The Definitive Guide to Mac Miller’s Best Songs
OK, (Mostly) Definitive
Since his death, Mac Miller’s music has exploded in popularity. His first posthumous album, Circles, is one of his most commercially successful. For many people, it was their first experience listening to Mac’s music.
Lots of critics also discovered Mac Miller late, attracted by his notable death or late-career evolution. As a result, most podcasts or articles discussing Mac’s music feel ill-informed and incomplete.
There needed to be a more complete, thorough analysis of Mac’s best songs, from the perspective of a long-time fan. That’s where I come in. I’ve been listening to Mac Miller for 11 years now. He first came into my life in 2010.
From then on, Mac Miller was like the older brother I never had, a feeling shared by millions of Youtube commenters. Only 4 years older than me, he grew up slightly before I did. Despite being rich and famous, Miller often felt like a guide for those formative years of life.
This is Mac Miller’s greatest power: his honesty and relatability.
Now, I have to be honest and admit I abandoned Mac from 2011–2014, due to The Album Which Shall Not Be Named (until later on). But when Faces arrived in 2014, I was back in. All the way in.
So, without further ado, please enjoy the definitive guide to Mac Miller’s best music. Unparalleled analysis of his most important songs. Divided into categories to inform you on the best times to listen to each one. Enjoy.
Songs for the Party:
Weekend ft. Miguel
This song is soooo recognizable. Oooohhhh ohhhh ohhhh yeah yeah yeah. Is this the most hype song ever? No, but it’s a solid mid-sized party anthem.
“Everythin’ will be good by the weekend (alright, by the weekend)
We goin’ out tonight, yeah, we goin’ out tonight, like fuck it”
Surrounded by friends or acquaintances or randoms, this song lets everyone know it’s time to release from the past week, say fuck it, and drive drunk. That was a test. In all seriousness though, this song provides the perfect opportunity to let go and just have a good time.
Programs
The final pure rap song of Mac’s career.
When in Rome
I’m at the top of my game
(Goddamn) don’t mean to be rude
But me and you, we are not one and the same
(Goddamn) I’m eating your food
And fucking your bitch, ’cause you is a lame
This song is great because it’s unconcerned with being introspective or complicated. It’s pure boasting and it gets the people going! After a hard couple of verses, the song ends with a dazzlingly vulgar line:
Shut your motherfucking mouth, bitch (silence)
Fuck your motherfucking couch, bitch (violent)
Yeah you talking, you ain’t ‘bout shit
SHUT YOUR MOTHERFUCKING MOUTH, BITCH. Ughhhh that’s so hard, I love it. Gets me so fucking amped.
Donald Trump
We gonna take over the World while these haters gettin’ mad
Take over the World, watch these haters get mad
That’s why all my bitches bad, they see this crazy life I have
Hop into to the car then we take ’em to the pad
It’s a wrap
Now this is an exceptional song to play at a party. At least it was. I’m not sure what the reaction would be now, but in its day, this song signified the beginning of a classic night.
In retrospect, the song title is rather unfortunate, considering the revelations about Trump’s sexual predation and fraudulent business dealings. Not to mention his presidency. It’s also uncanny how much this song predicted the future. “Take over the world when I’m on my Donald Trump shit”. Uncanny.
But in the gloriously naive days of 2011, to a 15 year old virgin, this song fucking BANGED. Sorry, phrasing. What I meant to say is that it really grabbed you by the pussy. OK I’m done.
Upon conducting further research into this song, I stumbled upon some hilarious information. Turns out Trump initially liked the song and compared Mac Miller to Eminem.
But then, the winds changed in January 2013, after Mac Miller criticized Trump for being “a fucking douchebag”. Truly ahead of his time. In response, the Donald unleashed some instant classics on Twitter:
“Little @MacMiller, I’m now going to teach you a big boy lesson about lawsuits and finance. You ungrateful dog!”
“Little @MacMiller — I have more hair than you do and there’s a slight age difference.”
