10 Essential Mac Miller Tracks: The Most Dope
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Mac Miller also known as Malcolm Mccormick was one of the most talented, versatile, unique, and iconic rappers of the 2010s. His growth as an artist was almost unparalleled; moving from a stoner/frat rap tone to a more experimental/alternative approach to music, and his legacy will continue to live on for many years.
Each of Mac Miller’s projects had a completely unique story and sound and Malcolm changed the lives of millions of people around the world with his personal and relatable lyricism and genre-bending sound. Mac Miller will always be one of my favourite artists, as I have so many amazing memories listening to his music which makes this one of the hardest ‘10 essential tracks’ I will ever do, but I’m going to give it my best shot! Let’s get into this (REST IN PEACE KING):
10. BDE Bonus (Best Day Ever)
“BDE bonus” is a classic Mac Miller song, to say the least. Over a laid-back, deep piano melody, the song is the standout track on his iconic Best Day Ever mixtape. BDE Bonus, along with Kool-Aid & Frozen Pizza and Nikes On My Feet, is one of the songs that converted me into a proper Mac Miller fan, so it would be wrong for me not to include the track in my top 10!
9. Perfect Circle / God Speed
In the first part of the song, over a wild west styled instrumental Malcolm digs into the two things that consumed his life, music and drugs. The rapper gets introspective, speaking on his goals in rap, whilst also making his competitors aware of his rapid ascent to the top. In part two, the beat switches to a ‘Drake - Nothing Was The Same’ styled cut, where Mac Miller captures his dark moments; where he thought that becoming a rap star would eliminate all of his issues. He embraces the mistakes he made on his musical journey and came to the realization that he finally had the opportunity to become a better person and created a clearer image for himself of what lies ahead.
8. Thoughts From a Balcony
“Thoughts from a Balcony" is one of Mac Miller’s first ventures into the deeper/more thoughtful side of Hip Hop, giving us a small taster of his next chapter on his musical pursuit. The song is an introspective track describing Malcolm’s observations from the top of the rap game (the balcony). Mac imagines the world without him, and how his fans and those close to him would react if he was gone. Deep stuff…
7. Brand Name
“Brand Name” sets the tone perfectly for GO:OD AM, with references to Mac kicking his drug habits, and staying on the straight and narrow. Mac attaches to the idea that he isn’t as special as everything thinks he is. He addresses how he no longer feels like the cool, famous kid coming up through the Pittsburgh ranks. At this point in time, Malcolm felt ignored by some of his former core audience after his artistic transformation, where he slowly faded out his “frat/stoner rap” persona. All-in-all he came up quickly, felt he was an entity/brand (most dope) and now in this track, he realizes he’s just human after all. The lyrics "to everyone who sells me drugs / Don't mix it with that bullshit / I'm hoping not to join the twenty-seven club," really hit hard after the announcement of his death and this was the first track I listened to when I got the bad news.
6. Ladders
Swimming, Mac Miller’s final album was released just before the tragic news of his death and will stand as his best album for me. One of the few upbeat tracks on Swimming, "Ladders" showcases Mac's genius diversity and flow as he grapples with heartbreak and his mental state. The song is an upbeat, happy song which has been on summer rotation for a couple of years now!
5. The Question (Feat. Lil Wayne)
Produced by ID Labs, Malcolm starts the track by spitting "sometimes I wonder who the f--- I am", before going on to make one of his best tracks of all time. The song features the living legend Lil Wayne and Mac Miller explained to MTV News that he got Weezy on the track as it had a special meaning to him, going on to state that "this song is really meaningful to me man, and I wanted to make sure I got Wayne on something that was heartfelt," he said. "I got him on a record that I was saying something and not just talkin' sh--, so this record right here really kinda deals with a question that I've been goin' through in my own head". Powerful stuff!
4. Kool-Aid & Frozen Pizza
Mac Miller’s standout record on his breakthrough mixtape K.I.D.S., “Kool-Aid & Frozen Pizza” was the first Mac Miller track that I listened to and it’s still on replay to this day. Over Lord Finesse’s “Hip 2 Da Game,” Mac Miller raps about his rap aspirations, explaining why the hip-hop community should accept him and his music. Unfortunately, Lord Finesse hit Mac Miller with a $10 million lawsuit for using his song, and the two legendary artists finally settled under undisclosed terms. A sad ending to such an amazing track…
3. Good News
Hearing an artist wrestle with his dark thoughts from beyond the grave is always really sad, however, it can also be done beautifully and that’s the beautiful reality of “Good News”. The first single from the rapper’s groundbreaking posthumous album Circles, “Good News” was my most played song of 2020, and this shouldn’t really be a shock to anyone as it's just that good!
2. Dang (Feat. Anderson Paak.)
With Anderson Paak. featuring on this funky vibrant track, it's hard not to find yourself grooving for days when listening to this one. Mac Miller always had excellent taste in collaborators and his Anderson Paak. assisted "Dang!" is the highlight from his eclectic album - Divine Feminine; a cheery-sounding chronicle after a less-than-rosy relationship with Ariana Grande. If there’s a trend in Miller’s discography, it’s the rapper’s optimism and tenacity in the face of personal dramas and adversity. If you’re ever feeling low and down in the dumps put this track on and I guarantee that you will cheer up!
1. Self Care
Self Care was a part of Mac Miller's fifth studio album titled Swimming. It is a two-part song, split between Self Care and Oblivion. Though the song failed to peak at number one of the Billboards chart, its music video has over 276 million views on YouTube. After weathering the storm of public speculation following his breakup with Grande and a rumoured DUI, Miller returned with his “Self Care” single, reclaiming one of 2018's trendiest terms to explain the struggles he has overcome, and the heights he has reached. Listening to the song in the wake of his death is an important reminder that sobriety is a journey, not a fixed status and that recovery is a fight and not a victory. "Self Care" is a heartbreaking look at Miller in one of his bright spots and a reminder that we're lucky to have had him with us as long as we did in the first place.
Be sure to check out and like the ‘Mac Miller: Essentials’ playlist that we’ve made exclusively to Spotify to go along with the article for all of you Malcolm fans to listen-to:
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