BY: WILL CLARK
Staff Writer
Mac Miller was quoted as saying, “I just wanna be positive as a human being.” With five studio albums, two EP’s, 12 mixtapes, and one live album, Miller left 
his mark on the music industry. It wasn’t his volume alone that made him famous, but his dedication to outside-the-box creativity.
In multiple projects, Miller references to suicide, overdose, drug abuse, and spiritual epiphanies. As a rapper, his themes and production are undoubtedly unique.
Miller was a drug addict.
His music would not have been the same without his addiction. The internal and external experiences of his drug abuse granted Miller his fresh sound: simultaneously ephemeral and lasting; a contradiction as was Miller’s creativity, constantly oscillating between genius and madness.
Distinct from today’s pop rap and even rap from the past, his themes are colorfully abstract, spaced out, dark and spiritual. While his first sounds gave him the label of a ‘frat’ rapper, each ensuing project delved deeper into his ever-changing psyche. The maturation in his production and sound progressively showcased his extensive musical background.
He was born Malcolm McCormick in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Playing numerous instruments, Miller wasn’t only a rapper — he was an eclectic musician. He worked and performed as a talented lyricist, pianist, guitarist, drummer, bassist, singer and producer.
Miller has been famous since 18 when his mixtape “K.I.D.S” took off. He’s toured around the world, topped musical charts, and made various features on radio shows, documentaries, and music magazines. Miller’s brilliance and talent came with a dark side, though.
Throughout his career, he publicly and lyrically referenced his recurring bouts with mental illness, drug addiction and suicidal premonitions. “To everyone who sells me drugs, don’t mix it with that bullshit/ I’m hoping not to join the 27 club,” he raps on “Brand Name” over a quick snare. Miller overdosed on Sept. 7th, 2018. He was 26.
He openly struggled with lean and cocaine addictions. Additionally referenced in his music, as well as those close with him, Miller confides his experimentation with uppers, downers, benzos, quaaludes, marijuana, cocaine, DMT, alcohol, LSD, shrooms, Ecstasy, Adderall, ayahuasca, nicotine, methamphetamine, heroin, lean/codeine and PCP. “If someone’s like, ‘Yo you wanna try this?’ I’m, like, yeah, sure. I’ve been through just about everything,” he said in his TheFader-produced 2016 documentary.
His talents and addictions endowed his ability to create fantastic music. Great music and drugs have, and always will go, hand in hand, but addiction is all too real. It is an epidemic across the United States. It creeps into our countries, cities, culture and species. College is a time for experimenting, learning and pushing boundaries. Drugs can change your perspective, open your mind and give you rare carnal insights into your own consciousness and self. Although drug experimentation in your college years is not entirely inevitable, it is possible, so be educated and prepared.
Over 72,000 Americans died from overdoses in 2017. According to the CDC, the most deadly include Synthetic opioids (Fentanyl), heroin, semi-synthetic opiates, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Highly addicting and deadly.
Learn to recognize the signs of addiction in yourself, as well as friends and loved ones. Only the addict can stop their addiction. When it comes to addiction, make sure to look out for yourself first. Four behavioral signs exist to watch out for include obsessive thoughts and actions, a disregard for harm caused, losing control of one’s impulses and a denial of use.
If you see these signs in yourself, you may be struggling with addiction. Almost everyone has struggled with some kind of addiction, but if yours is endangering your life, get help. Don’t OD and become another Miller. The number for the Addiction Hotline is 1-800-662-4357.
