Welcome to the first blog post of "The Story of Easy Mac." This post will take you through the early beginnings of Mac Miller, a look at his career discography, and detail some of his personal struggles that impacted his life and career.
This is one of the first music videos that made Mac Miller "main-stream." This song Best Day Ever debuted on Mac's fifth mixtape Best Day Ever, a fan favorite mixtape and mixtape that debuted Mac onto the commercial rap scene.
Early Years
Malcolm James McCormick was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 19th, 1992. Raised by his mother Karen Meyers, a photographer, and father James McCormick, an architect, along with his brother Miller McCormick, Malcolm was close with his family growing up and interested in music at a young age. By age six, Malcolm taught himself how to play the piano, guitar, drums, and bass. By age fifteen, Malcolm began rapping and wanting to kickstart his career as a rapper. First going by the name EZ Mac, But My Mackin Ain't Easy was released in 2007 by Mac as his debut mixtape, effectively kickstarting the beginning of Mac Miller.
Source: Fashionably Early
The Birth of Mac Miller
In 2009, EZ Mac became Mac Miller and released his next two mixtapes The Jukebox: Prelude to Class Clown and The High Life. Garnering interest from many record labels, Mac chose to sign with Rostrum Records in 2010 due to his close relationship with fellow Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa. With the release of his fourth mixtape K.I.D.S and his fifth mixtape Best Day Ever, Mac began to focus his engagement on social media, digital sales, and touring opportunities. Mac used his lack of mainstream features and radio airplay as motivation to focus more on opportunities and work to grow his popularity and notoriety within the rap scene.
Source: US Weekly
While signed with Rostrum Records, Mac Miller released his debut studio album Blue Slide Park (2011) and a second album Watching Movies With The Sound Off (2013). During this three year span with Rostrum, Blue Slide Park was certified gold in the United States and Canada, while also receiving praise from critics and fans for his new psychedelic rap sound on Watching Movies With The Sound Off.
Warner Bros. Record Partnership
During his contract with Rostrum Records, Mac created his own record label called REMember Music. Shortly after his contract ended with Rostrum in 2014, Mac signed a recording and distribution contract with Warner Bros. Record label due to their "more independent" thinking with their artists. While signed with Warner Bros. Records, Mac released three studio albums, GO:OD AM (2015), The Divine Feminine (2016), and Swimming (2018). All three albums display three different sounds, with GO:OD AM showing Mac's determination to get sober and change his lifestyle, The Divine Feminine exploring the emotion of love and relationship with then girlfriend Ariana Grande, and Swimming exploring Mac's own personal heartbreak and personal struggles. These three albums show a true evolution of Mac Miller not only as a musician, but as a person as well. The evolution from "frat" rap, drugs, and women to a jazz-based hip hop sound expressing his own feelings and his own battle with mortality. Considered as his most complete project he had ever done, Swimming received a Grammy nomination at the 61st Grammy Awards.
This documentary by FADER is a honest look into the life that Mac Miller was living after Blue Slide Park. This documentary/interview humanizes the experiences that Mac was going through while living in L.A. and the toxic lifestyle that he put himself through.
The Human Side of Mac Miller
Source: People Magazine
After a multi-year battle with substance abuse, Mac was found unresponsive in his home on September 7, 2018, a little over a month after the release of Swimming. Mac was pronounced dead from an accidental overdose from a combination of alcohol, cocaine, and fentanyl. It was later found out in 2019 that Mac was sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl which contributed to his overdose. The two men involved have since been arrested and indicted on charges of conspiracy and distribution of drugs resulting in Mac's death.
The struggles that Mac went through, from depression to substance abuse were very heavily prevalent and visible in his music. Shortly after his split from Rostrum in 2014, Mac released his tenth mixtape Faces, which Craig Jenkins of Pitchfork said is Mac's "most consistently honest and personal work to date." Mac, like many artists in the music industry, wore their heart on their sleeve and used music as their outlet to let out their own frustrations and issues. On the 24 track Faces, Mac really brings audiences in toward his own perspective of what he was going through.
On January 17th, 2020, Mac's first posthumous album Circles was released as a collaboration to his previous album Swimming. Circles debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, the biggest week of any album Mac had ever released.
Source: Rolling Stone
I view Mac Miller as a honest musician. Growing up with his music in late middle school and throughout high school, I appreciated and adored his evolving musical sound. I felt that he had an album or mixtape for every mood that I was in. If I wanted rap, I had my options. If I wanted a different type of rap, I had my options. If I wanted jazz or a mellow rap, I had my options. I don't categorize Mac as a rapper, he was a true artist and a master of his craft. Whether it was rapping, singing, producing, or creating, Mac gave his everything to his craft and his fans. While he was taken from the world early, his memory, impact on music, and legacy live on to this day.
Total Discography (Mixtape)
But My Mackin' Aint Easy (2007)
The Jukebox: Prelude to Class Clown (2009)
High Life (2009)
K.I.D.S (2010)
Best Day Ever (2011)
On and On and Beyond EP (2011)
I Love Life, Thank You (2011)
Macadelic (2012)
You (2012)
Run on Sentences: Vol I (2012 as Larry Fisherman)
Stolen Youth with Vince Staples (2013)
Delusional Thomas (2013 as Delusional Thomas)
Faces (2014)
Run on sentences: Vol II (2015 as Larry Fisherman)
Total Discography (Album)
Blue Slide Park (2011)
Watching Movies With The Sound Off (2013)
GO:OD AM (2015)
The Divine Feminine (2016)
Swimming (2018)
Circles (2020)
Source: The Ringer
My Thoughts on Swimming cont.
Please enjoy this more personal and in depth reflection I have on Mac's 2018 album Swimming. While I mentioned that Swimming was my favorite Mac Miller album on my home page, I go more in depth as to why that is the case and even shared a little snippet of the track 2009. I hope you enjoy this video and thank you for listening!
Source: Cameron Smith--iMovie
Legacy Post TBA
For part two of From Pittsburgh to Platinum, I will be covering the legacy of Mac Miller. I will discuss his impact on the rap game, fellow rappers he influenced and took influence from, and discuss the importance of his posthumous release album Circles.
Sources
Hyman, D. (2018, November 16). Mac Miller's last days and life after death. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/mac-miller-legacy-loss-756802/
Lipshutz, J. (2018, September 10). Mac Miller's 'Blue SLIDE Park' made chart history in 2011 - and pushed him to strive for more. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8474221/mac-miller-blue-slide-park-chart-history-pushed-him-to-strive-for-more
M. (2020, August 16). Complete Mac MILLER Discography. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://teaandweed.com/mac-miller-discography-mixtapes-albums-singles-features/#you
Maloney, D. (2018, September 07). Mac Miller: The Billboard cover story. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/465317/mac-miller-the-billboard-cover-story
Markman, R. (2014, January 15). Exclusive: Mac Miller, Rostrum RECORDS Announce end of deal. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from http://www.mtv.com/news/1720469/mac-miller-rostrum-records-end-label-deal/
Stutz, C. (2014, May 11). Mac Miller on new Mixtape 'Faces': 'don't tell my Mama I got a drug problem'. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6084743/mac-miller-mothers-day-mixtape-faces-drug-problem
Zeichner, N. (2017, October 24). Interview: Mac Miller. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.thefader.com/2013/06/05/interview-mac-miller/