Circling back, Rolling Stone referred to the song as an “irresistible bro-down”, and I’m inclined to agree. Play this song at a party and see what happens.
Songs for the Car:
Here We Go
“So many things that I created, but this right here might be my favorite.”
What a song. What an album (mixtape actually). This is the first (real) song to kick off Faces and wow does it deliver. A trumpety, jazzy, and uplifting sample. It’s a song that makes you feel confident.
Ladders
Great song about elevating. Possibly about getting high, possibly about the process of achieving success. Unclear but still a quality song.
Come Back to Earth
And what I won’t tell you
I prolly never even tell myself”
Leading off Swimming, this song exemplifies Mac’s honesty and relatability. CBTE alerts the listener we’ve reached Peak Mac, an artist in full command of his abilities. The lyricism and melodic flow of this song is perfect to croon along to in the car right after you’ve finished dealing with some bullshit.
Hand Me Downs
This would be in a different category, if not for the incredibly catchy chorus, which isn’t even sung by Mac Miller himself.
Picture yourself, in the car, screaming, “Doowwwwn downnnn, dooowwwn dowwnnn, dowwwn downnnnn”. If you haven’t heard this song, that could come across as weird, but give it a listen and you’ll get what I mean.
Objects in the Mirror (Studio Version)
Great song, just not as good as the live version. Production sounds nice in the car, though.
Brand Name
Yet another incredible sample, in conjunction with an engaging video. Factor in the compelling bass and the bars, and you’re guaranteed to be vibin’ out.
Red Dot Music ft. Action Bronson
This beat goes soooooo hard.
Jump
Perfect for an upbeat situation. Drive fast, just don’t speed.
Jet Fuel
Wonderful song about how Mac’s wealth funds his crippling drug addiction! Amazing production, too.
Dang! ft. Anderson .Paak
Just a fun, groovy song that makes you feel good. The type of song you sing along to while driving to the beach on a Saturday afternoon. There’s snapping and trumpets and just a really fun vibe to this song.
Won’t get Hall of Fame dick from a Minor League dude
I just eat pussy, other people need food
The lyrics may be a bit dirty, but you can’t argue: it’s just fun!
OK ft. Tyler the Creator
Tyler lays down a sick verse. Besides that, the lyrics haven’t aged the best, but Mac reassures us he’s joking at the end of his first verse:
Album filled with all sad songs
But this the one that I can laugh on
Just try your best to ignore the overwhelming misogyny, and have fun with it. It’s not meant to be serious.
Complicated
Behind the wheel, but still ain’t on my way
Some people say they want to live forever
That’s way too long, I’ll just get through today
Ah, the cruel irony of this song. It begins with one of Mac’s most catchy beats, before progressing into soft rap. It’s almost like an acoustic song, at least for Mac Miller. Ironic because despite his best efforts to get through the day, he’s unable to prevent his death and subsequent transition into an icon.
Songs for the Pregame:
100 Grandkids
Back when I first made a hunnid grand, thought I was the shit
I chose not to include the music video because it makes me uncomfortable. There’s a bunch of weird stuff going on with people dressed in furry costumes, wearing horrible animal masks, and acting in some sort of play.
The song, in contrast, is a heater. I remember when this song came out like it was yesterday. It announced the end of Mac Miller’s independent, drugged-out, weird phase, and the beginning of his pregame/party-music album. The first single off GO:OD AM, this song was blasting at 10-person, 8 PM gatherings, in preparation for late-summer parties in 2015.
Diablo
The only song from Faces with a proper music video, it’s a more normal viewing experience than 100 Grandkids. However, the lyrical content of this song is much darker. Even though the video and the vibe of the song give it the feeling of a boast track, it features numerous dark lines, including:
Contemplatin’ suicide like it’s a DVD
Lost inside my mind, it’s a prison, homie, leave me be
Still, the production is incredible. Play this song at the pregame or the function and everyone will love it, as long as they don’t listen too closely to the surprisingly disturbing lyrics.
