Shocking news out of the music world today, as TMZ reported moments ago that Mac Miller has passed away.
The widely-acclaimed hip hop artist, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, was just 26 years old.
Though details about Miller’s passing are scarce at the moment, TMZ is reporting that the cause of death appears to be a drug overdose.
Miller’s body was found at his home in San Fernando Valley after authorities were contacted by a friend of the rapper’s.
He was reportedly pronounced dead on the scene.
Though a respected figure on the hip hop scene since the release of his 2011 mixtape “Best Day Ever” and 2012 debut album, Blue Slide Park, Miller is perhaps best known for his romantic relationship with singer Ariana Grande.
Miller and Grande began dating in 2016.
The relationship was often described as a whirlwind romance, and the engagement rumors that circulated on multiple occasions were tellingly never denied by either party.
Miller dedicated his 2016 album The Divine Feminine to his then-girlfriend and stated in the press that Grande taught him to reflect on the important role that women had played in his life and development.
Sadly, in May of 2018, Grande and Miller broke up.
According to Grande, his substance abuse played a role in her decision to end the relationship.
Shortly after the split, Miller was arrested for a DUI hit and run after he crashed his G-Wagon and fled the scene on foot.
He was later apprehended at his home and blew twice the legal limit on a breathalyzer test.
When fans blamed Grande for the Miller’s downward spiral, she pushed back on social media.
“I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be,” she tweeted.
“I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety & prayed for his balance for years.”
Grande added:
“Of course I didn’t share about how hard or scary it was while it was happening but it was.”
According to TMZ, in the months following the breakup and Grande’s subsequent engagement to Pete Davidson, friends were instructed not to mention the situation in Miller’s presence.
Miller seems to have struggled with substance abuse his entire life, to the point that premature death was a subject that was often on his mind and one that he addressed frequently in his music.
He delved into great detail about his addiction to promethazine and codeine (a combination known as “purple drank”) on his 2014 album Faces.
Addressing his substance abuse issues in a 2012 interview, Miller had this to say:
“I’d rather be the corny white rapper than the drugged-out mess who can’t even get out of his house.
“Overdosing is just not cool. You don’t go down in history because you overdose. You just die.”
A profile of Miller was published by Vulture on Thursday and contained this tragically illuminating quote about the rapper’s mindset in his final days:
“A lot of times in my life I’ve put this pressure to hold myself to the standard of whatever I thought I was supposed to be, or how I was supposed to be perceived.”
He added:
“And it creates pressure.”
Mac Miller was scheduled to begin a nationwide tour next month.
His final Instagram post features a portion of his song “So It Goes,” which features the lyrics:
“Nine lives, never, die, f-ck a heaven, I’m still gettin’ high.”
Our thoughts go out to Miller’s loved ones during this difficult time.
