September 7th has had a weird energy to it for rap fans for over 20 years. Eazy E was born on this day in 1964. Many feel like he had much more work to do and his death from AIDS really put a face to the epidemic that was marred by ignorance on the subject.
Tupac was shot in Las Vegas on this day 22 years ago. I remember my Dad driving around that night listening to “Picture Me Rollin’” over and over the night after the shooting. We were stationed in Maryland. It was weird to me how my Dad -- the embodiment of Black Male Braggadocio -- was completely silent. Nine-year-old me swore that I saw tears fall down this man’s face.
At the time, I thought it was weird. It’s not like Tupac was going to die, right? I was young enough to be forgiven for my naivety. But everyone just assumed that since he survived one shooting and came back better, Pac could survive this one too. Throughout all I just remember being astounded that this man who rarely showed any emotion was crying over a rapper.
Then 2018 happened and I found myself crying in a bar while eating a chicken pesto sandwich.
The impact of music is like no other medium. Let’s establish that fact right now. The ability to communicate emotion through song is one of the most envied. In every recorded culture, there’s a deference to the musicians and bards that isn’t exactly far off from a tribute to a deity forgotten by time.
Its in that vein that fans have felt a tremendous loss over the last few weeks. When news of Mac Miller’s death started wafting through the twittersphere, more than a few were quick to call bullshit. [For what its worth, false death rumors run rampant on the internet...that’s weird, dawg.]
I am just like the trillions of music fans that came before me and the gazillions that will come after me. The real talent of a true artist is the ability to convert a thought--a tangent--into a tangible object for others to consume...and they actually understand what you mean. Either because of their own experiences or the mastery of the artist themselves.
I heard KIDS the year I finished undergrad. I liked a couple of songs on the tape, but by the time Mac Miller dropped Blue Slide Park, I was good on it. There was just so much going on both in my life and musically to listen to music that didn’t move me at the time. But you could never knock dude for making the music that reflected who he was at the time.
In life, we all go through our learning periods. For some, that is when they’re young. For others, it can happen later on in life. I’d like to think that for a while Mac and I were on similar arcs in our life stories.
Faces. Watching Movies With The Sound Off. GOOD:AM. My dude was getting better with every release. Not only was he flexing in his rapping, he was also digging deeper into his artistic bag. What could his early detractors have to say when he evolved to be much more than what they despised about Blue Slide Park?
Thinking back to that chicken pesto sandwich, I don’t even remember if it was actually good or not. Much about that afternoon and evening was a blur. I do remember the waitress though. Bless her heart. Can’t be every day that a dude cries at the bar while eating. I think the loss that has stuck with me was the fact that although we got to witness Malcolm growing, we’ll never see what he grew into.
...
And for a month, that was the prevailing emotion listening to his music. Each release was really a snapshot of that moment. Not just who he was at that time, but also who I was.
Bumping KIDS thinking I was grown.
Playing GOOD:AM on the way to my partner’s funeral.
Searching for something real with The Divine Feminine as the soundtrack...
Trying to stop treading water and boss up bumping Swimming.
I thought back to the numerous moments I enjoyed dude’s music or found myself taking something from it. When the concert was announced, it was a no-brainer.
The thing about grief is that its an incredibly personal feeling. You’re thinking of this other person or thing you’ve lost in relation to your memories and your emotions...but with entertainers, no matter how private your mourning is, there’s thousands of people going through almost the same thing.
The show was amazing. The fans there were all very subdued. I think the time between his passing and the Oct. 31 show was spent by many coming to grips with this loss. But it was another thing to see all of these artists whom I love and respect mourning their friend. This wasn’t an industry thing, it was a personal thing to all of these people.
I realized then that I’d mourned Mac Miller -- the musician, but hadn’t managed to mourn Malcolm McCormick -- the man.
Something that stood out to me in the past couple of months was that no one had a negative thing to say about this cat. As an artist or entertainer, you could always find someone to be a contrarian, but the emotion that stood out here was love. Loved by his family. Loved by his friends. Loved by his fans...Mac was loved.
The family of Malcolm McCormick (aka Mac Miller) - his mother, Karen Meyers, his father, Mark McCormick and brother, Miller McCormick, along with Christian and Kelly Clancy of 4 Strikes management, are sharing new details for the "Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life". The concert will be livestreamed for audiences worldwide via streaming partners including Facebook, LiveXLive, TIDAL, Twitter, WAV and YouTube. The concert, presented in partnership with Live Nation, will benefit and honor the launch of the Mac Miller Circles Fund (MMCF) and will take place Wednesday, October 31st at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.
In addition to livestreaming the event, many of the streaming platforms will offer the ability for viewers to donate to The Mac Miller Circles Fund, part of The Pittsburgh Foundation, supporting youth arts and community-building programs. Viewers can expect donation opportunities on Facebook, LiveXLive, TIDAL, and Twitter. To learn more about the charity, visit http://www.TMMCF.org
Friends of McCormick including Action Bronson, Anderson .Paak, Chance the Rapper, Dylan Reynolds, Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, J.I.D, John Mayer, Miguel, Njomza, ScHoolboy Q, SZA, Thundercat, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla $ign, Vince Staples and more will come together to celebrate his legacy and the launch of the MMCF. In honor of Malcolm's commitment to the arts, the MMCF will provide programming, resources, and opportunities to youth from underserved communities, helping them recognize their full potential through exploration in the arts and community building.
The MMCF will be managed by McCormick's Estate along with his family, a board of advisors, and 4 Strikes management.
Net proceeds from ticket sales will be donated directly to MMCF, established in association with the Pittsburgh Foundation. If you would like to support the MMCF please visit us at http://tmmcf.org and follow us at @tmmcf.
The McCormick Family and 4 Strikes would like to thank all of the participating artists and partners who are working to make this event possible.
About the Pittsburgh Foundation:
The Pittsburgh Foundation, established in 1945, works to improve the quality of life in the Pittsburgh region by evaluating and addressing community issues, promoting responsible philanthropy, and connecting donors to the critical needs of the community.