New Faces v2 feat Earl Sweatshirt & Da$h
Suuuch a function song. I must have heard this at 4 different small-to-midsized social gatherings. The unique beat and Earl Sweatshirt’s absolute killer verse strikes a chord.
My advice is to save this one for specifically all-male gatherings, so you can silently nod your heads to it together and be hard. Nothing better than getting hard with your boys.
Therapy
How’s it feel? Can you tell me how
It feel to come and hang around a motherfucker like me?
I love listening to this song because it’s so uplifting and has an amazing bass line, which is critical for any good pregame song. He’s half-singing, half-rapping, and it feels amazing. Almost like therapy. Put this song on with your friends, and just let everyone reconnect with their feelings together.
Blue World
Think I lost my mind, reality’s so hard to find
When the devil tryna call your line, but shit, I always shine
Even when the light dim
No, I ain’t God, but I’m feelin’ just like Him
BARS!!!!
No doubt one of the best beats ever produced on a Mac Miller song. Which is saying a lot. Gotta love it when my dude takes an old song and samples it into a fucking heater. When the beat drops on this tune, it literally blows you away and you say to yourself, “Ohhhhh shittttt”.
Thumbalina
Look, this is a bit of an inappropriate song. Lots of toxic masculinity in these lyrics but you gotta remember Mac Miller is a rapper, and most rappers talk like this. Definitely a relic of a different time.
In 2021, it feels distasteful to have a line like “My dick, your mouth, no discussion”. There should hopefully be at least some discussion.
What’s the Use?
One of the most popular Mac Miller songs, and a legitimately great song. Is it my personal favorite? Not really, but that’s probably because everyone else loves this song. OK fine, I like this song. I’m just resistant to including it as one of my favorites for some reason. Nevertheless, it has to be included on any list containing Mac Miller’s best songs. Let’s just say it’s not on my top 10.
Break the Law
Play this song around a bunch of sweaty dudes. Chaos will ensue.
Imsomniak ft. Rick Ross
Fun song that’s mostly just a boast.
Cut the Check
The beat!!! The flow!!! Oh yeah, and Chief Keef provides a forgettable verse, so you can press ‘skip’ after Mac’s done. Questionable decision on Mac’s part to include such a mediocre feature from Chief Keef. If you’re brave, play this one at a pregame, because people don’t seem to mind Chief Keef’s music under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Songs for Your Headphones:
Hurt Feelings
Have to lead off with this song because I used to listen to it in my headphones for a good 6 months. The subtle bass reverberates unbelievably well in your ears. It also has deep messages, casually throwing out lines like:
Respect to Adonai
Don’t fuck around and be a victim of your pride, why you lyin’?
Your mental health will benefit from Hurt Feelings bouncing around in your skull. Use this song to help process whatever trauma you’re dealing with.
Circles
First song from his posthumous album, Circles.
The Question ft. Lil Wayne
Sometimes I wonder who the fuck I am
Probably the best song on Macadelic. Relatable, impressive, and a sign of things to come.
Wings
Trust is a problem, never knew how, yeah
That’s why I just keep to myself
Get what I need, then I’ll be out (please tell me)
Who can the surf the universe with me?
Lucifer is human, so are we
All I ever want is what I need
And that don’t include your time and company
Oh my god this fuckin song. When you listen to this song, you better have your headphones turned all the way up. The beat is so subtle, yet so incredible. You CANNOT miss the tiny little intricacies of this beat.
It builds up, before Mac drops a fucking bomb on you and blows your mind with the rap-verse lyrics. I’m talking about some insane bars. Bars that will make you QUESTION EVERYTHING.
Why can’t I do anything like this? How does somebody come up with this sort of song? Wings goes so much further into his psyche than it has to. This song is what makes Mac special.
Angel Dust
Sing-songy tune about addiction to angel dust (PCP). Mac reassures us not to worry: “it’s just a little angel dust!”. Well OK then, everything seems fine to me. No reason to be concerned.
