Mac Miller’s passing this past Friday saw one of the more beloved and forward-thinking mainstream hip hop artists leave our world behind. But what remains in Miller’s wake are not just memories, but evidence of the hard work he put in over the past several years planting seeds of change for not just what popular rap sounds like, but how rap stardom can exist in our contemporary world. Above we’ve highlighted some of the ways in which Miller’s music and persona grew to be so intrinsically tied to the last several years of rap history.
11 ways Mac Miller helped define an era of rap
What remains in Miller's wake are not just memories, but evidence of the hard work he put in over the past several years planting seeds of change for the genre.
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He helped produce for some of your favourite artists
Though known for his rhymes behind the mic, Miller was just as varied and prolific in his output as a producer, having cooked beats up for not only himself, but also SZA, Lil B, Ab-Soul, and Vince Staples.
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He was a self-taught master of multiple instruments
His ear for the musical seems to be one he was naturally gifted with, having taught himself how to play the bass, drums, guitar, and piano.
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He even acted (once)
In addition to his creative outputs as both rapper and producer, Miller also has a single acting credit to his name – which, bizarrely enough, is 2013’s Charlie-Sheen-starring Scary Movie 5.
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He (or at least one of his alter egos) made every type of music he could
It wasn’t just a producer that Miller night-timed as – he also recorded music under a Bowie-esque spectrum of different, genre-specific aliases, from the chipmunk’d horrocore of Delusional Thomas to the lush jazz of Larry Lovestein (pictured).
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He really pissed off the President (without even trying)
There was once a time when Donald Trump was just that dumb game show host who yelled a lot on Twitter, and for a reminder of a simpler time, check out the months-long screed Trump embarked on, yelling at the young rapper for using his name on a song that had millions of hits and no royalties paid to the now-President.
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He was beloved from the get-go
Mac’s 2010 mixtape KIDS hit at just the right time, immediately propelling the rapper into the spotlight alongside Kid Cudi and Big Sean. For further proof of Miller’s rapid ascendance, check out his first-ever tour – which he sold out every show on, an incredible feat for a first-time tour from an independent artist.
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He went up against Kanye and J. Cole (and lived to tell the tale)
June 18th, 2013 saw a battle between three defining forces of early-2010’s hip hop, with J. Cole’s Born Sinner, Kanye’s Yeezus, and Mac’s Watching Movies With the Sound off all dropping that day. The fact that Miller’s name is in the same breath as Kanye and Cole is proof that he was among the greats.
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Made history with Snoop Dogg
Miller also shares an achievement with Scary Movie 5 co-star Snoop Dogg, with the two being the only two hip hop artists to score No.1 albums through independently-released projects – Snoop for 1995’s Doggpound posse comp, and Mac for 2011’s Blue Slide Park.
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He's got legendary class
Say what you will about XXL’s annual Freshman class, looking back at 2011’s student body truly is a prophetic snapshot of what rap was to shift toward heading into the midpoint of the decade, with the class counting YG, Meek Mill, Lil B, Kendrick Lamar, and Mac himself amongst its membership.
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He even had his own app
Not one to be content with ruling the sphere of music – both the production and rapping side of things ¬– Mac also set his sights on conquering Silicon Valley (or, more likely, promoting an album), dropping an alarm clock app in anticipation of his album GO:OD AM, with snippets from the album replacing the tired sounds of your iPhone buzzer.
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But most of all – everyone just loved him.
Once of the equally heartwarming and heartwrenching things to come out of Miller’s untimely passing is seeing just how many fellow musical minds he shared love with. Evdience of strong bromances with everyone from Earl Sweatshirt, Schoolboy Q, Wiz Khalifa, and Childish Gambino have popped up, and though its sad, there is some comfort in knowing they miss him just as much as we do.
11 ways Mac Miller helped define an era of rap
What remains in Miller’s wake are not just memories, but evidence of the hard work he put in over the past several years planting seeds of change for the genre.