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Yall Sleepin Heavily on Mac Miller
His discography is highkey Insane, maybe the best of the 2010s tbh, he made about 20 projects in that 8 year span (RIP). Additionally he was a great producer and musician, playing many instruments and producing a lot of work between him and his peers. Also all of his albums are great front to back and go great for a full listen. Anyways for you hiphopheads let me recommend you some great music. Experimental Psychedelic Hip Hop: Faces (2014) dark, honest, insanely well crafted and dense. Jazz influence. Most call this his magnum opus. Watching Movies With the Sound Off (2013) Macadelic (2012) very beginning of his transition from youthful ‘frat rap’ into storytelling, unique expressing himself. Laid groundwork for a lot of future releases. Standout tracks: Thoughts From A Balcony, Vitamins, Aliens vs Robots, 1 Threw 8. GO:OD AM (2015) is his more traditional Rap Album. ‘Frat’ Rap and Youthful Beginnings K.I.D.S. (2010) The beginning of it all. He released a few mixtapes before this but this was his first homerun. Amazing and Nostalgic. This whole era is just fun, feel good tunes. Although his early raps were alot of about girls and drugs (can you blame him? He was about 18 in 2010), from Day 1 he had something special. Flow, Lyrical ability. Also as youthful as he was, I think you will all still appreciate the old school quality about his music, dude was awesome at sampling and homage, Nikes on my Feet is a good example, from the old hip hop legends to the funky indie music he had his ear to the landscape of artists. Best Day Ever (2011) Standout tracks: Donald Trump, Keep Floatin’, BDE Bonus I Love Life, Thank You (2011) Standout tracks: Miller Family Reunion Sour Hour (4.20.2010) Has an awesome Crumblin’ Herb song. And check out Flyin’ Away. Blue Slide Park (2011) Most call this his worst album, also his first. Although it was a #1 album it recieved alot of criticism, which Mac took hard/to heart, and likely influenced his trajectory into inteospective music. Still a good album, with great songs, weaker as a whole, but fun, sorta indie vibes. I love the intro. Musicality, Instruments Swimming (2018) Besides Faces, this is his magnum opus as well lol. Released just a month before his untimely passing ❤️ it showed a transition into a whole new era and sound of Mac Miller. A beautiful blend of hip hop and r&b with a fresh taste of musicality. Also dense and great start to finish. Standout tracks: Jet Fuel, What’s the Use? Circles (2020) Continuation from Swimming, this was supposed to be apart of a 3 album concept, Swimming in Circles to Infinity, before Mac transitioned onwards, released posthumously with Brion John I believe finishing some of it. A bit more melancholy, surreal. Good News should make you Ball, or Surf my favorite. Also Hand Me Downs a great one, Complicated. The Divine Feminine (2016) R&B Love album. Marked his transition from experimental hip hop, then GO:OD AM. Standout tracks: Cinderella. Stay. Balloonerism (2014ish) sort of a leaked unofficial album, this has some moments man. Sorta trippy/surreal idk. Stand out tracks: Excelsior, Funny Papers, Friendly Hallucinations. More Experimental You (2012) Had an awesome phase of dabbling, this might be the precursor to The Divine Feminine. Jazzy, Love album by the artist ‘Larry Lovestein, & The Velvet Revival’ lmao. Run-On Sentences: Volume One (2013) This is my fucking favorite. Trippy beat tape produced by yours truly apparently on a laptop in a hotel room. Very trippy. Run-On Sentences: Volume Two (2015) Delusional Thomas (2013) horrorcore In addition, the boy has a Dense vault of unreleased bangers that are still leaking to this day. Some of his best work I’m happy to share. (Lmk. Standouts: Pure, Oracle, Sideways). Apparently there was a scrapped album with Pharrell, one with MacLib that he claimed he is finishing to be released, and many other collabs. He did a great 3 song EP with BADBADNOTGOOD titled My Shoes Are Untied. Quit Sleeping! ⏰ Most Dope 🙏🏼 submitted by /u/___heisenberg to r/hiphop101 [link] [comments]
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r/hiphop101 |
___heisenberg |
May 16, 2024 |
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Album Of The Year Write-Up #10: Mac Miller - Circles
Artist: Mac Miller Album: Circles Tidal Spotify Youtube Apple Background Malcolm James McCormick, known professionally as Mac Miller, had cemented himself as a major player in the music industry through a strong run of projects during the mixtape era of the early 2010’s. Most notably K.I.D.S., which was his first project to garner him a wider audience and the snowball which is his career truly starts here. With songs like “Knock Knock”, “Nikes on My Feet”, and “Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza” gaining tremendous views online, he managed to carve a lane for himself in a very cluttered time for the internet. While some criticized his music for being shallow white boy raps, many gravitated towards his music because it was just plain fun. His music was lacking in mainstream attention and radio play, but his presence on the internet was soaring. He capitalized well off of this attention, releasing another free project titled Best Day Ever nearly half a year later. With even bigger viral hits such as “Donald Trump” and the titular track “Best Day Ever” he reinserted himself back into his audiences playlists before they had a chance to forget about him. This project was also well received, and gave him even more momentum to build to his biggest breakthrough yet. 8 Months after the success of Best Day Ever, he released his debut album Blue Slide Park independently and topped charts, reaching number 1 on the billboard 200. The album itself performed well but critics still gave mixed reviews. It didn't seem like he had stepped too far out of his comfort zone, and through the lens of his music it was still glaringly obvious that he had some growing up to do if he were to be taken seriously by music critics, despite his ever growing audience. He clearly had charm, and despite what his music would tell you, he wasn't simply a white kid from the suburbs that wanted to rap. He grew up loving music and playing instruments from the age of 6, and while his pursuit for fame was through rap music, he was actually a true musician at heart. After the success of his debut, the years afterwards gave him the time to grow musically and experiment with other sounds. Macadelic was released in 2012, with a slightly heavier and psychedelic