My Dedication To Mac Miller; Finding Life In Death, And Both In Music

                               (*Image Originally Used By DJ Booth For This Article*)

I was in high school (circa 2009-2010) when a sudden plethora of Pittsburgh artists started paving their own way onto the hip hop scene; the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Chevy Woods, and (brief rumblings of) the young old head Beedie all had a different sound that pushed the ideas of what hip hop could sound like and turn into, more sub-categories that give people the options and follow the moods in which people feel. Then, in 2011, I was introduced to an artist who (at the time) I didn't know, or have any idea or inclination that would change my perception on music and how it could be made and heard, forever. "Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza" had a very child-like excitement about it (though with budding adolescent intentions), an excitement that I could not understand at the time. I couldn't help but think to myself, "why is this guy rapping about an after school special meal for middle class white kids to come home to?  Why is he so full of himself?  And why is he acting like every other wannabe kid in my high school, but actually getting recognition for it?" Well, as it turned out; every other wannabe kid... wanted to be him. Although the early years of "Eazy Mac with the cheesy raps" wasn't exactly my type of meal to indulge in, the following 8 years to come had shown me the most interesting artistic transformation from a rapper I have ever seen... and probably will hold that title for decades to come.




To see such a transformation from ANY hip hop artist, let alone a goofy white boy from Pittsburgh, PA was staggering. The younger, unpolished The High Life, KIDS, and Best Day Ever years saw a Mac that to me seemed to lack identity; a fusing of rap's culmination up to the years of 2009-2010. The beats were head bobbers and the hooks were recite-worthy, but the real artist in Malcolm McCormick hadn't seemed to come to fruition yet; it's almost as if Mac hadn't quite yet graduated to the sound that fit him, like his famous Pittsburgh fitted hats. But with that goofy white boy smile, a happy-go-lucky swagger, and the "never settle" work ethic that brought us so much Mac music in so little time (12 mixtapes and 5 studio albums since 2007) had turned Mac into not only one of the most respected rappers of the blogging era, but one of the most revered artists of this generation.


           

2012 saw Mac taking a different route musically; a sonic transformation that (whether due to critical scrutiny or personal wishes) molded and morphed Mac into an era of artistic experimentation incomparable to any other rapper. His dark mind and vivid imagination started to allow Mac to experiment in parameters never before explored by hip hop artists with his descriptive and off-the-wall style and comedy in his writing, which was met with an equal level of high as much as his realistic and brutal talks of death, depression and despair brought on fiery depths of the lowest of lows that no human should wish to see. Mac for so long danced with the "Diablo" of the deep in what can only be described as a form of "method music making"; using his ability to craft real and raw songs from almost every emotion he ever felt at any given time. At Mac's highs, his fans experienced The High Life with him. But at Mac's lows, his people watched movies with the sound off while experimenting in creative ways that exercised the brain, and pushed the mind to it's absolute limits, somehow without reaching levels that would put the happiest person in a mental hospital. This was Mac's way of expression, an outlet that represented the true extra terrestrial nature of a man from Pittsburgh; who was for Earth, but not from it. A being that understood the every ways of humans more than any one of us pedestrians ever could.


(Just as great a performer as he was an emcee, Mac thrived off of using live instruments and wasn't afraid to use his singing talents, pushing that emotion he felt and transforming it into great music)                      


Watching Movies With The Sound Off brought that same sound, magnified. I spent a solid month to 2 months listening to the album out of curiosity and research (a couple years after the album came out, circa 2015), and feeling Mac tow the line between skilled emcee and talented musician was astounding. I had only been able to get that real and raw reaction and emotion from 1 other rapper, who is famous for his Man On The Moon series. Mac's fearlessness in being weird and unaccepted allowed not only me, but an entire generation of kids to feel okay about not being okay. To be able to be weird and explore yourself could ultimately lead to the loving of yourself, and it probably wouldn't be far fetched to say that that was Mac's intention all along. On songs like "I Am Who I Am (Killin' Time)" and "Objects In The Mirror", Mac's brutal honesty and uncomfortable sadness was not only an experiment for his own happiness, but a representation of the places we may have to travel to in order to ultimately reach happiness. "Aquarium" is the hand that reaches out to catch you on an album that represents falling to your death; the saving grace that says even after all of the bullshit... we will be okay, as long as you "follow yourself wherever your mind goes."




