Malcolm James McCormick, professionally known as Mac Miller, recently passed away on Sept. 7th, 2018 due to a suspected drug overdose. He was a rapper, singer and record producer, and he produced many songs, such as “Self Care” and “Ladders.” These songs reference his problems with addiction. Miller played the piano, drums, guitar and bass, and he taught himself how to play these instruments. He cared for his fans and it was fun to see the videos of him and listen to his music. He has influenced many of his fans and the people around him. Miller knew his passion was hip-hop from the young age of fifteen and it was always his number one priority.
Miller was fighting a constant battle with drug addiction since 2012 and used drugs to cope with his stress. He talked about his addiction often and confirmed his addiction by stating “I love lean; it’s great … I was not happy and I was on lean very heavy,”. His music spoke about his addiction and many people on social media said it helped many people deal with their struggles in life and influenced their lives. He struggled with drug abuse and was very open with it because he wanted to help other people avoid his same problems. He wanted to focus on becoming sober in 2015 and finding a better way to cope with his depression and stress from the music industry. He stated “I’m not 100 percent clean, but. . . I can look in the mirror and be like, ‘I look OK.'”
Many people on social media are blaming Ariana Grande for Miller’s relapse. She stated on social media that their relationship was toxic, and she just wanted what was best for him. She emphasized that he was dealing with so many problems that he never deserved, and she just wanted to help. In her posts she also claims that she is mad at herself for not being able to help and that was all she wanted to do for him.
Many popular artists in the music industry talk about drug addiction and write songs about it, but we need to remember that these are not just songs, these are real people who are dealing with the same problems that other people have. Mac Miller will live on in the influences that he had on his fans and through his music.