Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
It seems like tragedy always strikes the ones we love the most, and for people in the entertainment industry, that seems more common than anywhere else. Malcolm James McCormick, or Mac Miller, as he was affectionately known, was an up-and-coming rapper who was arguably about to hit the prime of his life.
After releasing six studio albums in under a decade, he was unfortunately taken away way too soon at 26. However, he left us a legacy of songs that showcased his rise to fame and his evolution as an artist.
This brings me to recommend 5 Songs to Hear Before You Die by this troubled but talented artist.
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
These include the lovely people “Matthew McKinley", "Adam McCarter", "FloNess" and "ThatEvilCanadian” at the time this was made.
If you’d also like the option of becoming a Patreon, head to:
patreon.com/motioninart
For more of my reviews, analyses, and other articles:
motioninartmedia.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/motion_in_art
Reddit:
reddit.com/user/motioninart
Odysee:
odysee.com/@motioninart:3
0:00 Introduction
1:32 The Spins
3:53 Dang!
5:38 Good News
8:13 Self Care
10:31 Right
13:22 Conclusion
Who is Mac Miller?
Malcolm James McCormick (January 19, 1992 – September 7, 2018), known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed a record deal with independent label Rostrum Records and released his breakthrough mixtapes K.I.D.S. (2010) and Best Day Ever (2011). Miller's debut studio album, Blue Slide Park (2011), became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995.
In 2013, he founded the record label imprint REMember Music. After his second studio album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off (2013), he left Rostrum and signed with the major label Warner Bros. Records in 2014. With them, he released four studio albums: GO:OD AM (2015), The Divine Feminine (2016), Swimming (2018), and the posthumous Circles (2020). For Swimming, he was posthumously nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Along with recording, he also served as a record producer for himself and other artists under the pseudonym Larry Fisherman.
Miller struggled with addiction and substance abuse, which was often referenced in his lyrics. After a relapse, he died from an accidental drug overdose of cocaine, fentanyl, and alcohol at his home at the age of 26.
Malcolm James McCormick was born on January 19, 1992, in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was a son of Karen Meyers, a photographer, and Mark McCormick, an architect, and had an older brother, Miller. His mother is Jewish, and his father is Christian. While he and his brother were raised Jewish, he attended a Catholic grade school to "ensure a good education and a chance to play football and lacrosse." He attended Winchester Thurston School for a time but graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School.
A self-taught musician, Miller played piano, guitar, drums, and bass by the age of six. He first started rapping at the age of 14. Before that, he wanted to be a singer. In high school, he decided to focus on his rap career, later noting, "Once I hit 15, I got real serious about it and it changed my life completely ... I used to be into sports, play all the sports, go to all the high school parties. But once I found out hip-hop is almost like a job, that's all I did."
He originally went by the name Easy Mac (often stylized as EZ Mac) and released his first mixtape But My Mackin' Ain't Easy in 2007 at the age of 15. In 2008, Easy Mac and fellow Pittsburgh-based rapper Beedie formed a rap duo by the name of The Ill Mind, and released a mixtape titled How High. Shortly after the mixtape's release, the two decided to part ways in order to focus on their solo careers. By 2009, he established himself as Mac Miller, and released two mixtapes: The Jukebox: Prelude to Class Clown and The High Life. At the 2010 Pittsburgh Hip Hop Awards, Miller won 21 & Under of the Year, and Best Hip Hop Video for "Live Free".
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
It seems like tragedy always strikes the ones we love the most, and for people in the entertainment industry, that seems more common than anywhere else. Malcolm James McCormick, or Mac Miller, as he was affectionately known, was an up-and-coming rapper who was arguably about to hit the prime of his life.
After releasing six studio albums in under a decade, he was unfortunately taken away way too soon at 26. However, he left us a legacy of songs that showcased his rise to fame and his evolution as an artist.
This brings me to recommend 5 Songs to Hear Before You Die by this troubled but talented artist.
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
These include the lovely people “Matthew McKinley", "Adam McCarter", "FloNess" and "ThatEvilCanadian” at the time this was made.
If you’d also like the option of becoming a Patreon, head to:
patreon.com/motioninart
For more of my reviews, analyses, and other articles:
motioninartmedia.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/motion_in_art
Reddit:
reddit.com/user/motioninart
Odysee:
odysee.com/@motioninart:3
0:00 Introduction
1:32 The Spins
3:53 Dang!
5:38 Good News
8:13 Self Care
10:31 Right
13:22 Conclusion
Who is Mac Miller?
Malcolm James McCormick (January 19, 1992 – September 7, 2018), known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed a record deal with independent label Rostrum Records and released his breakthrough mixtapes K.I.D.S. (2010) and Best Day Ever (2011). Miller's debut studio album, Blue Slide Park (2011), became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995.
In 2013, he founded the record label imprint REMember Music. After his second studio album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off (2013), he left Rostrum and signed with the major label Warner Bros. Records in 2014. With them, he released four studio albums: GO:OD AM (2015), The Divine Feminine (2016), Swimming (2018), and the posthumous Circles (2020). For Swimming, he was posthumously nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Along with recording, he also served as a record producer for himself and other artists under the pseudonym Larry Fisherman.
Miller struggled with addiction and substance abuse, which was often referenced in his lyrics. After a relapse, he died from an accidental drug overdose of cocaine, fentanyl, and alcohol at his home at the age of 26.
Malcolm James McCormick was born on January 19, 1992, in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was a son of Karen Meyers, a photographer, and Mark McCormick, an architect, and had an older brother, Miller. His mother is Jewish, and his father is Christian. While he and his brother were raised Jewish, he attended a Catholic grade school to "ensure a good education and a chance to play football and lacrosse." He attended Winchester Thurston School for a time but graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School.
A self-taught musician, Miller played piano, guitar, drums, and bass by the age of six. He first started rapping at the age of 14. Before that, he wanted to be a singer. In high school, he decided to focus on his rap career, later noting, "Once I hit 15, I got real serious about it and it changed my life completely ... I used to be into sports, play all the sports, go to all the high school parties. But once I found out hip-hop is almost like a job, that's all I did."
He originally went by the name Easy Mac (often stylized as EZ Mac) and released his first mixtape But My Mackin' Ain't Easy in 2007 at the age of 15. In 2008, Easy Mac and fellow Pittsburgh-based rapper Beedie formed a rap duo by the name of The Ill Mind, and released a mixtape titled How High. Shortly after the mixtape's release, the two decided to part ways in order to focus on their solo careers. By 2009, he established himself as Mac Miller, and released two mixtapes: The Jukebox: Prelude to Class Clown and The High Life. At the 2010 Pittsburgh Hip Hop Awards, Miller won 21 & Under of the Year, and Best Hip Hop Video for "Live Free".
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
