On Sept. 7, Mac Miller was pronounced dead at 26, of an apparent overdose. Miller had always struggled with drug addiction and sobriety, but following the release of his new album, it had seemed like things in his life were starting to take a turn for the better.
Miller released his final album “Swimming” on Aug. 3, 2018 to the most positive critical and fan reception he had ever received. Miller had been continuously evolving his entire career. From his humble beginnings in catchy frat rap to his grandiose compositions and instrumentals that involved entire orchestras, Miller showed that he wasn’t someone who was going to be boxed in. Miller was always changing and bettering himself, he was always looking to be a superior, more interesting artist. That’s what makes his death so crushing: he was only getting better.
He had so much left to share with the world. He was so close to making his perfect record, he was so close to being nominated for a Grammy and receiving everything he hoped for. He was so close, and now he’s gone.
Being a white, male teenager from Pennsylvania, I looked up to Mac Miller. He looked like me, he talked like me, he was intertested in the things that I was interested in, he was my idol. Mac was the very first artist I found on my own, he was the first artist I ever called mine. I remember spending hours upon hours watching his YouTube channel and just being amazed that someone could do something they loved and become famous for it. Although I never met him, I felt like I knew him through his music. Every album was a different entry into the diary of Mac Miller. Each album grew and became more complex from the one prior, just as you, the listener were growing and becoming more emotionally complex and mature in between albums.
Drug addiction is a mental health problem which is often rooted in other mental health issues. Mental health issues do not have to be taboo to talk about, mental health issues do not have to be scary. Be sure to reach out and talk to your friends about their issues and what is going on in their lives. Reach out to your friends and let them know that their life is worth living, that you care for them and that they are not alone.
Reach out before you or someone you love passes even though they have more to give to the world. Reach out.
