Back in September, rapper Mac Miller passed away from an overdose after years of battling addiction.
Last night in Los Angeles, fans, loved ones, and colleagues from the music world gathered together to pay tribute to the late emcee.
John Mayer, Travis Scott and Chance the Rapper were among the A-listers who performed, but one star was noticeably absent.
Miller’s former girlfriend, Ariana Grande, opted out of participating in the evening’s festivities.
On social media, some Miller fans were critical of Grande’s decision not to participate, with many pointing out that the concert was both an opportunity to pay tribute to the late musician and a fundraiser for arts education.
Others took note of the fact that Grande paid tribute to Miller on Instagram, where she posed with his beloved dog while wearing a hoodie he designed himself:
“She is still deeply grieving and chose to pay respect in her own way,” a source close to the situation tells Radar Online.
“Ariana is now focusing her time and energy on her music and upcoming tour, which she is very excited about,” the insider adds.
“It’s what Mac would want.”
Miller and Grande broke up in May after more than two years of dating.
There was no mention of either that relationship or Miller’s fatal substance abuse issues during the concert.
On stage, artists paid tribute to Miller through music.
Mayer performed a cover of Miller’s “Small Worlds” while Vince Staples and Anderson Paak both performed songs on which they collaborated with Miller.
Between songs, friends spoke of their fondest memories of Miller, with Chance the Rapper offering one of the night’s most memorable moments:
“Mac, thank you for so many different things,” the emcee said of his late friend.
“Thank you for the music you made; thank you for the music that you provided other people with, for the opportunities that you provided me with, but overall, for the friendships that you built through your music and through your artistry.”
Along with several other performers, Chance credited Miller with inspiring him as an artist and a performer, but most importantly as a human being.