Despite the terribly unfortunate circumstances, it would be untrue to say that Mac had not experienced happiness. In an eerily profound way, his music also represented happier times in the Pittsburgh emcee's life, which you can already picture when you imagine that ear to ear grin he always gave right before letting out a laugh that could change the mood of almost anybody. His 3rd studio album, GO:OD AM  showed the brightest side of Mac that we had seen to date, with Mac finally coming to grips with his failures as much as he had his success, his flaws as a man finally accepted by the most important person in his life; himself. He stopped trying so much to become his own idea of great and started attempting more to enjoy his life, which was very much represented on GO:OD AM. Mac's focus had finally shifted to enjoying what he did, and it showed in his happiness and the fun he was having in making songs again ("Cut The Check", "100 Grandkids", "Weekend", "Clubhouse", "In The Bag", "Cut The Check"), while that signature ability to tap into his emotions better than almost anyone still remained sharp as a sword, the little nuances spread all throughout the album.


(Mac's chilling last music video he ever released
*I do not own these videos, or the rights to them*)


It's truly frightening to think about the signs of depression and drug addiction that Malcolm James McCormick showed throughout the years, but our regret lies in not being able to help him when he needed it. His struggle with addiction was well documented for years, but for an extended period of time his music seemed to be the saving grace of not only his fans, but Mac himself. Mac Miller will go down as one of the most expressive, delightfully weird, thought provoking and open minded rappers that hip hop has ever seen. His ever changing metamorphosis as an artist pushed hip hop to it's absolute boundaries, and though he passed at a tragically young age, his influence will reign on hip hop and it's own cult following, as well as his own cult following inside of the already scrutinized medium of expression for yea... decades to come. His mind bending concepts and at times, uncomfortably honest music not only represents Mac Miller as the expressive artist that he always was, but the beautiful human that he will always be remembered as. For every moment of positive recognition that Mac received, he shined a beaming spotlight on his shortcomings ten times brighter, with the utmost hope and effort to better himself in any and every way possible; an example that every human should follow and take notes on. We should take Malcolm's comfortability in speaking so heavily about death not as regretful or remorseful, but as acceptance that he is finally comfortable, and most of all; content. Rest Easy, Mac.


I woke up from a long night of Watching Movies With The Sound Off to quite a GO:OD AM. The light shined through the blinds harder than I had ever seen it, and though I was slightly blinded by the light, I finally felt awake. As I made my way to Blue Slide Park to reminisce in memories, I saw a bunch of KIDS playing on the slide, at the same time I also wished for better days. But then I thought, I didn't need to wish anymore... I finally feel as if I got my wish. I made my way to the pool to go Swimming, and prepared to Jump in. For some reason, this Jump felt the most in the moment I had ever felt in my life. In the air I thought about nothing, nothing at all. Not a single thing besides the anticipation of the cool water sending waves of pleasure and fulfillment through me... I finally hit the water and came to a realization. I plopped out of the water with the brightest eyes and the biggest pupils possible... was I high?  Not at all. But I was finally living The High Life.        




                 


                     











   

            

Observations From Mac Miller's Swimming

When it comes to Mac Miller, it's always been difficult to define his sound as one particular style or subgenre of hip hop, sometimes even as music as a whole (the man makes hip hop Beatles experimental music, let's be real). His transformation from budding retro kid with a goofy grin to the serious hip hop artist (and I didn't say "rapper" because Mac cannot be boxed in) he has become has been truly spectacular. From fun projects like Kids and Best Day Ever, to some of his most serious content like Faces and Watching Movies With The Sound Off, Mac has always been willing, able, ad ready to tackle a new challenge both mentally, and sonically. But what is Swimming? What does it mean in relation to Mac's past and discography as a whole?  Is Mac trying to make us feel better by saying that he's not drowning in things anymore, or is Mac truly Swimming and flourishing like the Olympian we all know he can be?  Here are my observations from Mac Miller's latest peculiar project below.


