It has officially been six months without one of the most popular rappers of our era. For many people- especially those of us in our twenty's- Mac was the rapper that shaped not only rap but also hip-hop for our generation and what we think about music today. Mac Miller affected so many people around him including his friends, family, peers, artists' and fans. Mac Miller was a self-taught musician and was someone that anyone could relate to.
He first started rapping by the age of fourteen and by the time he was seventeen, people were starting to hear is raps and listening to him. Soon after he was signed by an independent record label where he then started releasing some of his most popular and well-known singles, "Best Day Ever" and "Donald Trump."
For me, Mac Miller is more than just an artist. His music meant something to me and my friends and we all could really relate to him and his music. In high school, some of my favorite memories are brought right back to me when I listen to his music. His album "Good AM" is my all-time favorite, including one of my favorite songs by him "Weekend." Any time I hear this song, I am brought back to the night I was at his concert with my three best friends. We were in the front row singing along with him and that is when the picture above was taken.
I often wish I could go back to this night and take more advantage of the time I had, being in the same room as him. If I could go back, I know I would be on my phone less and taking in more of my surroundings and really listening to every word he sang. I know if I wasn't on my phone, I would have never gotten this picture but I do believe I would have been more in the moment rather than trying to take the perfect picture.
It has been six months, and yes I still have not wrapped my head around the fact that he is gone, and we will never get new music from him again. Not only him passing away at a young age is hard to grasp, but the way he did as well. Now, looking back and listening to his music, you can hear him sing about his struggles and his cry for help. Especially in the last album, he released just a month before he was gone.
The whole album, "Swimming" is about a man talking about his mental state and giving us an inside look at what he was going through at the time. Mac deserved much more than the short life he had, but he made a great impact on everyone around him, and that is how we should remember him as. The happy-go-lucky that was always laughing and messing around singling songs he loved.
A little shout-out to the people who remind me of the good times I have associated with Mac- Abby Wenninger, Abree Leach, Emily Stybr and Jack Maki!