turn in instrumentals, he still rapped over the songs but few tracks included him singing and exploring more poetic approaches to his lyrics. Despite his lyrics in all his projects up until this point being about drugs, women, and fame, it was at this point that he developed an addiction to lean. He was quite open about his drug use, and was seemingly very self aware of the detriment to himself that he was causing. His sophomore album Watching Movies With the Sound Off delved further into this exploration of music, with even more experimental instrumentals and more vulnerable vocal performances. In the years between then and now he released a strong amount of EP’s, mixtapes, and albums, that each served as an artistic exploration into new styles and territories for Mac. The mixtape Faces gave a very dark window into the mind of Malcolm, he was struggling more with drug abuse and he made it abundantly clear that he was not doing well mentally. He himself stated that the final song on the project “Grand Finale” was intended to be his last song before his death. For fans, the music was incredibly well received as his talents had grown and refined, but it was also bittersweet due to how clearly unwell he was at the time. In 2015 Malcolm signed a record deal with Warner Bros. and released the album GO:OD AM, which displayed a return to form of sorts. His rapping was more focused and clear, and his lyrics showed a happier and healthier version of himself, confronting his darker thoughts with more positive reflection and a drive to push forward. With lyrics such as “To everyone who sell me drugs, don't mix it with that bullshit I’m hopin' not to join the twenty seven club” and “They don't want me to OD and have to talk to my mother, telling her they could have done more to help me, and she'll be crying saying that she'll do anything to have me back” he was very open about wanting to put his substance abuse behind him and change the course of his life. The album itself showed greater lyrical skills in his rapping and a more subtle approach to his singing, which he was still easing us into but more effectively at this point. His next album The Divine Feminine gave us much more of his singing, and instrumentally was very jazz and funk inspired. He was clearly making an effort to distance himself from his rapping and focus on making music that could be more widely appreciated. The album “Swimming” was announced in 2018 and the single “Self Care” was released. For Mac, it seemed to mark a distinct turning point where he wanted to better himself, the music video featured a visual reference to the film Kill Bill, with Malcolm punching his way out of a coffin in a triumphant moment of glory. What was once a powerful moment of renewal for him at the time, became a haunting visual soon after. The album was a pivotal moment for his discography, where he managed to create tracks that had many of his rap undertones but were predominantly fused with more classical pop ideas and formulas. It was a beautiful blend of Mac Millerisms and easy to digest jazz, pop, and funk elements. He displayed his singing abilities even more in many of these tracks, in fact, there was not much direct rapping to be found on this project. The lyrical substance of the album, while still influenced by the troubled times in previous years and his battle with substance abuse, was much more positive overall. For many, this is what makes the album more difficult to process now in hindsight. On September 7th, Malcolm was pronounced dead in his california home, and it was later announced that his cause of death was an accidental overdose from fentanyl in his system. For many people, myself included, his death was incredibly hard to process. Many fans felt close to him, and for many it's a strange feeling to feel like you know someone so intimately despite not actually knowing them. The growth in his music and his open dialogue about drug use and mental health issues had opened a door to many to connect with him, and for many fans that had listened at the start of his career until Swimming, they grew up and matured alongside him. When I was getting tired of partying and wanting hype music, he would deliver more introspective albums, and after years of self reflection he would deliver an album like swimming, which would serve as a point of emotional maturity that I was at a point in my life to try to achieve. His passing recontextualized all of his music in a grim sweeping moment. It was painful to hear lyrics like “Life couldn't get better, this gonna be the best day ever” or “I wish I could tell you that I didn't see this coming but I'm ready for it all to end, die before tomorrow's trend”. Many of his songs that were so clearly a warning, littered with references to overindulgence in drugs and a deteriorating mental health, are incredibly difficult to get through. Happier songs that are looking forward to a brighter future I found even more difficult to process. I couldn't listen to any of his old music for very long before I was overwhelmed, and for a while that was the case, until Circles. Album Review In January 2020 Malcolm's family took to his social media to announce directly to his fans that the album swimming was only one half of a pair of albums that were thematically linked, and that he had made a good deal of progress on the second album before his passing. Producer Jon Brion had worked with Mac on the creation of Swimming and Circles, and the family had reached out to him to ask him to piece together Circles as true to Malcolms vision as possible. Part of me was worried, mostly because my only context for posthumous releases has been from recently passed artists that have had their work milked dry, and ultimately muddy the waters of their discography, but the core difference was the family's direct involvement in pushing out the album, and the confidence that they had in Jon Brion to faithfully piece this together. Despite the worries, I was overcome with emotions with the news that there would be a new Mac Miller album. Circles starts off the album with a very light and passive instrumental that Mac sings over in a half spoken half sung manner, that does a really great job set the tone for the rest of the tracks. Not very lyrically dense, but what is there is powerful. “This is what it looks like, right before you fall” Is the opening line, and as the first lyrics we’ve heard from him since his passing it’s a tough pill to swallow, but one that he immediately asks you to. There are many lines that allude to his passing and it's quite