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<v Speaker 1>What's up, music heads, Welcome back to Crash Course Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>This week we're taking a look at the incredible journey

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<v Speaker 1>and lasting impact of an artist who touched so many Macmiller.

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<v Speaker 1>And if I didn't tell you guys already, I'm the

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<v Speaker 1>host Ashtone and you're listening to Crash Course Pod. So

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<v Speaker 1>get ready to explore his evolution, his lyrical honesty, and

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<v Speaker 1>the legacy he left behind. So let's start with his

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<v Speaker 1>early mixtapes and the Kids era. It was a fun,

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<v Speaker 1>lighthearted sound that got him noticed. It was released in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty ten when Mac was just eighteen, kicking incredibly dope.

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<v Speaker 1>Hekids was heavily inspired by the film Kids. It captured

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<v Speaker 1>the essence of high school graduation, skipping class, kool aid

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<v Speaker 1>and frozen pizza and Nikes on my feet. The initial

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<v Speaker 1>impression of everyone labeled him as a frat rapper, and

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<v Speaker 1>critics saw him as a lighthearted, easy listening artist who

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<v Speaker 1>made party anthems. He was considered the kid next door

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<v Speaker 1>with a lot of chrisma, but at the same time

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<v Speaker 1>was not seen as a quote unquote serious lyricist. Then

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<v Speaker 1>we have Blue Slide Park, so he started to push

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<v Speaker 1>beyond that initial image remember frat boy music or frat rapper.

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<v Speaker 1>He started to push beyond that initial image with albums

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<v Speaker 1>like Blue Slide Park and Macadelic. He even created well,

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<v Speaker 1>let's stick on track, Let's stay on track. So Blue

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<v Speaker 1>Slide Park, I think was released in twenty eleven and

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<v Speaker 1>it was the first independent debut album to hit number

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<v Speaker 1>one in over a decade. Despite that, it received harsh

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<v Speaker 1>critical reviews, and this backlash actually sparked his growth. On

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<v Speaker 1>Macadelic mixtape, he moved away from the party sound into

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<v Speaker 1>more of a psychedelic, trippy production. He began collaborating with

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<v Speaker 1>experimental artist like Flying Lotus and Thundercat. I think that

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<v Speaker 1>proved he was a student of music, not just a

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<v Speaker 1>hit maker, and that he had more range than the

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<v Speaker 1>frat boy title. Watching watching movies with the sound off,

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<v Speaker 1>in my opinion, was mac Miller's coming of age project.

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<v Speaker 1>He moved to La built a home studio, the Sanctuary,

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<v Speaker 1>and embraced a surrealist, jazz inflected sound. I would vote

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<v Speaker 1>and say it was more mature, more of a mature

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<v Speaker 1>sound opposed to the frat rapper days. Anyways, he started

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<v Speaker 1>asking existential questions and that told the listener that mac

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<v Speaker 1>Miller was no longer interested in being a pop star.

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<v Speaker 1>He wanted to be a creator, was get more inward

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<v Speaker 1>and dealing with the pressures of fame and searching for meaning.

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<v Speaker 1>So then we have Faces. This mixtape is considered to

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<v Speaker 1>be a masterpiece by a lot of people. It's often

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<v Speaker 1>cited as his magnum opus and the twenty I mean

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<v Speaker 1>twenty fourteen mixtape is it's twenty four track descent into

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<v Speaker 1>his psyche. Shall I say it's jazz fusion meets gritty

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<v Speaker 1>hip hop, And that was with Faces. It was a

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<v Speaker 1>raw and honest look into his addiction, struggles, mental health

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<v Speaker 1>with terrifying honesty. It's a studio rat project, pure unfiltered

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<v Speaker 1>creativity that solidified him as a genius amongst peers. And

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<v Speaker 1>then we have Goo Colon Odam good Am. After the

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<v Speaker 1>darkness of Faces, this album felt like a breath of

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<v Speaker 1>fresh air. The title itself suggests a good morning, like

