He was signed to Pittsburgh-based Rostrum Records and released his debut album Blue Slide Park on November 8, 2011, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 despite being released completely independently. He released five studio albums in his lifetime, which all peaked in the top 5, along with a posthumous album titled "Circles" with help from producer Jon Brion and Miller's family.
In 2013, Miller released his second studio album, "Watching Movies With the Sound Off". The album featured artists such as Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler the Creator, Ab-Soul, and long-time friend Schoolboy Q. The album took a more personal approach compared to his previous works.
In 2014, Miller released the 24-track mixtape "Faces". Considered by many to be one of his best works, he explores themes of drug use, employing and featuring collaborators of Mac from his previous album, including Schoolboy Q and Earl Sweatshirt, but also sees new faces such as Rick Ross.
In 2015, Mac released his third studio album, "GO:OD AM", his first with new label Warner Records. The album featured a more energetic and vibrant theme than "Faces" and "Watching Movies With The Sound Off", reflecting a more optimistic, redemptive angle on his personal life, while maintaining elements of his introspective and thought-provoking style from earlier works.
In 2016, Miller released his fourth studio album, titled "The Divine Feminine". He explores themes of love and femininity, largely influenced by his relationship with Ariana Grande at the time and featuring appearances from the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Anderson Paak.
In August 2018, following major events in Miller's life, including his breakup with Ariana Grande, with Miller's drug addiction alleged to be a contributing factor, as well as a car crash incident in which McCormick was charged with a DUI, Miller released his fifth and final studio album during his lifetime titled "Swimming". Continuing the dive into his personal life, Miller explores his heartfelt struggles and grief in the past, but remains optimistic for the future. Swimming was nominated for Best Rap Album posthumously at the 2019 Grammy Awards.
Miller had struggled with substance abuse for a long time before his death. On September 7, 2018, he was found dead in his home in Los Angeles, California from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol, only a little over a month after the release of "Swimming". He was only 26 years old. McCormick was buried in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Miller's passing was largely unexpected and had a large impact on the hip-hop community as a whole, with many paying their respects to Miller. On October 31, 2018, a tribute concert, titled "Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life", featured renowned artists and many longtime collaborators of Miller including Travis Scott, Schoolboy Q, SZA, Chance the Rapper, and Earl Sweatshirt. The concert was a celebration of the late rapper's life and musical achievements, and all profits were donated to the Mac Miller Circles Fund, which provides young people from underprivileged backgrounds with opportunities to explore arts and music.
In January 2020, Miller's posthumous album titled "Circles", worked on in companionship with his album "Swimming", was announced on January 8 along with the single "Good News" and released later that month. Every track on the album was accompanied by a video of the same name, often with psychedelic imagery and images of Mac before his passing and throughout his life. With a more melancholic theme compared to his previous works, the album was well-received by fans and critics alike, renowned for the care placed in continuing Mac's artistic vision.
And, he did it all without a Drake feature.
I Am Who Am
Mac Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Close to depression, open your eyes and just focus a second
Fucking recession my brother my mind's always moving I'm letting it go
Know that I'm pointing at negative energy, telling me stop
They're telling me no, don't
Your aura is something you ain't even sure of
Explore the core of California, hoes got more to snort up
I've had a smorgasbord pornographic thought
Praise me I'd rather you not, cause
It's driving me crazy the fact that you pay to make me into something I love
You come to the club searching for drugs, drunk
Fucking these sluts
God loves me, what if he does, what does it mean?
You're wasting away doing nothing, you're fronting
Why ain't you chasing your dreams?
We wonder 'bout life but none of us wanted to learn
The money we earn is something to burn
Why won't they give me a turn--out?
