Opening track Doors is produced by another one of Miller’s running mates, Tyler the Creator, and slowly opens the front door to Miller’s jaunty, jolly and joyous world. But unlike Sweatshirt’s agoraphobic, introverted latest album, or Staples’ tense, gloomy debut, GO:OD AM sounds like the work of a rapper who’s pleased to be here. Earl Sweatshirt counts him among his earliest believers, while Vince Staples first appeared on people’s radars when he began making tracks with the 23-year-old rapper, who had his own MTV reality show at the time.

'He died young, but he matured so much in a relatively short amount of time.'īest lyrics: 'I turn the hotel to a castle / Livin' like a king for a grand / I don't do nothing, that's a hassle / Besides, even that castle's made of sand / Just might slip into the sea / F- it all, if it all ain't me / Maybe we inside the maze / Somehow, we gotta find a way, OK.M ac Miller is an unlikely conduit for some of 2015’s most interesting rap.

'He popped off frat rap early on and could've stuck with that, but he put his head down, focused on his craft, and gained respect from the best,' Ketchum continued. ' One thing that impressed me about Mac Miller was his dedication to becoming a focused musician,' William Ketchum, the deputy editor at Vibe Magazine, wrote on Twitter following Miller's death. The central metaphor encapsulates the defining aspect of Miller's career: his knack for evolution and constant desire to improve. 'Ladders' is the tour de force on Miller's most recent album, 'Swimming,' released in August. Miller performing 'Ladders' on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' less than one month before his death. ' A lot of was inspired just by the universe, the story of love, and the emotion of love, how love affects me is different now.'īest lyrics: 'I think you're too divine for my human mind / When I'm with you, what do you do? Bring me to life / No matter what, one day everyone dies / You think you a God 'til you run out of time / Yeah, when you're gone, what will you leave behind?' I also wholeheartedly believe in the idea of love,' he said. The rapper opened up to Billboard shortly before the album's release and said that he had, indeed, found a soul mate. Many fans interpreted 'The Divine Feminine' as an expression of their relationship - and while Grande has stated that only one song, 'Cinderella,' was directly inspired by her, Miller's belief in true, transcendent love can be felt radiating at the core of each song. Miller had recently confirmed his romance with Ariana Grande, whose vocals appear elsewhere on the album. 'Soulmate' details the album's thesis statement. He embraced his singing voice leaned into jazz and R&B influences centered live instrumentation and professed a soft, blissful, overwhelmingly positive outlook. Miller's fourth studio album, 'The Divine Feminine,' saw the rapper go in a completely different artistic direction. Getty Images/Dave Hogan for One Love Manchester

The close friends and then-couple collaborated on Grande's 2013 single 'The Way' and Miller's 2016 track 'My Favorite Part.' It's the duality of man,' Miller told GQ, reflecting on the album, in 2016.īest lyrics: 'Never will I walk in line / I cross the T's and dot the I's / Wondering, well, wonderin' how I got this high / Fell asleep and forgot to die / God damn.' 'You can't expect to appreciate moments of deep thought without appreciating moments of carefree enjoyment and confidence. 'But the edges had begun to warp, regrets were forming, and Mac was aware of all of it.' 'Its thesis statement is, essentially, that the weekend is the time to party, and that's when Mac comes alive,' Tirhakah Love and Brendan Klinkenberg write for Rolling Stone. The song is a banger at heart, but creates tension that reflects Miller's mid-career struggle: to reconcile his 'frat rap' party-boy persona and his awareness of his toxic, self-destructive behavior. Miller's third album 'GO:OD AM' is a bona fide ode to sobriety, and 'Weekend' is Miller at his best.

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