The Responsibility Of A Young Mac Miller.

Today is the one year anniversary of Mac Miller’s sixth and final studio album Circles and one cant help but wonder the pressure and tension Mac was holding all throughout his career starting from the beginning. Mac Miller’s journey through music was one of special circumstances that would later impact how artist find their way of having their music heard.

Already being a self taught musician at the age of six Mac was exploring different creative avenues at a young age that added to his arsenal of talent. Once Mac started to rap at 15 and got serious about it is when the responsibility of a young Mac Miller began. Mac began to treat rap like it was his job so he put the pressure on himself to become better to make better music and to create things that others would enjoy. By the time he was 18 he had a buzz going on in the city of Pittsburgh dropping multiple tapes building his fanbase without even knowing how big it could get Mac was so focused on creating music and getting better, locked in on his dreams he was not going to let anything get in his way. The way Mac differentiates himself from other artist is how much his city believed in him and that was another responsibility on its own. Carrying a city musically is difficult because you feel a certain type of weight that cant be recognized entirely by others. Not many artist have carried a city on their backs and kept roots in their city. Mac had a connection with Pittsburgh so much so he signed to independent record label Rostrum Records because of the location and fellow local rapper Wiz Khalifa had also signed to Rostrum Records. This could be another lesson for future artists who want to get into the music business. The business of music is setup so you have multiple ways of being successful although they all vary in difficulty some avenues are not worth taking when it comes to the music industry. Where Mac deviated from others he signed to an independent record label not a major record label (ex; Atlantic Records) this was a good move for him and he may not have realized at the time but that was influential. The responsibility of setting a standard for a younger artist is one of the most important things an artist can do and Mac did that while pulling it off well. During his time with Rostrum Record he dropped K.I.D.S, this mixtape would be the one to launch him into mainstream success. Mac broke through barriers at the time by focusing on social media participation, and his perseverance through touring. At the time one could not have imagined an artist could have gotten mainstream success that way but looking back at it now Mac was ahead of his time, one can say that for most of his career. Most of the decisions Mac was making during that time period were rare and not seen by many artists. The music was the priority for Mac and the audience could feel that authenticity with the way he would get better and better through time. The realization of something never comes when your in that moment it comes when your looking at a certain situation in retrospect. Mac influenced a generation with his music but that is not the only impact he left here on earth, he left the knowledge of how to move in the music industry and carry responsibilities with grace. The authenticity and legacy of Mac Miller should not be questioned in any way. His influence and the way he took care of his fanbase from the beginning is incomparable. He will always be felt for generations to come.