Feed the hungry and clothe the naked
You're mistaken the world is cold and it's lonely ain't it
When 'em high roller homes in Vegas
Raid them with some home invasions
Contaminating the place with plague, we just saved the day
I waste away in a room spitting these raps
Yahweh put the world in my hands and I'm giving it back
Forfeit in the war, he lays a sword down and walks away
Grabs a 40 from the corner store and begins to contemplate
Dealing with death like you work in the morgue aborsving the souls
Forgotten, he lost his way
Starring down that barrel, thinking not today
Life's so precious, Lord knows life is so precious
Fight to the death, til' there's nobody left
You're holding your breath because you might get infected
I'm animalistic, is mentally thinking I'm going ballistic
Be specific, to those who in control we all statistics
Misogynistic with a twisted mind, I'm intertwined
My trigger finger itching, all I kill is time
Initial symptoms is schizophrenic behavior
The mind is like religion, can't agree on who's its savior
The newest flavor of superhero, I'm shooting lasers
Except I'm cool with Vader and blowing up rooms that's full of strangers
A news anchor, the youth can relate to, it's nature
If you're a hater, I'll deal with you later, no thank you
I'm just your neighbor, please don't do me no favors
Really doe, come on homie we major
I waste away in this room spitting out raps
Yahweh put the world in my hands and I'm giving it back
In the song "I Am Who Am" by Mac Miller, he is reflecting on his life and asking how many people have felt empty and held onto aggression. He feels close to depression but encourages us to open our eyes and focus for a second to see past our negative energy. Mac acknowledges that we are in a recession and that his mind is constantly moving but he is letting it go. He knows that his aura is something he is not even sure of but he has explored the core of California and seen that there are more things to do besides snorting up drugs. Mac confesses that he has had pornographic thoughts and it shocks him, but he is careful not to praise him because it drives him crazier when people try to change him into something he is not.
He finds it interesting that people come into the club to search for drugs and to sleep around with other people. He knows that God loves him, but he wonders what it means. Mac encourages us not to waste away by doing nothing and to chase after our dreams. He acknowledges that we all wonder about life, but none of us wanted to learn. The money we earn is only something to burn and we should use our resources to feed and clothe the hungry and the naked. Interestingly, Mac makes a metaphorical reference to contaminating a high roller's home in Vegas and saving the day.
He then transitions into a story of a soldier who forfeits in the war and lays his sword down because he lost his way. He goes to the corner store to grab a 40 and starts to contemplate his life. Mac acknowledges that life is precious and it must be fought to the death until nobody is left. He then becomes animalistic in thinking and goes ballistic. Mac references that those in control view people as statistics and he finds that misogynistic. He acknowledges his trigger finger and confesses that he has killed time, but he suffers from schizophrenic behavior with initial symptoms. He feels like he's shooting lasers like a superhero, but also remembers that the mind is like religion and nobody can agree on who its savior is. Mac acknowledges that he is blowing up rooms of strangers and becoming a news anchor that the youth can relate to. He doesn't want any favors and reminds us that we are all major in our own ways.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm posing a question, how many been empty and holding aggression?
I'm wondering how many people are feeling lost and angry right now.
Close to depression, open your eyes and just focus a second
Almost at the point of feeling really sad, but you can snap out of it if you just take a breath and focus.
Fucking recession my brother my mind's always moving I'm letting it go
Damn, we're going through tough financial times, but I'm always thinking and trying to let go of negative thoughts.
Know that I'm pointing at negative energy, telling me stop
I know when I'm feeling bad vibes and I try to tell myself to stop thinking those things.
They're telling me no, don't
People are telling me not to do something, even though I really want to.
Your aura is something you ain't even sure of
You don't even know what kind of energy you're giving off to others.
Explore the core of California, hoes got more to snort up
Go deep into California, there's a lot to discover and even some people, like drug addicts, who need our help.
I've had a smorgasbord pornographic thought
I've had some wild and lustful thoughts lately.
That's a lot, the feeling come after the shock
Those thoughts were intense and it takes some time to come back to reality after thinking about them.
Praise me I'd rather you not, cause
I don't really want people to idolize me or put me on a pedestal.
It's driving me crazy the fact that you pay to make me into something I love
It's weird that people are paying to see me perform and it's something I really enjoy doing.
You come to the club searching for drugs, drunk
Some people go out to clubs just to get messed up on drugs and alcohol.
Fucking these sluts
Some people also go out to clubs just to have casual sex.
God loves me, what if he does, what does it mean?
I think God loves me, but what does that really mean for my life?
You're wasting away doing nothing, you're fronting
You're not doing anything meaningful with your life and you're just pretending to be happy.
Why ain't you chasing your dreams?
Why aren't you going after what you really want in life?
We wonder 'bout life but none of us wanted to learn
We're all curious about life, but we're not really willing to put in the effort to understand it.
The money we earn is something to burn
We tend to spend all the money we make instead of saving it for the future.
Why won't they give me a turn--out?
Why won't people give me a chance to prove myself in the industry?
Feed the hungry and clothe the naked
We should be helping those who are less fortunate and struggling to provide for themselves.