haunting to hear, he seemed to have always thought it was right around the corner no matter where he was in his life. To hear it now though doesn't feel as daunting as before, instead it begs you to accept it for what it is and enjoy the music despite his passing. “And I cannot be changed, I cannot be changed, no. Trust me I've tried I just end up right at the start of the line, drawing circles” The next song “Complicated” instrumentally sounds a lot like swimming but its quite tame lyrically. The tracklist delves into many other sounds as it progresses but this helps keep the pacing grounded and keeps the tone parallel to swimming for the time being. “Some people say they want to live forever, that's way too long, I'll just get through today”. Ive found that the tracks later on in the album “I Can See” and “Hands'' provide more of this tonal padding to the album, helping to leave threads spaced around the tracklist that keep it grounded with the context of swimming, while other tracks depart from this sound entirely in their own right. Blue World is the first moment that I truly smiled while listening to his music in a very long while. The production from disclosure is other worldly, and Mac glides over it effortlessly. He oozes confidence on this track and it's a firm reminder that this album does not exist just to dwell over somberly, it's here for us to enjoy, that's why he made music and that's why we’ve loved it. This high is followed by the emotional Good News, which was the only single to be released prior to the album. It's a beautiful track where he breaks down his mental state over a delicate instrumental, it's a quite literal representation of his understanding of his own mental health by analyzing it over a subtle and warming melody. There are more brutal allusions to his death with the lines “Why can't it just be easy? Why does everybody need me to stay?”. The song itself displays a lot of what I took from the album, the plead from him to accept that he may not be the picture perfect image of mental health, but to understand that he is just a person with issues like the rest of us. “Good news, good news, good news, That's all they wanna hear. No, they don't like it when I'm down.” “There's a whole lot more for me waiting on the other side, I'm always wondering, if it feel like summer” the song ends with a beautiful outro where he sings about an afterlife, whether it's good or bad, whether he belongs there, and its moments like these that act as the emotional anchors for the album. Admittedly, if you weren't a fan of his music before this album, there are still going to be songs on this that aren't your cup of tea, but the major point of connection for listeners is the demand for empathy from the troubled lyrics of a man who is no longer with us. The song Everybody is a cover but it's really a beautiful rendition. Thematically it's earned its place in the album and sonically it's one of the tracks that I think best represents my favorite parts of Circles. His singing on this song is my favorite of any singing he's done before, and this may be a hot take, but he's not a great singer. It's one of the reasons I love his singing so much. He has dropped a lot of random loosies over the years, some of them covers, that feature him primarily singing, and I love them so dearly. His cover of First Day of My Life is one of my favorite pieces of music, and it's because he's not an amazing singer. His voice is kinda raspy and you can tell it's weathered a bit from the concerts and cigarettes, and he definitely doesn't have a voice coach, and it's just so goddamn charming. If he was an amazing singer I would not like this album as much. Lyrically it would still pack an emotional punch, but I just wouldn't be as drawn to it as I am otherwise. With that said, his singing has gotten so much better, but it's not perfect, and that's exactly where I want it. “Because everybody's gotta live and everybody's gonna die, everybody's gonna try to have a good, good time. I think you know the reason why” The chorus of the song is simple, and is a really nice break from the heavy lyricism that's littered the album prior to this point. He really showcases his love of music with this piece, it's folk and blues inspirations aren’t shunned away in an attempt to try and repurpose the song as his own, instead he wears these influences on his sleeve as he does his best to do right by the original. It serves as a confident step towards performing music with a more broad appeal. The song Woods takes a dip towards a more spacey tone, the instrumental providing an open and forgiving atmosphere for him to loosely string along thoughts. “Yeah, things like this ain't built to last, I might just fade like those before me” on the surface these words feel like an empty call to a void about whether his legacy has been cemented or not, but after diving further into the song it becomes clear that this is about a relationship and whether or not he has made a lasting imprint on the other person. This is a quickly passing moment but the context is always crucial with this album. A simple line at the beginning of the song entirely changed in meaning based on his passing, and so much so that it took me many listens to even read further into the themes of love in the song. Hand Me Downs is another example of where I feel he shows best his singing and songwriting abilities. The lyrics are beautiful and the instrumental is soft yet commanding. It allows his verses to jump out with purpose compared to the chorus, which is sung gorgeously by Baro, who has the only feature on the album. They make for a wonderful pair, and allow for a nice break between Macs lyrics, giving a greater sense of importance when we cut back to them. This is one of the best moments on the album, really allowing his clumsily endearing singing to take a step forward on a track that compliments it so well. That’s On Me is a somber display of emotions, while not very lyrically dense the feeling of guilt and remorse comes through quickly and thoroughly. The piano and guitar on this track are a great showcase of the departure from hip hop and show another moment of his confident step into a more general approach to songwriting. With that said, it's by no means generic, the chords on the song are sharp and jump to the ear, while lyrically he wallows in regret. Surf comes in to really emphasize the newfound influences on his music. A stripped down guitar track that builds up to a laid back chorus with a sharp riff. He glides over the plucky high pitched notes with ease and