For me, Mac Miller is synonymous with middle school. That, as an insulated statement, sounds like a wildly disrespectful thing to say about an artist of Mac Miller's caliber. Especially when most people associate middle school with silly bands, braces and AXE body spray. But Mac was a large part of those very formative years in a lot of young adults, myself included. His first album, Blue Slide Park, was part of a legendary two or three year period where many incredibly influential artists broke out onto the scene. For instance, Drake released "Thank Me Later" the year prior while Frank Ocean released "Channel Orange" the year after.

Why was Mac so influential? The answer varies for everyone, which I feel is a testament to his influence. For me personally, it was his artistry. "Blue Slide Park" is a completely different album than "Swimming" but they're both excellent in their own ways. "Blue Slide Park" was energetic and had a swagger to it that only Mac could produce. From a young kid's perspective, it was invigorating to see someone who was so passionate about what they were doing. "Swimming" on the other hand, feels like the culmination of years of personal and musical development which speaks to how much Mac grown over the years.

See also: Mac Miller Is Dead At 26 From A Disease That We Still Refuse To Acknowledge

Try to remember, if you can, that weird gray area between childhood and teenage years where people are trying to figure out their identities and getting accustomed to new responsibilities. Adulthood looms on the horizon in such a threatening manner that the transition into that new area of life becomes scary as opposed to exciting. It's especially scary considering the many "doom and gloom" narratives surrounding adulthood. Maybe I read too much into things, but artists such as Mac Miller were somewhat of an example that people can still be passionate, creative and have a zest for life well into their adult years, especially considering his proximity in age (~5 years) to his audience at the time.

People inevitably change though, more often than not to the ire of their audiences. However, Mac Miller's transition felt more like a true development of artistry as opposed to an industry-driven change. It's very easy to see when artists are making adjustments to their style simply to keep up with the times (Taylor Swift) simply because the passion and transition periods are visibly absent.

I firmly believe that every true album aesthetic comes from a previous sound that was either experimented with or appeared briefly in a previous album. By that, I mean the sounds of "Blue Slide Park" helped develop the sound of "Watching Movies With The Sound Off" which helped develop "GO:OD AM" and so on and so forth. I feel very grateful that I was able to see Mac Miller develop over time but that also comes with a great deal of sadness as I think of what could have been.

That being said, I've seen a great deal of criticism surrounding the resurgence of support around Mac Miller's music. Seven of his albums are predicted to land back on the Billboard 200 and demand for his music raised by 970 percent according to Nielsen. Many are criticizing others for seemingly only caring about Mac Miller after his death, which I feel is an especially dangerous standpoint to take. We can appreciate artists in private but I also think it's important to show appreciation in public. The thousands of posts and hundreds of articles I've seen written are just a testament to Mac Miller's reach especially considering he was in the public eye for less than a decade.

Additionally, many people, even myself, had assumed he would be in our lives for a much longer period. At 26 years old, Mac Miller's untimely death really serves as a testament to the fragility of life and how quickly someone can leave us. Not to say that we have to walk around constantly wrestling with our own mortality, but we ought to take more time to stop and appreciate those who play a role in our lives because they can be here one day and gone the next.

So rest in peace, Mac Miller. You will be missed.