Emotional Weight Not Only In The Lyrics, But In The Music As Well


As far as vulnerability in his lyrics, Swimming proves to be Mac's most introspective and personal album to date. That raw feeling and emotion that Mac has shown glimpses of in the past shines through like the morning sun glaring through a set of freshly opened curtains, hitting you unapologetically and prideful in it's openness and willingness to share, through the ups, downs, and balances of life. On "Come Back To Earth", Mac discusses his regrets, comparing them to "texts I shouldn't send." It's lines like that and "things I tell you, I shouldn't even tell myself", that set the tone early for Mac's raw candidness that takes place throughout the album. On the first song of the album to receive the music video treatment, "Self Care", Mac spends his time doing what the title insists; taking care of himself. A different take from the average Mac narrative, the struggle is still evident in Mac's day to day lifestyle, but after the beat change up just over halfway through the track, the realization sets in. Mac keeps referring to the "oblivion" he almost gets stuck in, as well as navigating the fear of the unknown and not only his, but the average person's willingness to proceed through it. Certainly a powerful message when taking Mac's drug-fueled past into account, "Self Care" is an eye opening refresher to Mac fans, as well as a pleasant thing to hear that he is pushing through life with no fear, or at least not as much as before.


A Funky Subtleness That Strays Away From The Rap Sound, But Isn't A Complete Experiment

          

It's always seemed as if Mac's boredom with the "run of the mill" hip hop sound has propelled his own sound into new heights, and Swimming is another continuous demonstration of that. His use of more live instrumentation and less instrumentals throughout the album adds a more raw, emotional sound (along with the elements I discussed above) that give a more organic, "naked" feel to the atmosphere of the album as a whole. In the representation of what this means for the album's theme, this adds not only a layer to the more purely musical aspect of the album, but also another layer to the emotional weight that the album carries; Mac is as real as the instruments he uses. On "Wings", Mac uses a very lighthearted snare to (in weird ways) represent a much more upbeat sound and feel, almost to say "I feel like how my music sounds; happy."  As the hook sings, "these are my wings", which says "I know my low points can be bad, but I have some high points too." On one of the album's last songs, "Jet Fuel", Mac continues the use of that smooth, cool calm and collected types of basslines and jazz instrumentation to represent his feelings of confidence and reassurance to himself, and it shows in the closing of the song's chorus; "but I never run out of jet fuel." The evolution throughout just Swimming alone is an excellent summary of Mac's journey through depression, drug addiction, and his continuous road to recovery and happiness; a road that we can all relate to wanting to travel through.


Is Mac Miller Finally In A Better Place?

(*I do not own any of these songs, or the rights to them*)

If you've paid any sort of attention to Mac's discography in the past, you'd have to be a deaf Stevie Wonderin' what the eff is going on with Mac Miller's life. The Pittsburgh emcee has made some of the darkest, most experimental music that hip hop has seen in the 2010's, and a lot of it has been due in part to his past drug problems. The places that the drugs have taken him in terms of his "music making methods" have been some definite experiments, and whether they've done more right for him musically, you have to admit this Swimming version of Mac Miller sounds like Mac Miller version 3.0. While still able to keep the hallucinatory vibes with his dream-like entities of songs, Mac has come out the other side somehow completely clear minded and headstrong; able to reminisce without getting stuck, and able to look forward to the future without getting frightened at the idea of it. The epitome of the meaning of Swimming can be embodied by one line in the song "Jet Fuel"; "my head under water and I ain't in the shower and I ain't gettin' baptized." But what does this mean for Swimming as a whole?  The album does a beautiful job of starting out with those negatives that we all know so well; the reminiscing, the drugs and alcohol (okay maybe not everyone knows those that well), the break ups, the never being able to forgive yourself, and the seemingly drowning atmosphere that life can provide at times. But this is why the album is named what it is; the transition from those beginning negatives turn into Mac figuring it out, and turning those negatives into positives. He's not doing drugs anymore, he's using his time productively. He's not dwelling on a break up, he's putting those feelings into a song for you to relate to, and to use as therapy. And he's not dwelling on the past and the negative, he's realizing that he's only human, and that it's okay to make mistakes. But just because you make those mistakes, it doesn't mean you have to drown in them, no. Mac is proving on this album, that after everything you've been through and being thrown in the deep end, you can come out of the other side Swimming.          