really lets the instruments shine, showing again his appreciation for the process and love for the new sound he is stepping into. Circles closes with the song Once A Day, a soft and subtle piano accompanied by an old school synth gives us the bare minimum to move the song along, because it's really about the lyrics. His songwriting abilities are strongest in this true grand finale. It's a strong end to the album because just as quick as the song has started, it ends. Not abruptly or out of place, he said what he wanted to say, but it's over now, and that's okay. Circles, for me, has recontextualized Mac Miller's discography in a new way. As opposed to his death having washed over his old music with a sense of grief, misfortune, and pain, Circles has now stepped in to act as his new final moment. I can't speak for everyone, but having had close family pass away in my lifetime has proved that closure is not a real thing, all you can do is get better at being upset about it, and that just takes time. The songs on this album still contain many of the depressing themes and allusions to his passing that his previous work had, but the tone here is much different. I think that context is everything, because hearing this was so unexpected, that to hear it at all felt like a victory lap. I'm not going to pretend that every song on here is perfect, or that the album is perfect either, but for me it acts as a highlight reel of his career, displaying all the directions musically that he spent a decade building up to and all the different directions he was prepared to take his music. Reality is harsh and unforgiving, like Macs death, coming suddenly and cutting short the complete thought that Swimming and Circles were attempting to flesh out. Now having the other piece of the puzzle gives us a chance to put a bow on his life and his career, as opposed to dwelling on what else he had to show the world, we now have a glimpse. Favorite Quotes: -”'Fore I start to think about the future, first can I please get through a day?” -”So tired of being so tired, why I gotta build something beautiful just to go and set it on fire?” -”Get away to a place with a lake, such a great view leave the bank, a couple hundred thou'. I made it, but hate once I build it I break it down it might just break me down. -”Yeah, well, sometimes I get lonely, not when I'm alone. But it's more when I'm standin' in crowds that I'm feelin' the most on my own” -”But everybody keep rushing, why aren't we taking our time? Every now and again, baby, I get high” Discussion Questions: How does this album compare to the rest of his discography? How has this album aged since its release? Do you think it was worth using the songs that were left to make and finish this follow up? What do you think would be different about this album if Mac was alive to make the final cut? Do you have any thoughts on possible future posthumous releases coming out? submitted by /u/yaromaj to r/hiphopheads [link] [comments]
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r/hiphopheads |
yaromaj |
Dec 30, 2020 |
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[OFFICIAL] Mac Miller Memorial Thread
This is the official memorial thread for Mac Miller There will be zero tolerance for disrespectful comments in this thread. All songs by the artist and non-news posts about the artist (e.g. reactions, tributes, etc.) should be posted within this thread, any posted outside of this thread will be removed whether or not they violate subreddit rules. R.I.P Mac Miller, 1992 - 2018 UPDATE 9/12: Mac Miller Vigil in BSP Kendrick Lamar speak on Mac UPDATE: Shane Powers says goodbye to Mac Earl Sweatshirt - Mac spirit allowing me to fuck with my music rn and im THANKFUL Wiz Khalifa - Praying for Mac’s family and that he rest easy 👼🏽 #pgh #412 Jaden Smith - "Long Live Mac Miller, Rest In Peace We Love You Chance the Rapper - "I dont know what to say Mac Miller took me on my second tour ever. But beyond helping me launch my career he was one of the sweetest guys I ever knew. Great man. I loved him for real. Im completely broken. God bless him." Soulja Boy - "RIP Mac Miller 🙏🏽" Rex Orange County - "this is incredibly sad. mac miller was a great person and my friend rip :(" JPEGMAFIA - "RIP Mac Miller. I can’t believe this shit" Q-Tip - "Damn.... @MacMiller we worked pn sum fire a while back he had tribe tatooed on his arm. Super sweet dude man. Comfolences to his fam 🙏🏽🙏🏽" Shawn Mendes - "Unreal. So sad. RIP Mac Miller ❤️" J. Cole - "Rest In Peace to the great soul Mac Miller" YBN Nahmir - "I remember staying up late af & always hearing “Donald Trump” by @MacMiller on @MTV at like 5AM when I was younger. Sad to see a legend pass away." Alison Wonderland - "RIP Mac Miller 😔 Skyzoo - "RIP to the homey @MacMiller. Super cool dude who was a good friend and a true hip hop head. Always showed wild love when we’d link. Smh." Father - "RIP Mac man, what the fuck" Earl Sweatshirt - "bro plz"/"THE MAN WAS TOO GENEROUS ! HE EXTENDED HIS HOME TO ALL OF US . PEACE TO THE MILLER FAMILY AND THE WHOLE EXTENDED FAMILY. WE HURTIN" Domo Genesis - "My heart is broken af, that’s my fucking bro man." Zack Fox - "we all felt supported and loved by Mac and that’s incredible, thank you for supporting me, thank you for the music, we was just roasting russ, I told you to go on a date with betty white to make everybody mad, enjoy your peace brother" ZOMBIE Juice - "Dam Rip Mac Always showed us love" Desus Nice - "Rip Mac Miller. Damn" ICYTWAT - "man, i deadass smoked my first or second blunt to k.i.d.s at 12 lmao hiding in my backyard playing that shit off my zune mp3 :-( rip Mac." AKTHESAVIOR - "Rip to the young legend Mac miller thanks for all the love you showed us man can’t believe this shit. Our generation needs to open up there eyes and see there’s only one ending result to drug abuse and there’s no coming back. I love all of you. Tired of loosing our leaders to drugs." Mick Jenkins - "peace be on his closest friends and loved ones..rip Mac" Pusha T - "😔🙏🏿 #RIP @MacMiller" Joey Fatts - "@MacMiller RIP Bro, was just by the old crib yesterday. You will be missed." Logic - "Mac I Love You! You were a huge inspiration on my come up. Thank you for the countless hours of fun listening to your music with my homies! This has me so fucked up! You will be missed and always remembered #KIDS" El-P - "oh man. rest in peace Mac Miller." Bodega Bamz - "Wowowowowowowowowoowowow DAMN MAC" Casey Veggies - "Rest Easy @MacMiller aka MAC Meezy. Can’t believe I’m typing this. This one hurt bad..you really like a brother to me. I’ll never forget you bro, You will live forever. 