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<v Speaker 1>a fresh start. Tracks like Brand Name and the Weekend

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<v Speaker 1>showed him trying to find a healthy routine. It showcased

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<v Speaker 1>Hits and his ability to fight back against his demons

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<v Speaker 1>and find a path towards stability. And then we have

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<v Speaker 1>the divine, feminine. This album was a beautiful exploration of

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<v Speaker 1>love and relationships. The sound was a complete pivot in

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<v Speaker 1>to neo soul, jazz and funk. It features heavy orchestration

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<v Speaker 1>and appearances by Anderson pakenbilal I Hope I said those

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<v Speaker 1>right knock on wood the woodiest. Anyways, it wasn't just

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<v Speaker 1>a romance album. It was an exploration of the feminine

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<v Speaker 1>energy in the universe and the healing power of love.

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<v Speaker 1>It showed a softer, more emotionally intelligent side of masculinity.

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<v Speaker 1>And then I mean he makes He's made so many

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<v Speaker 1>albums and projects. We could go on, and let's talk

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<v Speaker 1>about one that was released shortly before his passing, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's Swimming. Its appoignant and introspective work. It was released

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<v Speaker 1>in twenty eighteen, and Swimming is about the act of

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<v Speaker 1>treading water. It's a masterclass and musical restraint and self care.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a peaceful, resigned, yet hopeful album. He wasn't drowning anymore.

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<v Speaker 1>He was trying to keep his head above the surface.

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<v Speaker 1>It remained a blueprint for anyone navigating mental health struggles.

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<v Speaker 1>So let's pivot. We talked about his releases and the

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<v Speaker 1>growth of creativity, and honestly, every album, in my opinion,

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<v Speaker 1>took a piece of him and we got to see

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<v Speaker 1>where his mindset was and the growth and the journey

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<v Speaker 1>of it through everybody of work released. Despite all that

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<v Speaker 1>or not, in addition, in addition to all that, he

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<v Speaker 1>was also an influence on a generation. Some would argue,

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<v Speaker 1>I would agree that mac miller was a bridge between

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<v Speaker 1>the old school and the new school. He mentored artists

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<v Speaker 1>like Vince Staples, I would say sis. I would also

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<v Speaker 1>say the Internet as well. He paved the way for

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<v Speaker 1>artists to be vulnerable and uncool. He showed that you

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<v Speaker 1>could start as a pop act and evolve into a

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<v Speaker 1>sophisticated composer, which encouraged others to prioritize artistic integrity over

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<v Speaker 1>the charts circles. It was completed by the producer John Bryson.

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<v Speaker 1>That is a posthumor, a posthumous I hope you say

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<v Speaker 1>that posthumous release. Some say it further solidified his legacy,

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<v Speaker 1>and it was actually a companion piece to Swimming Swimming

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<v Speaker 1>in Circles. It moved away from rap almost entirely into

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<v Speaker 1>a singer songwriter space. It felt like a gentle goodbye,

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<v Speaker 1>emphasizing that it is what it is, and the and

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<v Speaker 1>that piece is possible. It's so sad that it's romantic.

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<v Speaker 1>In my opinion, how do we remember macmull? Can we

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<v Speaker 1>give him a round of applause for right now? I

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<v Speaker 1>never met him personally, but word on the street was

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<v Speaker 1>that macmull was known as the kindest, one of the

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<v Speaker 1>kindest men in hip hop. He was a multi instrumentalist

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<v Speaker 1>who lived and breathed music. His legacy is one of

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<v Speaker 1>con and evolution, proving that we are not defined by

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<v Speaker 1>who we were yesterday, but by the work we put

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<v Speaker 1>in today. So get your pins. It is time for

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<v Speaker 1>some mac Miller essentials. You need to have these songs

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<v Speaker 1>written down and listen to them, especially if you aren't

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<v Speaker 1>familiar with his work. So number one, you need to