                    










   

Watching Movies With The Moon Man: My Infatuation With "Weird" Hip Hop

I put quotes around the word "weird' in the title because many people's definition of the word is not always self explanatory. A person's definition of weird is only explainable when you truly don't understand what the fuck they are talking about. Weird can be defined by something you don't understand, weird can be defined by something you don't find okay to talk about normally, or it can be defined simply by opposing the norm; the abnormal. Other synonyms include uncanny, eerie, unnatural, supernatural, unearthly, otherworldly, ghostly, mysterious, strange, or unusual. So what is weird to you?  Probably a lot of different things; some people don't like insects, others don't understand the thought of supernatural beings (see "weird" synonyms) such as aliens, and then when it comes to music, you probably wouldn't be surprised how many people are afraid to exit the comfort zone that they call "my playlist."  I've been one of these people for so long, I've become a robot where the only music that is visual to me is from my favorite artists, whether I feel they're going in the right direction or not (see B.o.B or Slaughterhouse, shaking my head at both for different reasons). But when someone puts out a project that draws a lot of criticism for how "weird" it sounds, you truly need to ask yourself why you call it weird; is it because the music, or because you're not used to what they're saying?  Is it because the artist has changed, or is it because you're not ready for this certain artist's transcendence as a human being?  It's time for music fans to understand the differences.

We are all human. Every human being on this planet is from a different city or state (for the most part), born on a different date, at a different time, in a different country, in a different hospital, we're all different. Artists are human beings that go through rough patches, different time periods, people, places, and things just as you and me go through, and some people forget that. Some people (such as myself, the angry rap nerd that I am) criticize their favorite artists constantly because one project doesn't sound like the last, or one song isn't as catchy as the last, or because their favorite artist isn't talking about the same things that he/she did on the last project. People create memories with certain music which could be a huge reason why they get so defensive and angry about the "new" music, but these people don't take into account that their favorite musicians have to move on, and tackle the next obstacle... whether that be the next allegation, the next interview, or the next instrumental.

                                           (*The real conversation starts at the 1:09 mark*)

Here's a test (watch the video above on Kid Cudi's comments); what do you think about this?  Are Cudi's comments, is his topic of conversation "weird" to you?  Forget that Cudi has made a staple in this game and has been one of the most influential "rappers" (parenthesis because he truly is an artist, in every sense of the word) of this generation. Forget about Cudi's music and pretend it doesn't exist for a second; if Jay-Z, Lil Wayne or even 50 Cent were to make these exact same comments, would you still think of them as the hard kings of "the rap lifestyle"?  Would they still be as influential to you?  Do you view your favorite rapper as a person, or a persona?

(You'd have to be on drugs to understand some things Mac says in this song, then again he says some not-so-crazy things in his verses as well. *I do not own these videos or the rights to them*)

 

 Mac Miller (as I've posted about a few days prior and whom has been the biggest inspiration for this post) has become one of the most different rap artists out there. Is that good, or is that bad?  I've been listening to Watching Movies With The Sound Off a lot lately, another project I slept on during the time of its release, and I couldn't help but connect to Mac, no matter how drugged up, drugged out, high, low, or drunk he was. Mac talks about doing literally every drug in the book if you've seen some of his recent interviews, and most of it seems to be the inspiration for projects like Watching Movies With The Sound Off and his 2014 mix tape Faces (because who could write or rap like this sober?). Why I connect with this Mac Miller (is not because I'm on drugs) is because he's making himself vulnerable. He needed drugs to do it, but would it be bad to say that drugs have made Mac Miller relatable, or even great?  The music is insane on WMWTSO, but the album got rave reviews from fans, and commercially has been Mac's most successful album, (debuting at #3 on the Billboard 200 and selling 101k copies first week). Forget the album sales and the Billboard charting... Did Mac not make himself more relatable to you when you listened to WMWTSO?  Mac (like Kid Cudi) is his own, fantastic form of WEIRD, and I love it. Weird works in music, and it's not because 100,000 people out there think that it's weird, but because 10,000 people out there connected to it, and it has somehow changed their lives. This is how albums, music, and artists become unforgettable.

 

Weird can be the type of person that annoys you, it can be when you don't understand someone's thoughts or actions, weird can be when you don't have a clue what the fuck someone is talking about, or weird can be defined by opposing the norm; doing, saying, or being something that is not seen or heard every day. But a lot of "weird" things happen every day, a lot of not so normal things occur on the daily, and people say and do things every day that are not set to the "politically correct" standards that society holds. So does that really make it all weird at the end of the day?  Weird is awesome, weird is a change of pace from the same crap you hear from the same people.Weird is not always going to make an appearance at the interviewer's table, but weird is another weird way of saying that you exist. Weird is not so bad after all, because weird is genuine. We need more weird people in the world, let alone weird artists.              