🙏🏽" Post Malone - "God fucking dammit. You were such an incredible person. You changed so many lives. Had so much love in your heart. You inspired me throughout highschool, and I wouldn't be where I was today without you. Never a more kind and sincere and beautiful person. I fucking love you mac." The Internet - "Love you brother. you gave so much to this world. Rest easy Malcolm." Lupe Fiasco - "RIP Mac Miller Condolences to your family and friends. May God have mercy on your soul." Future - "My guy MAC MILLER...rest up bro 🙏🏿" Rich Brian - "This is unbelievable. RIP Mac Miller, thank you for your beautiful work while you were here, this shit has got to stop happening." Bun B - "I just talked to this kid like 3 weeks ago. This is so fucked up. Such a talented guy. Always had great energy. God bless you Mac. Rest In Peace." Da$h - "Took this picture when I saw you a 2 weeks ago. I love you dawg. Can’t ever thank you enough for being you. See when I get there."/"MALCOLM IS SOME ONE I COULD NEVER THANK ENOUGH FOR BEING WHO HE WAS AND LOOKING OUT THE WAY HE DID. IM GOING TO MISS HIM EVERYDAY. Q, JIMMY, PEANUT SEND MY LOVE TO YALL NIGGAS. MACWORLD." Joey Bada$$ - "Breaks my heart every time we lose one... I will forever appreciate you bro you supported me and gave me a shot from the very beginning. Because of you a 17 year old and his friends from Brooklyn got to play in front of 5000 after a day of school. That shit changed my life. I wish we got to hang out more and make more music.... Life is way too short appreciate everyone every moment. ❤️ R.I.P. MAC MILLER" Aminé - "you always congratulated me on the little shit i did and made me feel great about my work. i can’t believe this right now. a true artist and true friend. you will be remembered as one of the greats. love you mac, rest easy." A-Trak - "I'm really hurting. Mac always showed love. He was always supportive and genuinely curious. I can't believe it. We just spoke last weekend. I loved watching his growth, this guy could do anything he wanted musically. Please watch his NPR Tiny Desk concert it's so good. 💔💔💔💔 RIP" Jonwayne - "Don't read the news. Read this. This is the man I knew." A$AP Rocky - "REST IN PEACE KING, LOVE BROSAY 🙏🏿" Lil Xan - "I don’t wanna do this shit no more,rest in peace to my hero" Snoop Dogg - "So sad u gone home young Mac I had to post this to smile and think about the good Time we had on the set of this movie man god bless ya family. Pittsburg we lost a real one today 🌟 @macmiller 🙏🏾" Open Mike Eagle - "goddamn. rest in peace Mac Miller" ?uestlove - "Mac was one of the nicest, coolest dudes man. This is sad man." Kehlani - "WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO TO OHANAS THIS WEEK I WAS SUPPOSED TO COME THIS WEEKEND WE WERE SHOOTING YOUR VIDEO NEET WEEK WE HAD TO FINISH YOUR NEW FAVORITE SHOW NO NO NO NO U GOT THE SATURN TATOO AFTER I DID UR CHART THIS IS TOO MUCH" Chevy Woods - "Wow bro ... Rest easy @MacMiller Damn cuz 😢 Solange - "Rest in your peace Mac Miller. Always exuded so much kindness and goodness. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us all." Lil Dicky - "so sad. mac miller was a great dude. when i began my career he went out of his way to talk to me on the phone and give me advice. an amazing artist and human being" Alessia Cara - "shocked & sad about Mac Miller. such a talented guy with so much life ahead. RIP." Khalid - "this hurts my heart man RIP bro @MacMiller" Swae Lee - "Woke up to some bullshit RIP Mac Miller" Russ - "Damn wtf...rip Mac miller" A$AP Ferg - "Rest in Paradise. You embraced me before I was I was signed. You brought a Belt I made back in the days and linked me with “Daily breads “ to do a collab with your friends brand. I hope you felt no pain in your transition! Love always. Very sad news" MadeInTYO - "I love you brother .... you gave me good advice & you was my friend & you jumped on my album I miss you bro , I really doooo , this one is really never gonna feel the same. you told me to come over this week but I was in Paris .... I’m sorry ... I wish I was around more bro ... Malcolm I love you ! Pray for the world & Mac’s family !" Bebe Rexha - "I am so deeply saddened to hear of the passing of @MacMiller. Sending love and light to all of his friends, family and fans." Cher Lloyd - "I’m lost for words. This is such shocking news. We’ve lost another true talent. Rip Mac Miller" Lil Yachty - "Rest In Peace Big Mac. Amazing Energy. solid & postive. So many things we was pose to do... one day we still will brother....Live on brother !!!!!!!" Juicy J - "I’m so fucked up right now this is so sad I can’t believe it R.I.P. MAC MILLER" John Mayer - "I’m so sad that you couldn’t stay, Mac. I’m so terribly sad." Miguel - "Man, I don’t want this to be true. Mac was ALWAYS good energy. INSANELY talented and never got the credit he deserved. The utmost love for you Mac man. Sending my love and condolences to your mom, the sweetest ever, and your family and friends. Lightwaves on your journey my friend 🙏🏾🖤🖤🖤" Ugly God - "Remember when Mac dropped his Album the same night Astroworld dropped and yall were saying “y’all hear sum?” “who still listens to him” & “tell him keep it”? We had a whole convo about it & he literally told me if he died people would act like they never said it. fuck yall. RIP." Kid Cudi - "Really fucked up about Mac" Peter Rosenberg - "No words for how much I loved this kid...so much on my mind ...and so many others...he was SUCH A PART of this hip hop world we all take part in...he was such a sweet person...and he was year by year becoming more and more of a complete musical genius....I could go on forever about why this hurts so many people so badly....but plain and simple...I love you bro...we all did..see you on the other side" Westside Gunn - "FUUUUUUUUCK HOMIE!!!! Guess Now they’ll give u your Roses smh a true musician, we lost a GREAT 1 and you still have the Illest Shit Out 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 #RIPMACMILLER Fun Fact he heard me and Conway was the illest and invited us right over had a good time wit the Homie you’ll be missed" Lucki - "Rest In Peace" Chief Keef - "R.I.P my dude aka LFisherman BKa Mac Miller" Curren$y - "Damn bruh u fucked errbody day up ... love u my young homie!" Fashawn - "Rest easy Mac. 