longing to overcome his obstacles. As he sings he states, “well, didn’t know what I was missing, now I see a lil different.” He wasn’t aware of what he was missing when he was ‘high’ but his sobriety gave him a new perspective on life. The visuals that accompanied this single stresses his message that he refuses to succumb to his problems. As he punches through his own engravement which reads “Momento Mori,” which translates to “remember that you have to die,” he reminds himself that death is inevitable. However, he punches it and escapes the casket to represent his desire not to surrender to his difficulties and ‘die’ but overcome them as he rises from the dirt to his new outlook on life. The song ironically ends with him singing in his outro, “I got all the time in the world, so far I’m just chilling.”

Self Care’s lyricism and visuals tragically act as foreshadowing but perfectly represents Miller’s relentlessness. During this time Mac Miller should be remembered for the legendary rapper that he was and appreciation for his music that he graced the public with should still be continued. Miller’s passing should be a serious indication that mental illness and drug abuse is still a critical issue that is not taken seriously in modern society and should be discussed on a wider scale.

RIP Easy Mac with the Cheesy Rap

Photo Credit: Christaan Felber for Vulture

Article originally published here.