Rain ft Vince Staples
Just a really interesting song with an interesting beat that belongs inside your head and nowhere else. Vince Staples is exemplary, absolutely destroying the beat with a thought-provoking verse which honestly outshines Mac’s.
Friends ft. ScHoolboy Q
Is this a song you can listen to with other people? No, not really. But goddamn, does it has some darkly hilarious raps to laugh about. Lines like:
But still to fall in love is like an orgasm
’Cause you never gonna know if your girl fake it
and
I know my father probably wish that I would just smoke pot
My grandma probably slap me for the drugs I got
I’m a crackhead but I bought her diamonds, we love rocks
This song is Mac at his silliest, slipping in little messages about partners faking orgasms while not seeming to take it too seriously. Not to mention the pretty casual, genius way he admits to being a crackhead. Also, how he buys off his loved ones to get them to look past his drug addictions. A dark, weird song.
Perfect Circle/Godspeed
We get treated to a powerful voicemail from Mac’s older brother, expressing concern about his habits and lack of communication.
Good News
People love this song, so I had to include it. Personally, I find it a little boring.
Happy Birthday
Dark song about how much Mac hates all the fake LA-type people at his birthday party.
So It Goes
The final song of Mac’s career. Soulful and beautiful.
S.D.S.
Cool Flying Lotus beat, wild music video, and quirky lyrics.
It Just Doesn’t Matter
I bust your speakers with some bullshit rap
I’m on drugs, all my new shit wack
Remember that, I ain’t shit but a fraud
But everyone I know ain’t nothing to God
The primary reason for including this song in the headphones category is the sample of Bill Murray’s rant from the film, Meatballs. It’s an incredible rant, but it goes on for over a minute. There’s just no way you could play this song in the presence of other people. It requires too much of an attention span. So play this song to yourself and silently appreciate the mildly depressing lyrics, organ-synth beat, and absurdity.
REMember
Genuinely touching tribute to his late friend.
The Star Room
The leadoff song to Watching Movies With the Sound Off, an album which signaled a major shift in artistic direction. Is it my favorite album? Not really, but was it an important and necessary step in his evolution? Indubitably.
Its release marked the end of happy, stoner Mac Miller and the beginning of gloomy, drug addict Mac Miller. Filled with dark but impressive lines like:
Won’t give a fuck about tomorrow if I die today
I’ll greet the devil with a smilin’ face
Genuinely dark shit! Legitimate bars but probably not the best Mac Miller song to listen with your friends. Save this one for your own dark little world.
Surf
The beachiest Mac Miller song. With a serious subject content, of course.
Small Worlds
Wonderful, very popular tune. I would talk about it more, but I’m trying to be conscious of your time.
Songs for When You’re Sad:
Funeral
Perhaps the darkest Mac Miller song, which is why it’s one of my favorites. It may have come at the expense of his health and sanity, but Mac Miller was at his best when rapping about depressing shit. This song is incredible to listen to when you’re sad because it reminds you there is somebody out there who has it worse than you. Things aren’t as bad as they could be.
Set over a dark organ, the listener has to be emotionally prepared for this song. It pulls you into its darkness, before releasing up hopefully at the end:
So where are you goin’?
Where are you headed?
Where are you goin’?
Can I come? Can I come?
Self-Care
Everyone knows this song because it was his last single before he died. An absolutely massive hit. It’s the best music video he ever made, and eerily prescient of his forthcoming death.
We spend our nights all liquored up, our mornings high
Can you feel it now? Oblivion, yeah, yeah
Oblivion, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I fucking love the back half of this song so much. It makes me want to start crying into a bowl, collect all the tears, and then drink them so I can cry some more. Dehydration is no joke.
Everybody
The saddest song from Circles. Everybody seems like a song designed in a laboratory to make you sad. A cover of a more jovial-sounding song, it’s unfair how much this song will pull at your heart. I mean, it literally goes:
Everybody’s gotta live, and everybody’s gonna die
In the fucking saddest, most emotional voice too. Jesus Christ this song is so sad. I can’t talk about it anymore.
