Passing of an Icon

Drew Tiritilli

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Malcolm+James+McCormick%2C+known+more+commonly+by+his+stage+name%2C+Mac+Miller.

Malcolm James McCormick, known more commonly by his stage name, Mac Miller.

Mac Miller

Malcolm James McCormick, known more commonly by his stage name, Mac Miller, is a Pittsburgh born rapper who passed away on September 7, 2018, at the young age of 26. He lost his life to an ongoing battle with a drug addiction. Miller’s fans and peers saw him as a hip-hop pioneer. Not only was Miller recognized as a rapper, but also as an artist. His rap songs often contained elements from different genres such as jazz, funk, classical strings and many more of which helped form his unique unheard of sense of style. Some of Miller’s biggest musical influences include artist such as Lauryn Hill, Outkast, A Tribe called Quest and his close friend and Pittsburgh native rapper, Wiz Khalifa.  

Miller’s completely distinctive instrumentals took an important role in his success, however his prosperous career would never be as memorable without his monotone mellow voice and wisdom-filled personal lyrics to compliment his complex idiosyncratic orchestrated beats. Miller, although very young, was viewed by most as someone who was particularly skilled with a pen. Lyrically Miller was an icon to his peers because he possessed a genuine talent to express his views on the hardships of life through his writing. Almost every song released contained his own philosophical ideals that spoke true to Miller. After his death great amounts of musicians, friends, and family spoke out about the tragedy. Warner Bros. Records later tweeted about Miller.

All of us at Warner Bros. Records are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of Mac Miller’s untimely passing. Mac was a hugely gifted and inspiring artist, with a pioneering spirit and a sense of humor that touched everyone he met. Mac’s death is a huge devastating loss and cuts short a life of talent and huge potential, where the possibilities felt limitless. We join all of his fans across the globe in extending our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.”-Warner Bros. Records

The tweet regarding Miller’s passing serves not only as a reminder of the type of person he was but also as a recognition of the impact he had on everyone who grew to love him so fondly. Although his friends, fans, and family are faced with the undeniable feeling of grief, the death of the Mac Miller also brings with it the solidification of one of the greats whose music will forever remain iconic.