😢" Chuck Inglish - "I love you Man. I always called to check on u. You were my lil brother... I wish I had a pass w god to give u another chance. I’m not ready for u to be gone bro.. I’m hurt." Jay Electronica - "May Allah be pleased w Mac Miller. He was a brother and friend of mine. This news has saddened me." Pouya - "how much more can we take" Abra - "pure hearts don't die" Evidence - "Fuck" Kevin Abstract - "Fuck man" J.I.D. - "fuck we just lost a full musical genius and a great person, sending prayers and love to his family.. tell someone you love them today" Lil B - "Mac miller my brother I love you - Lil B" Seth Rogen - "RIP Mac. I was texting with him one week ago about trying to be in his video, which was so nice and exciting because I was a fan of him as an artist and a person. This is surreal and terrible." Joe Budden - "I’m really fucked up over Mac’s passing. Prayers to his family, loved ones and fans… Rest In Peace @MacMiller" Robb Bank$ - "RIP MAC MILLER"/"A LEGEND AND AN INSPIRATION FOR ME TO MAKE CALENDARS Tyler, the Creator - "rest easy macaroni" Pharrell - "Can’t believe it was six years ago, we were working in Miami on Pink Slime. I just wanted to make the hardest records with you. And then I discovered you could sing too. And I kept telling you you could sing, but you didn’t want to hear it. And your latest project has all the singing... Very happy for you, but can’t believe that this is the moment I got to tell you that. Sending deepest condolences to your family. RIP Mac Miller." Maxo Kream - "RIP bro we just met at a Cole concert and I wanted to get you on my next album. Fightin dese demons not easy tell my nicca Fredo I love em" Christian Clancy - "i don’t know what to say. it’s not real yet. you were more alive recently than i’ve seen in awhile. i feel like u kept things away from me at times, which ud never admit, but the shift was palatable.. it felt real... the clarity and purpose in your voice about life and ur future... joking about how close ur abs were to a 6 pack (debatable)..... perfect? no. who is. but the demons weren’t steering and the smiles were genuine. maybe at least until u were alone. you were as selfless a human being as i’ve ever known. everyone else’s happiness came first. never rocked the boat. maybe u should of. but that wasn’t ur style. my favorite thing about you is how u treated chloe. that said everything. i think youth had that innocence you craved, free from all the heaviness inside you.. the heaviness that got you. it’s a lesson for those of us that cook our emotions on the inside. a lesson to those who still feel invincible. this is gonna take awhile. you were an incredible human with an incredible family and friends who were all excited about the path you were on. you were so proud of “swimming” - it was the album you wanted to make. u did that and it’s brilliant. i’m heartbroken. i’m angry. but i love you and im gonna feel instead of cook this time. i’m grateful to have known such a beautiful human being whose main goal in life outside of his art was to make everyone around him ok. love u, malcolm." Nardwuar - "R.I.P. Mac Miller. Gone far too soon." The Kid Mero - "RIP HOMIE YOU COULD TAKE A JOKE AND U WERE A REAL ASS HUMBLE DUDE. BLESS" Clams Casino - "RIP Mac! There are a lot of special memories and good times I will have in my heart forever...thank you for all of those. Mac always stood out to me because he was a genuinely kind and down to earth person that would go out of his way to look out for people. I’m happy for the music we made together and thank you for impacting so many peoples lives." MixedByAli - "Woke up sick thinking damn how could I have helped. Can’t believe this . Until we meet again my boy . I’m sorry" Vince Staples - “I must’ve died and went to heaven...currently in shock it’ll hit me in a second. What’s your question? You need a blessing right? Or you just wondering what heavens like.” I’ll see you soon. Thank you for everything... for all of this. I love you. Julia Kelly - "Today I gained the most beautiful angel. My heart is hurting. Shattered. Today I lost one of the most amazing humans that has ever entered my life. Malcolm McCormick, I would give anything to have you back. Our memories will never be erased. I am forever grateful for you. Thank you for your laughter and endless amounts of love. You brought me out of my shell and broke me free from my shyness. The most gentle soul. Your mind was like no other. Waking up next to you was a dream. Thank you for always making me feel at home. I’m going to miss your sweet forehead kisses and affection. I would give anything to talk to you one last time and express my love. I love you forever, Malcolm." Asher Roth - "this one hurts" The Weeknd - "Rest In Peace Mac Miller. It’s a sad day." Tory Lanez - "R.I.P Mac wtf !!!!!! Too soon man too fucking soon !!!! This is unreal" YG - "RIP MAC MILLER" Rapsody - "I love you always, Mac! Forever the most dope. Thank you for helping to change my life. And so many in this culture. .....so unreal." Machine Gun Kelly - "Mac. this just fucked us all up. u were too rare...damn. from eating frozen chicken wings in my basement to ur voice speaking to a generation. u did it homie. wish this wasn’t even a conversation. @Innerviewq i love u and am here for u." Ty Dolla $ign - "I don’t know if people get what these comments will do to a person . Y’all talk so much shit behind a fake account and never show your face . Rip my brother Mac life is too short . Tell someone u love them today . Please" Rich the Kid - "Rip Mac Miller" Carnage - Love you brother @MacMiller" Loaded Lux - "👁♥️" Charlamagne the God - "I had a lot of great conversations with this young man on and off air. All we did was clown each other. Even deep convos ended with a joke. Rest Easy To My Pal Mac." Angela Yee - "Heartbroken to hear the news about Mac Miller. My condolences to his family and loved ones, and I feel blessed to have known him" Diplo - "My first day on tour in Australia I saw Mac in the lobby .. he was having a small fling with one of my dancers and asked her to dye his hair pink before tour started.. and then he wrote this dope song called pink bathwater (one of thousand songs you probably will never hear) . He drank whiskey at major lazer after-party is til 4 am.. went back to festival at midday .. played piano like Mozart with the sun blazing down on him.. throw up on stage . Cry a bit, rap some more then pass out in the grass and text me a few hours like where we going next .. next five years I see this guy everywhere .. best people I could always count on.. we made a lot of music in my first studio in Burbank.. he kept getting better and better .. this dude lived so hard was so amazing and talented and still extremely missunderstood.. another video is me and @skrillex on New year's Eve at MSG and Mac just came out at midnight like he was he headliner in his Riddler suit. Fuck I couldn't stop laughing .. he was always there in the middle of the best moments .. and if there wasn't a vibe he created it and made the room brighter .. he radiated positivity, but there wasn't a balance.. the other side was he was deeply insecure and always found substitution for what was missing in his life .. For a second think about the people around you and make sure they are always aware of the love .. don't take a second forgranted. They might need you and you don't even notice it because your too busy .. always gonna love you Mac" Videos: J. Cole in concert dedicating "Love Yourz" to Mac. Watching Movies With The Sound Off Visual Album by /u/Chadbraham. submitted by /u/TheHHHRobot to r/hiphopheads [link] [comments]
