Mac Miller One Pager

Publication: NPR

Author: Bobby Carter, Sidney Madden 

Web Address: https://www.npr.org/2018/09/11/646519223/appreciating-the-unfinished-legacy-of-mac-miller 

     For the mere age of 15 I believe I have a very eclectic music taste. Whether it’s the hip-hop my older brothers raised me on, the bubblegum pop my sister refused to turn off, or the eighties classics my parents had on repeat. I never really minded the music and most of it’s still played around me till this day. There have been many artists that have come and gone for my family and me. However, one artist in particular never left. I remember hearing Mac Miller being played over and over specifically his K.I.D.S mixtape. Was it appropriate for my young age of eight? No, but I don’t think my brother was too worried about that.  

     On the recent date of September 7th, 2018 Miller passed away of a reported drug overdose. The rapper had been very open with his struggles pertaining to substance abuse. Outside of that his music was his career. It ranged from rap to R&B, and he even experimented with softer tones and funk. His music was filled with creativity and honesty. At the beginning of his career Miller rapped about adolescence, finding love, and getting rich through the career of rap. As he grew older and played around with his music a bit more he put his own battles with depression into his music as well as still discovering the topic of love.  Miller was trained in piano at the age of 6 and taught himself beat production, and how to play the drums and guitar. His first breakthrough mixtape was in 2010 and he continued to release music from then up until just about a month before his death. Miller had just dropped his fifth studio album Swimming in early August of 2018. He’d planned a tour, but it sadly wasn’t able to happen before his death. “He left plenty of proof of his musical brilliance...” Many were devastated because of his death, he had many fans as well as other artists that looked up to him. 

     Miller was a hard-working artist who was always aware of the other up and coming artists working around him. Even though many of his releases were overshadowed by other drops from different artists doesn’t mean he wasn’t any less successful or didn't remain relevant. He was described as “a sweet, easygoing individual with an innate gift for music.” The rapper was always bringing other artists on tour with him and trying to help the upcoming artists gain more notoriety. “He always reached back to pull others up.” I remember hearing nothing but good things about Miller, of course when an artist dies you want to remember all the positives, but I believe many saw him in a positive way. “We tend to highlight the greatest qualities once we lose someone, but I can say for certain there’s no embellishment when we speak about Mac Miller...He was the real deal.” Miller's legacy will be something that continues to live on through his music and other artists. 

     Miller's death was personally something that was very surreal to me. I practically grew up on his music and still listen to it very frequently. Regardless of how much new music I discovered he was an artist I always came back to, it’s a bit weird thinking I might never get any new music from an artist I was so familiar with. I think it’s important to recognize and keep any artists' legacy going after they pass, because usually in some way or another that artist has helped someone through their own struggles or the music is just relatable in general. When an artist like Miller has been around for so long they shouldn’t just be forgotten after passing, because they’ve made great accomplishments and have worked very hard to get where they were and that's where the should remain.