 

                     

          






        

          

Mac Miller's GO:OD A.M: What Do You Expect?

From Easy Mac With The Cheesy Raps to ImMACulate (I just made that up, Em style). From KIDS to Macadelic. From Blue Slide Park to Watching Movies With The Sound Off, Mac Miller has transformed himself into a sort of morphing, conscious, yet heavily drug influenced Two Face of the rap industry. On one side of it all, you have the KIDS version of Mac. Clean rap (as in strictly weed and no other "influences"), catchy hooks, and an incredibly likable character that makes music based on the stoner life. Then comes the morphing process, and you get Watching Movies With The Sound Off (and not to mention Faces) Mac Miller. Suddenly a switch is flipped; the music becomes more abstract along with the rhymes, the subject matter becomes something only a drugged out rock star in the 60s could relate to, and Mac taps into an alter ego of sorts. Both sides of Mac have gained fans (personally Faces got my attention, which led to Watching Movies With The Sound Off ), but there is only 1 Mac. Which Mac will we see on his upcoming album, GO:OD A.M.?

A clean Mac Miller. In case you haven't been keeping up with Mac since his resurfacing back into the music scene, he recently moved to New York with his girlfriend, and is currently in the process of keeping clean of drugs (although not alcohol as seen by his Breakfast Club interview, he admits it's a work in process). Mac knows he disappeared and will tell you himself, but for good reason. He kicked the bad habits (most of them), and a big part of this is due to his moving to legendary producer Rick Rubin's home in Malibu for the summer of 2014. " For 2 to 3 years, I was just numb," Mac was quoted as saying in an interview with Grantland. "So when you're coming out of that, it's all going to come out at once. I was crying every day."

With Mac's drug problem being a big part of his music making process, it would be safe to assume that we'd see quite a different Mac on his upcoming GO:OD AM album, set for a September 18th release. With both singles that have been released, it's hard to tell what to expect from Mac's upcoming album (I've learned not to judge an album based on a single), but we do see some comedy with "100 Grandkids", and we do hear Mac back to his rappity rap shit on "Break The Law."

Mac recently (finally) signed a major label deal with Warner Bros. for $10 million. Now if you know Mac Miller and how he's come up in rap, a lot of his fans like to take his side because he's been independent all of these years (I'd hope you wouldn't just like a rapper because he's independent, but some people enjoy being rebels without a cause), so Mac's signing a deal with a Major definitely raises some flags amongst his loyal fans, but Mac encourages people not to worry about his music changing because creatively he will still go through the same process. Mac says in his interview with The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1; "That was a big thing. There's no executive producer, there's no A&R. There were labels that I got that vibe from, but with Warner, they said you do you, and whenever you want to give us a single, let us know."

Mac also explained the album title, GO:OD A.M.: "I didn't like Good Morning as a title, but I liked it as a concept. I wanted the album to be like, that breath of fresh air. I wanted the idea to be refreshing. You know, you wake up in the morning and it's new." Mac also went on to explain that producer No I.D. gave him the idea for the album title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxkkvNTU0qo
(Mac's second single, "Break The Law", *I do not own these videos or the rights to them*)

Faces and Watching Movies With The Sound Off  are 2 of Mac's absolute best projects. Now admittedly I haven't extensively listened to all of KIDS or Best Day Ever (what Mac's diehards say are some of his best projects), but when I hear things like "Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza" or 'Senior Skip Day", I have to admit I'm not impressed. I don't hear the spitting ability as something like "Here We Go" off of Faces, and I don't hear the abstract sound that makes him different from every other rapper on the planet like "The Star Room" off of Watching Movies With The Sound Off. Both of these projects give Mac that "it" factor that he just doesn't have on his early mix tapes. These 2 projects are Mac's Two-Face to his Harvey Dent (meaning musically AND lyrically, WMWTSO and Faces are Mac at his best). I can only hope that Mac's "alter ego" doesn't lead to a complete relapse, and his drug-influenced (it'd be wrong to say "greatness") music doesn't mean the death of him in the end.