In case you missed it, Mac Miller, the beloved 26-year-old rapper, has passed away from an apparent overdose.
Most of my grief when a celebrity passes away is usually confined to a moment or two of reflection on what they meant to myself and others, followed by a proclamation of "oh, that's a shame." However, this one has been different.
I've been trying to discover why Miller's passing has been so hard to deal with. I love Mac Miller, don't get me wrong, but his death has hit me harder than I thought it would--although his passing was so sudden that I'd never really thought about losing him. I enjoy his music, but I wouldn't necessarily say he was my favorite artist in the world. However, I think his death is so unbelievably tragic for a multitude of reasons.
First, he was only 26. Any time someone that young passes on, it's going to be sad. I don't care if he was your favorite artist or if you never listened to him once. The loss of a good, kindhearted soul at such a young age is always a tragedy.
Second, I grew up with him. Not in a literal sense--we've never met--but it feels as if we were good friends. As someone who has listened to him since his early mixtapes, I have watched him mature as if I were really there with him. I've listened to the carefree nature of his mixtapes, I've listened to the romance on "The Divine Feminine," and I've listened to the heartbreak on "Swimming." And as his musical stylings have matured, so have I.
His fun, carefree music came out in a time of my life where fun was all that mattered, and then when his music became more romantic, I was in a time of my life where love suddenly became important, and when he was heartbroken on "Swimming," so was I. So, in a way, we did grow up together.
This is the largest reason, I contend, for the widespread grief and gloom following his passing. Many of his younger fans feel the same way as I do. I've seen many comments around the internet stating the same sentiment: he was like a good friend of ours. He was someone who we watched grow and develop as a person and as an artist, and as we watched, we grew too. Few other artists have that kind of connection with their fans.
Another reason why this has been so hard is that, upon further listening to "Swimming," he was crying out for help the whole way. For example, on "Come Back to Earth," he sings: "grey skies and I'm drifting, not living forever//they told me it only gets better." Looking at lyrics like those with the added context of his death adds a whole new depth and power to them, and brings about a profound sadness.
What we can learn from this is that we all need to reach out to our friends and family, tell them that they're loved, and remind them that they're not alone. It makes a difference.
Mac Miller, you will be sorely missed. Thank you for everything.
PS. Do not blame Ariana Grande for his death. It is in no way her fault, and I am sure that she is mourning more than any of us are.
