A year after his death from an accidental overdose, rapper Mac Miller is still revered by the public. 

Known for mixing many different genres with The Divine Feminine in 2016, and Watching Movies with the Sound Off in 2013 and having received notable praise for an entirely new sound from his previous releases, Miller is put into a category not many can be placed in: a true musician and artist.

After a posthumous release of new album Circles, the love for Miller has seemed to fire up again, like a match striking wood. 

Beginning his rapping career in 2007 when he was fifteen, Miller has always been shown as an inspiration to kids around the world. It made people feel understood. 

“His music touched so many people in ways others won’t understand. It described his life and all the things we he went through and people loved it because it told a story that a lot of people could relate to unlike other rappers,” Senior Bridgette Vincent explained. 

Miller’s lyrics commonly show themes of getting over addiction, reflections into his career, death, and mental illness, some of the darker subjects that some rappers choose to steer clear of. 

“Personally, music helps me escape from things that I’m dealing with and Mac really helped me through a lot, especially with ‘Swimming,’” Senior Ximena Luna Lara reminisced. 

“Music is something that can help you through anything. Just knowing that someone else is like you and goes through the same things is nice,” Lara continued. 

Listening to music is an emotional experience for people along with a physical experience. It can raise emotions and make your brain produce more dopamine, that makes you happy. For history teacher Ms. Lea Sanford, his music takes her back to her days in college.

“I really got into Mac when he was a pretty young and unknown guy. I discovered him on this website that a CU kid ran who would put free music up. He released Mac’s stuff in around 2010 and I saw him at the Ogden and got a shirt that Mac signed for me,” Sanford said.