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r/hiphopheads |
TheHHHRobot |
Sep 7, 2018 |
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Guide to Mac Miller
After some suggestions over at /r/music and actually thinking about it myself, I decided to post my introduction to my favorite artist, Mac Miller. Inspired by the awesome "Guide to Kanye West" by /u/habs76 that actually got me into Kanye and by all the other amazing "guides" out there, I decided, since I didn't found any, to create one for my favorite artist: Mac Miller. If you're thinking "hey that guy barely has four years of career, it's too short" I have to say that, although that's true, he has put out an impressive number of songs, actually his latest mixtape, FACES, is his 11th official release, so we're talking about a lot of material over a short period of time. A Quick Introduction Mac Miller's music can be divided into two, distinct phases, with a very different sound: pre-Blue Slide Park and post-BSP. That is because a lot changed in his life after Blue Slide Park came out and those changes were reflected in his music. The former phase is maybe his most commercially successful one, with most, if not all his biggest hits written in this time. The sound is very white-boy rapper with predominantly dancey beats, although there are differences between each of the works that came out over this phase. The latter is a phase characterized by less commercial success but more artistic production, where Mac Miller is not just a rapper anymore, but an eclectic artist who can easily adapt to different genres and can also craft, both for himself and for other artists (such as Vince Staples and SZA), unique sounds under the pseudonym of Larry Fisherman. So, let's get started: The High Life (2009) [Mixtape] The High Life marks the proper introduction of Mac Miller into the world of professional hip-hop, granting him enough local success to ensure him lots of sold-out shows in his hometown of Pittsburgh and in Pennsylvania. It sounds a bit unpolished, but you can already hear hints of his distinct "modern rap, throwback beat" style. Standout Tracks: Another Night - Praising nights spent alone in the house making music and smoking weed over a splendid guitar beat. Just My Imagination - This song is maybe better in retrospect than it was actually at the time, because few people have been able to achieve much of what he says in this song in as short time as him. K.I.D.S. (2010) [Mixtape] This mixtape was his breakthrough work and one of his two best works in my opinion. It was his first release after signing with Rostrum, Wiz Khalifa's, and as of late Mac himself's now former, label. Recorded while he already had his own place thanks to the money he made with The High Life, the sound is pretty much on the same style as the latter, although in this mixtape the beats are more polished and his writing has improved greatly. The name K.I.D.S. stands for Kicking Incredibly Dope Shit, and comes for the movie Kids. Standout Tracks: Senior Skip Day - A song to show his love for skipping not just class but every kind of business to be able to enjoy himself. One of the most upbeat songs he has ever made. Knock Knock - The first single off the mixtape (yeah, his mixtape game is that good), this is another really upbeat song about him "knocking" on the rap game's door and explaining why they should let them in. Great beat, great hit. Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza - Two and a half minutes of straight rap with no hook over a beautifully old-school beat that caused him a good chunk of trouble (you can read about that on his Wikipedia page). One of his best songs. Best Day Ever (2011) [Mixtape] This was the mixtape that made him an international superstar. It has many hits, probably thanks to the very bangery sound of most of the beats. Standout Tracks: Best Day Ever - I have to note that there are two versions of this song on the mixtape: the linked one (called BDE Bonus), which is my favorite, and the proper "Best Day Ever" that samples Beauties Can Die by M83, one of my favorite bands. Both are really good. The song is about him finally living his dream. Donald Trump - This song was an international hit, largely thanks to the amazingly catchy beat crafted by SAP. Of course, Mac knows how to write properly to a catchy song. All Around The World - Up until this song, Mac Miller was missing a good song about partying, and for someone like him that was not a good thing. Luckily this came around. Writing not exceptional, but it fits perfectly into Just Blaze's dancey beat. Blue Slide Park (2011) Named after the Pittsburgh park, up until this album, his debut album, Mac Miller had built so much hype that it was inevitable to see this album skyrocket to the top of the charts on its first week of sales, setting the record for most successful independent album of all time. But, for most of the critics, notably Pitchfork, this was only because of the hype and not because the album was actually that good, therefore receiving generally unfavorable reviews. I think that the album is far from perfect, and a bit redundant if you listen to it as a whole, but it surely has got its fair share of good pieces, such as: Frick Park Market - Mac goes really hard on this "I don't give a fuck" track named after the eponymous shop on real-life Blue Slide Park. Missed Calls - A beautiful and heartbreaking song about dealing with the consequences fame has over relationships. Crystal clear beat by Ritz Reynolds. One Last Thing - As Mac Miller said, the (w)rap-up. This Clams Casino-produced gem is one of Mac's best lyrical efforts up until this point (his lyrical skills will rise dramatically up over the next works). Straight rap and no hook always means some good