Between seven studio albums, five remastered mixtapes, and even more live performances, Mac Miller (Malcom James McCormick) was a 26 year old rapper from Pittsburgh with incredible lyrical and stylistic talent. Though young, prosperous, and on track for even more growth, he died on September 7, 2018 of an accidental mixed overdose. Despite his music commonly referring to substance use, his death was very abrupt and unexpected. While Mac is no longer alive, he continues to have an unbelievable impact through his posthumous music, funds, and organizations.
His first album after his death, Circles, a companion piece to his 2018 album Swimming, was supposedly recorded around the same time. The album can be interpreted in many different ways. Some believe it revolves around a person trying to move on, but repeating the same mistakes and trapping themselves in circles. Others theorize that it revolves around a cycle of life, the album beginning at birth and ending at death. Circles is considered by many to be different from Mac’s other music. Not only is it more rhythmically melancholic, but it incorporates different lyrical approaches, speaking upon common topics of his, but from a new perspective that adds to the nuance of this album.
Exactly five years after Circles, Miller’s seventh studio, and second posthumous album Balloonerism was released. Unlike its predecessor, it is an incredibly raw project that dives headfirst into his past struggles of substance abuse and mental health. Within days of its release, it became incredibly loved, particularly by his loyal fanbase.Recorded sometime in 2014 at the peak of his popularity, Balloonerism conveys feelings of being lost, something people wouldn’t associate with someone so successful, displaying that mental health is incredibly important and can take a toll on anyone.
Topics like addiction, anxiety, and depression can go quietly unaddressed throughout the music industry. However, both of these albums, and much of Mac’s work before them, bring them to light and provide an outlet for the public and those who may relate. Not only did his music make an impact on his fans and the world around him, but organizations in his name as well.
After his death, The Mac Miller Fund was born. To commemorate and carry on his legacy, the fund supports underserved communities, and provides them with the resources and opportunities to acknowledge their full potential through the arts. Along with this, the fund also supports organizations that address the issues of substance abuse within the music industry. From here, they assist these young adults throughout stages of addiction recovery. The Mac Miller Fund has raised nearly $1,000,000, and given grants to organizations like MusiCares, who continue to help young adults overcome addiction. As said in his 2018 Tiny Desk Concert, “It’s a beautiful thing, man. Music is a beautiful thing.” Mac Miller truly proved music to be a beautiful thing through the sound itself, and the societal impacts that continue to prevail over 7 years after his death.