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<v Speaker 1>listen to Self Care. Then you need to listen to

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<v Speaker 1>two thousand and nine. Then you need to listen to

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<v Speaker 1>Good News. Then you need to listen to the Spins,

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<v Speaker 1>Nikes A Version, Dang featuring Anderson, Pop Circles, Welcome Back

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<v Speaker 1>to Earth, Wings, and finally Hurt Feelings. All of those

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<v Speaker 1>need to be in your listening list. Make a playlist

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<v Speaker 1>out of it. Now before we go, let's talk about

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<v Speaker 1>a little fun facts. I mean, I'm sure you guys

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<v Speaker 1>already know these, especially if your music had head like

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<v Speaker 1>I am, but self taught musician. At a very young age,

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<v Speaker 1>he taught himself how to play piano, guitar, trump, drums

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<v Speaker 1>and bass. By the time he was a teenager, he

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<v Speaker 1>was using these skills to produce his own tracks, rather

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<v Speaker 1>than just wrapping over YouTube beats or existing beats. The

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<v Speaker 1>title of his song the Star Room refers to a

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<v Speaker 1>real place. It was a bedroom in his friend Beatty's

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<v Speaker 1>house that had glow in the dark star stickers on

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<v Speaker 1>the ceiling. It was in that room that Mack recorded

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<v Speaker 1>many of his earliest songs and decided to commit his

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<v Speaker 1>life to music. He also had many alter egos. He

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<v Speaker 1>loved to experiment with different genres and sound, often releasing

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<v Speaker 1>music under various pseudonyms to separate the projects from his

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<v Speaker 1>mac Miller brand. So his primary producer alias was under

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<v Speaker 1>Larry Fisherman, and then he has Larry Lovestein, a jazz

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<v Speaker 1>persona used for the EPU which he performed with the

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<v Speaker 1>band called The Velvet Revival. We also have Delusional Thomas,

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<v Speaker 1>a horror core Elias Alias, where he used high pitched,

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<v Speaker 1>distorted vocals to explore darker lyrical themes. And finally we

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<v Speaker 1>have Easy Mac, his very first rap name used for

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<v Speaker 1>the mixtape but my macin ain't easy when he was

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<v Speaker 1>about fifteen. Yeah, some people, I mean, I won't say

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<v Speaker 1>some people, but I want to say some people. But

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<v Speaker 1>when we mentioned earlier how he influenced a generation, he

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<v Speaker 1>was known for his open door policy at his home

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<v Speaker 1>studio in Los Angeles and the Sanctuary, that was that one.

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<v Speaker 1>So at the Sanctuary. I don't know if this was

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<v Speaker 1>at the Sanctuary, but during this time when he's influencing

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<v Speaker 1>people and playing a significant role in the early careers

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<v Speaker 1>of several major artists, let's double back on that because

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<v Speaker 1>we mentioned Vince Staples and Siza. So for Vince Staples,

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<v Speaker 1>Mac produced Vince's breakout mixtape Stolen Youth under his Larry

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<v Speaker 1>Fisherman alis then and then for before Kendrick Kendrick Lamar

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<v Speaker 1>became a household name, Matt gave him a major platform

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<v Speaker 1>by choosing him as an opening act on the Under

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<v Speaker 1>the Influence of Music tour. And for Siza, he produced

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<v Speaker 1>tracks for her early on, helping foster the creative community

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<v Speaker 1>in LA He didn't discover her because she was already

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<v Speaker 1>signed to TDE, but he was one of the first

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<v Speaker 1>major artists to collaborate with her and invite her into

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<v Speaker 1>the mac miller's studio ecosystem, and that helped a cross

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<v Speaker 1>over into a wider hip hop scene and in conclusion,

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<v Speaker 1>to wrap this up, another alias he had was Parson Brown,

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<v Speaker 1>which he started using for his final works, which is

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<v Speaker 1>a reference to the song Winter Wonderland. Thanks for listening.

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<v Speaker 1>Check out other at