Artist Mac Miller has recently passed from a drug overdose at his residence in Los Angeles on September 7 at age 26.  As the hip-hop community and fans come to grips with the loss of Malcolm McCormick, we look in hindsight at Mac’s important contribution to music and how he will forever be remembered as a talented, uncompromising artist in the industry—one who has inspired many rappers and musicians to come.  

Although the young artist’s struggles with addiction left a notable mark on his career, Mac’s permeating optimism found in both his music and his attitude easily overshadows his inner tribulations with substance abuse.  Many celebrities and acclaimed artists honored Mac on social media shortly after his death, including Drake, J. Cole, Post Malone, Chance the Rapper, and the late rapper’s ex-girlfriend, Ariana Grande. Grande commemorated Mac in an Instagram post with the caption: “I adored you from the day I met you when I was nineteen.  I can’t believe you aren’t here anymore. I really can’t wrap my head around it. You were my dearest friend for so long, above anything else. I’m so sorry I couldn’t fix or take your pain away. I hope you’re okay now. Rest.” The couple had been together for about two years after fairly recently breaking up in late May.

Since the split, Mac was involved in a serious car accident while driving under the influence of alcohol.  Proceeding this, he was able to open up about his struggles with depression and substance abuse to the public, and he also expressed his profound disapproval over the recent engagement of Grande and SNL cast member, Pete Davidson.  All of these instances regarding Mac Miller’s personal affairs shed light on what was to come on his latest album released in July—Swimming—the lyrical content of which tackled subjects such as heartbreak, mental health, and his dejection after the aforementioned breakup.  The album received widespread critical acclaim and was arguably one of the personal record Mac put out.

Mac Miller will always be remembered and admired for his exceptional lyricism and flow as an MC.  These skills were first evident on his debut mixtape, K.I.D.S., on which Mac demonstrated his immense technicality as a rapper at a very young age.  His first-ever mixtape exuded a sense of cheerfulness and soul, a sound that positively evolved over the artist’s career.  Mac was uncompromising and did not yield his style to current trends.

After K.I.D.S., the next prominent piece of work from Miller was Faces, a project that was considered a departure from his earlier work and contained more of a  jazzy, lo-fi feel. However, this record also showed the audience a darker side of Mac; the lyrical content carried a vibe that was more bleak and self-aware.  This was a significant step in the artist’s career, as he demonstrated his versatility as a rapper. Mac followed up Faces with another dense musical project called The Divine Feminine, which was a concept record that was an even more sonic departure from his last work.  This album most prominently tackled themes such as falling in love and the exploration into the perspective of a female.  This was the first record on which Ariana Grande was featured as a collaborator. This was also the first album that Mac showed his skills as both a rapper and a singer.  He also produced, recorded, and played every instrument on the entire record singlehandedly. This was impressive, as it is a rare occurrence to see a rapper have complete control over every aspect of his music.

Artists, fans, and listeners will remember Mac Miller as a young, talented, exuberant figure in the music industry who never compromised his skills to trends and who gained great respect throughout his fleeting career.  He depicted what it meant to be a “true artist” and demonstrated how rap music can cross over into different lanes, both sonically and lyrically. Every project from the artist was a constant reflection of himself, making him a relatable and extremely valuable figure in music.