You're mistaken the world is cold and it's lonely ain't it
You're wrong if you think the world is a warm and friendly place, it can be tough and isolating.
When 'em high roller homes in Vegas
When those rich people gamble all their money away in Las Vegas.
Raid them with some home invasions
Some people might think it's justified to rob these rich people's homes.
Contaminating the place with plague, we just saved the day
These robbers might think they're doing something good, but really they're just causing harm and chaos.
Forfeit in the war, he lays a sword down and walks away
In this battle or conflict, he's giving up and leaving.
Grabs a 40 from the corner store and begins to contemplate
He buys some alcohol and starts to really think things over.
Dealing with death like you work in the morgue aborsving the souls
He's getting really accustomed to death and it's starting to affect him.
Forgotten, he lost his way
He feels like he's been abandoned and isn't sure what direction to take in life anymore.
Starring down that barrel, thinking not today
He's looking down the barrel of a gun, but he's not ready to die just yet.
Life's so precious, Lord knows life is so precious
Life is really valuable and we should all cherish it.
Fight to the death, til' there's nobody left
Keep fighting until you're the last one standing, no matter what.
You're holding your breath because you might get infected
You're really anxious and worried about getting a disease or virus.
I'm animalistic, is mentally thinking I'm going ballistic
I'm feeling like an animal and really angry and out of control.
Be specific, to those who in control we all statistics
Tell those in power exactly what we're feeling and going through, they see us as just numbers and data.
Misogynistic with a twisted mind, I'm intertwined
I have some really messed up beliefs about women and it's affecting me in a negative way.
My trigger finger itching, all I kill is time
I'm itching to do something, but all I'm actually doing is wasting time.
Initial symptoms is schizophrenic behavior
I'm showing some signs of schizophrenia, which is a really serious mental illness.
The mind is like religion, can't agree on who's its savior
People have really different beliefs about the mind and how to treat mental illness.
The newest flavor of superhero, I'm shooting lasers
I feel like I'm a new kind of superhero, shooting laser beams and really powerful.
Except I'm cool with Vader and blowing up rooms that's full of strangers
I'm a fan of Darth Vader and I actually like causing chaos and destruction in random places.
A news anchor, the youth can relate to, it's nature
I'm like a news anchor that young people can really connect with and relate to, it's just the way things are.
If you're a hater, I'll deal with you later, no thank you
If you're a fan of me and my music, great! But if you're not, I'll deal with you later and politely decline your opinion.
I'm just your neighbor, please don't do me no favors
I'm just a regular person like everyone else, so don't treat me any differently or give me special treatment.
Really doe, come on homie we major
Seriously though, we're doing big things and making a huge impact.
I waste away in this room spitting out raps
I spend a lot of time alone in my room rapping and writing lyrics.
Yahweh put the world in my hands and I'm giving it back
God put the world in my hands and I'm doing my best to make a positive impact and help others.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Malcolm James McCormick, Alexander Lipinski, Nicole A. Randa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheHarryLongbottom
Bryce Prange Dude, you have the grammar of a first grader, don't try insulting others when you don't know the difference between "you're" and "your"
+Ash Svi You too.
+EpicGamingWeekend I disagree that he's turned into a "ghetto white rapper", his music is very introspective and appreciative now. Just because he talks about similar subjects doesn't make him a "ghetto rapper", he has very high end beats that most ghetto rappers don't use. To each their own, but replying to them isn't the best thing you can do.
To everyone watching this:
Like the music? Awesome
Dislike the music? Awesome
Stop being so damn angry at each other. Everyone has their own tastes.
@RadicalMusicStudio
One of those songs you find yourself coming back to again and again.
@rickydavis6596
No joke
@enlightenedmiiind4790
+Ricky Davis it's straight art
@naqkins
Have bin for years
@DM47999
47 shit
@MachineEnthusiast
Real shit man
@thekingisher123
He wasn’t like any other artist, he was pure, one of a kind, a true master of his craft and he blessed us with 5 studio albums and 12 mixtapes that will be forever remembered, the 90s have biggie and pac, We have Mac Miller, one of the greatest artist of our generation. His body may have left us but his soul with live on forever. Thank you Malcolm, rest EZ Mac
@mattwhitt4042
Nothing but truth from you.
@dillionfitz9185
Trying to like your post 100 times but no luck
@Skelly_22_
thekingisher123 what are the 12 mixtapes Ik kids was one and he has more material under his alter ego Ik all the albums but just not in order and didn’t think he had so many mix tapes