Woods
It’s so much better when you wait
Forever and a day, that’s all I got
The second-saddest song from Circles, except this song is an original Mac Miller song, a fact reflected in the incredible lyrics.
Besides it’s phenomenally thought-provoking lyrics, the emotional tone and production inspires so much self-reflection and pensiveness. An unbelievably deep and sad and beautiful song.
This has to be one of his top 10 songs.
2009
One of the most unique Mac Miller songs out there. Few other songs are as effective at telling his story like this one. Beginning with a magnificent violin ensemble, the song seamlessly transitions into a clean little piano beat.
It contains a plethora of hauntingly beautiful lyrics. Nothing specific stands out because the whole song is just so meticulously well-written. His Tiny Desk rendition of it is must-watch viewing.
That’s On Me
That’s on me, that’s on me, I know
That’s on me, that’s on me, it’s all my fault
That’s On Me, a song so on the nose, one has to wonder if he even made the song himself. This song feels very unfinished, mostly due to the lyrical simplicity, relative to his talent.
Regardless, it’s a good song to listen to in the midst of a generalized sort of sadness. The hook is so relatable for moments when you fuck up and need to take responsibility. For Mac, it was the ultimate fuckup (death), but at least he took responsibility.
Songs for When You’re Sad About A Love Interest:
Objects in the Mirror (Live Version) ft. The Internet
The studio version is good, but it lacks the raw emotion the live version holds. Mac must have understood this too, since the live version was released several weeks prior to the album. Listening to the live version, you gain a stronger appreciation for its lyrical mastery.
We could change the world forever
And never come back again
Let’s leave it all in the rear-view
You don’t have to cry
The chorus alternates between preaching hopeful fantasies and acknowledging the new reality. Mac hopes the two of them will change the world and move past all the pain. But in the end, he realizes this can’t happen and their relationship will end. Masterful breakup song*.
*(Apparently, it’s not about a girl. Welp. Take what you will.)
Perfecto
The fourth song off of Swimming, this one always gets me. I remember driving late at night, listening to this song, and using it to justify staying in an unfulfilling relationship.
Well it ain’t perfect but I don’t mind
Because it’s working
Who really has the time, at all
It ain’t perfect but I don’t mind
’Cause on the surface I look so fine
In love, but aware the relationship has some serious issues. Not feeling it 100% but in too deep to just abandon it. Of course, nobody else is aware of this dynamic. So bottle it up and continue on.
Wedding
I know I make you hurt, sorry is my favorite word
I don’t deserve your trust, but can we make it work?
Most of Wedding involves Mac admitting he’s fucked up this relationship. Obviously, she means a lot to him, but he’s done some truly heinous shit. Not entirely surprising considering he’s a famous drug addict.
And just when he’s convinced you he’s a massive piece of shit and it’s all his fault, he suddenly switches it up at the end:
Girl, you the worst, yeah
You know that you the worst
Every time you say you sorry
Everything you do just feel like it’s rehearsed
Turns out he’s not the only one who has fucked things up! Wedding teaches us the destruction of a relationship is never because of only one person. Things don’t just happen in a vacuum. Even if your partner cheats, there were a series of conditions and events and behaviors that led to that event.
Dunno
A mournful track about the end of his relationship with Ariana Grande.
ROS
The opening verse, where he is pretending to be a piano bar musician, might be the best start to any of his songs. ROS captures the beauty of loving someone, while simultaneously describing the relationship’s collapse.
In the moment, the relationship is passionate and exciting. But in the back of your mind, you know that one day, it’s going to blow up in your face and absolutely annihilate you.
Oh baby, they say we’re no good for each other
And I can’t really tell, what is this spell you put me under?
Your love’s not too kind to me
It’s the perfect description of toxic codependency!
Songs For When You’re Happy About a Love Interest:
Congratulations ft. Bilal
I think this song is positive? It’s about a relationship which didn’t work out, but seems to have ended on good terms.