lines. Macadelic (2012) [Mixtape] This mixtape marks the start of Mac Miller's second artistic phase. The rather harsh reception that Blue Slide Park received put Mac under a lot of stress, and he went through a bad period in his life. This led him to change his direction in music towards a darker, more thoughtful path, although Macadelic still shares some similarities with his previous work. Standout Tracks: Loud - Mac Miller's trademark banger, Macadelic style. Thoughts From A Balcony - Maybe the first real taste of what Mac's music was becoming: deep, thoughtful lyrics about the world, life and drugs over a mellow piano beat crafted by Donald Trump's man, SAP. 1 Threw 8 - In this song Mac is really introspective and wonders what will be remembered of him after he dies. Deep, moody beat by Black Diamond. Watching Movies With The Sound Off (2013) His second album, it didn't nearly get the same reception as BSP, under every point of view. In fact, it sold much fewer copies while being received overwhelmingly better by critics. I think that it is his best work, maybe together with K.I.D.S. (the two are really different and thus not comparable). In this album Mac's artistic evolution, started on Macadelic, blossoms in an astonishingly wonderful way, with 19 songs that are wonderfully diverse and rich, a cast of collaborators picked perfectly and beautiful production, sometimes handled by the man himself. I recommend listening to the whole album, but there are a few tracks that I think are above the others. The name comes from the way he worked on the album, actually while watching movies with the sound off in the studio. Standout Tracks: S.D.S. - A Flying Lotus-produced track that sees Mac defining his beliefs and wondering about the hardly explainable things in the world. Awesome. I Am Who Am (Killin' Time) - This song is what I believe is the best lyrical work ever conceived by Mac. It criticizes himself but also what other people say of himself, but in a way that it could be valid for everyone. The beat is dark-dreamy piece by ADOTHEGOD and Niki Randa's voice fits perfectly into the hook. Objects In The Mirror - This Pharrell Wiliams(!!)-produced work of art is addressing lean, or any other drug, as a girl with whom you have a not so rosy relationship. This is, in my opinion, the best track of the whole album, perfectly crafted both musically and lyrically. Live From Space (2013) [Live Album] This is not your usual live album, because it's not just a recording of him performing his usual songs at a show. After WMWTSO came out, Mac embarked on The Space Migration Tour and brought, along with the likes of Earl Sweatshirt and Chance The Rapper, the experimental band The Internet from Odd Future together. In fact, on the first part of each show Mac played some of his best songs off of WMWTSO but also from previous works in a wonderfully rearranged version together with The Internet. I recommend listening to the whole album as well because some of the rearrangements are done perfectly, but I'd also suggest giving a listen to some of the new material on the album, because it's really good. Standout Tracks: Youforia (Live) - Although when together with The Internet his songs sound wonderful, I believe that this is the song that exposes Mac Miller as an all-around musical artist. Just him and a slightly processed electric piano, played by the man himself while he sings a song that originally, on WMWTSO, was a rare Clams Casino-produced slow, dreamy ballad. Here he makes it sound more personal and even better. Eggs Aisle - The name a play on the word exile, a really good stream of consciousness song (which will be pretty much the norm on FACES) in which he contemplates life and spirituality over a spacey beat. Life - Yet another dreamy beat on this album, makes for a kinda-creepy and deep song about the true definition of "crazy in love". Brilliant "not rapping nor singing" performance by Mac. FACES (2014) [Mixtape] His latest mixtape, although on the same wave length of Macadelic and WMWTSO, starts to bend a little towards a more alternative, and a touch brighter, direction, and also features much more production by himself, as he's getting much better. The mixtape provides the listener with a staggering 24-track set, although some tracks are (and this is a new entry in his style) instrumentals. Standout Tracks: Polo Jeans - A really good song produced by Earl Sweatshirt in which Mac talks about fame and his new cocaine habit (sigh) while Earl delivers his usual (amazing) rap poetry. Diablo - One of Mac's best productions under the pseudonym Larry Fisherman, here he addresses haters and rivals in a really stylish way. New Faces - Another Earl Sweatshirt-produced track, this is yet another song about drugs (like most of the lyrics off of FACES), although this might be the best one at that. EDIT: Thanks to /u/nulspace, I added Live From Space. EDIT 2: Guys I know it's missing some stuff from really early/Easy Mac days, his Larry Lovestein stuff and Delusional Thomas too, but his early projects are somewhat obscure and he even said once to "don't even listen to that shit" because he was too young... As for his side projects, I skipped them because they are completely different from the stuff he does under the "Mac Miller" name and I wanted this to be just a Mac Miller introduction for people who are not that into him... I believe that once someone gets hooked they'll find out soon enough about that stuff ;) EDIT 3: To everyone saying that this is not complete and I'm missing out on his best stuff and the guide is completely useless and shit: this post was meant for people who are not really into Mac Miller, to make them listen to what I believe is the best bit of his work. This was not meant for fans of Mac Miller who know the lyrics to Smoke Signals by heart. This is a starting point from where someone who is genuinely interested can start to then dig deeper onto that other stuff on his own. At least that's been the case for me with all of the different guides out there, from OutKast to Modest Mouse, that is my concept of an introductory guide. Man, that guide didn't even feature Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, which is an album, not a mixtape, and yet it was still awesome to me. I'm sorry if my concept of introduction seems wrong to you, you are free to not read this guide, especially if you already are a Mac Miller fan. submitted by /u/thedaedra to r/hiphopheads [link] [comments]
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r/hiphopheads |
thedaedra |
Sep 6, 2014 |
United States