Stay
The way you walk in to the room, ooh-ooh (Woo)
All I think about is what I wanna do to you
This song perfectly describes what it’s like to be really into someone. Stay tells the story of a (seemingly) healthy relationship. In this phase of being in love, no amount of time together is enough. Your partner can always stay a little while longer.
God is Fair, Sexy, Nasty ft. Kendrick Lamar
Mac’s second song with Kendrick Lamar. We also get to meet his grandma.
Skin
Difficult to listen to, considering the first minute of the song is just sex noises. Perhaps incorporate it into your sex life?
Soulmate
Stare into your beloved’s eyes as you play this song. Just be sure they’re actually your soulmate. Otherwise you might open up a whole can of worms.
Cinderella ft. Ty Dolla $ign
Perhaps Mac Miller’s most optimistic love song. Usually, Mac feels pretty dour about his relationships with women. However, in Cinderella, Mac isn’t worried about things not working out.
You in my dreams, that’s why I sleep all the time
Just to hear you say I love you, just to touch you, just to leave you behind
No, Mac is loving how this relationship is going. He’s all there, living in the moment, feeling great. He certainly doesn’t hold back on the explicit descriptions of all the great sex they’re having.
The back half of the song is positive Mac, singing lovingly to his love interest (Ariana Grande). It’s probably the best song on Divine Feminine, which is easily his most positive album.
My Favorite Part ft. Ariana Grande
Said, you just don’t know how beautiful you are
And, baby, that’s my favorite part
Two people in love, in sync, in tune with each other. Both artists at the peak of their powers in this video, the chemistry popping off the screen. The beat is so warm too, so loving. I love this song.
Divine Feminine is the only Mac Miller album with any remotely optimistic songs about love and relationships. Personally, I prefer the darker, more pessimistic Mac Miller, but he still excels in Divine Feminine.
Youforia
Oh I guess this song is positive, too.
And when you look in my eyes the pain goes a-way, euphoria (euphoria)
You feel so damn good, (I want you to know that)
The final song on Watching Movies With the Sound Off, it strikes a different chord than the rest of the album. To fully appreciate these lyrics, you have to know the feeling of falling in love with someone.
Nothing else matters the moment you stare into their eyes and soak in the euphoria. There’s nowhere else to be. Obviously, this song is best appreciated when listening with your love interest.
Love Affair
The jazziest of Mac’s songs, so jazzy he released it under the name Larry Lovestein. I suppose that’s his 1970s Jewish saxophone player persona. And this was before he started taking way too much acid.
Classic Old Songs
Senior Skip Day
I definitely listened to this song on my high school senior skip day. This song is soooo high school, but that’s what makes it awesome, especially when you’re in high school. Is this song deep? Not really, but after talking about smoking weed and eating yogurt, young Mac subtly drops:
Enjoy the best things in your life, cuz you ain’t gonna get to live it twice
A light-hearted classic that inspires fond, rose-colored memories of a time I would absolutely never return to.
Best Day Ever
No matter where life takes me, find me with a smile
Pursuit to be happy, only laughin’ like a child
The opening track to the mixtape with the same name, Best Day Ever fills your body with a warm feeling. The song begins with little twinkling keyboard notes. Followed by the heavy, upward-sounding synth, it delivers on its promise to be the best day ever.
Keep in mind, the music video version is different from the album version. It’s missing the amazing album sound, but it makes up for it with heartwarming videos from Mac’s childhood. Best Day Ever makes you feel good inside.
Keep Floatin’ ft. Wiz Khalifa
Perfect song to listen to while smoking weed. It literally features Wiz Khalifa. Enough said. By the way, is he even the most famous Khalifa anymore?
Kool Aid and Frozen Pizza
Two dietary items which perfectly encapsulate the nutritional concerns of a high school-aged person. Clearly, Mac hadn’t started thinking about his LDL cholesterol yet.
Nikes on My Feet
One of the best things about old Mac Miller songs are the music videos. As a teenager, watching fellow teenager Mac Miller do typical teenager shit like skipping school, smoking weed, and wearing snapback hats, was awesome.
At this moment in time, Mac Miller was the cool high school guy. He wore Nikes, owned 20 different snapbacks, rocked cool 2010-era clothing like Diamond Supply Co., and smoked weed instead of attending class.
Mac Miller was someone to aspire to.
In retrospect, watching this music video makes you wonder how his parents felt about all of this, and whether they attempted to coerce Mac into behaving like a normal high schooler. I mean the guy literally has 5 empty bottles of Hennessy in his bedroom, and wakes up next to a massive bong.
It’s possible they were concerned, considering there’s a hand-written note on his bedroom door pleading “No smoking Pls go OUTSIDE!”.
I’ll Be There
If you have your moms, you better treat her right
Call her up, say “wassup” before you sleep tonight
Tell her you love her and thank her for what she did
Few other Mac Miller songs give such a warm feeling. A heart-felt tribute to his mother, it’s Mac’s own version of beautiful mother-appreciation songs like Kanye’s Hey Mama or 2Pac’s Dear Mama.
Every time I hear the easy piano beat of this track, I feel like calling my mom and checking on how she’s doing. Of course, I don’t actually do that, but I really feel like it in the moment. Then, the moment fades and I go back to whatever I was doing. Sorry mom.
Slept On/Underrated Songs
Another Night
Another relic from the mixtape glory days of the early 2010s. Can we agree rap music was way better back then?
This song is such an early 2010s music video, featuring Mac smoking cigarettes, rapping into the mic, flirtatiously looking at the camera, kickin it with the boyz, briefly engaging with a girl, and vibinnnnnn.
Over a pleasant guitar riff, we get the picture of how Mac Miller became great. Locking himself in a room out of pure dedication to his craft. He’s not lonely, like he would later become, but focused.
Happy
This what you all been waitin’ for, ain’t it?
Talkin’, y’all wastin’ your hatred
Me? I’m just happy that I made it
Happy that I finally made it
Oh how the times have change since the early 2010s, the days of rap-group mixtapes. Featured on the Treejay mixtape, Home N Stoned, this song comes at the end of Mac Miller’s mixtape era. The beat is a classic stoner-mixtape type beat, just gliding into our ears.
It’s also hype as fuck. Mac won’t stop until he’s “the motherfucking greatest” and his energy is infectious. Joy radiates through your being as you listen to him absolutely demolish this beat. It’s a shame his feelings regarding fame changed so dramatically, but we’re willing to overlook that on Happy.
The Scoop on Heaven
Interesting song because like many Mac Miller songs, it’s about death. The whole song is obsessed with heaven and dying, but it sounds so happy and fun, unlike any of his other songs about death.
I heard ain’t nobody famous up in Heaven, everybody the same
Here we see an early taste of Mac’s desire to live without fame and all the accompanying bullshit. This would become a common theme in his music, after his fame reached stratospheric levels and he was struggling to figure out how to cope with the pressure and scrutiny.
It’s from the mixtape, I Love Life, Thank You, which I guarantee almost nobody has heard of, other than the die hard Mac Miller fans from that era.
Fight the Feeling ft. Kendrick Lamar
Mac’s first song with Kendrick Lamar. Strange Youtube video.
Grand Finale
I fear nothin’ on this odyssey of dark roads
God lives in my dog’s soul, the devil in his dog bowl
Apparently, this was supposed to be the last song he ever wrote.
Malibu
Apparently, this song is about Rick Rubin helping Mac sober up. Apparently.
Ascension
How many of Mac Miller’s songs are about getting high? This one has my favorite title. Ascension begins with a hilarious monologue from DJ Clockwork, talking about how he’s “zooted in a fuckin bathroom, dawg”.
Continuing his habit of contemplating mortality, Mac raps:
And I don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed
To look into my parents eyes when I’m scared to die
My eyes same color as a cherry pie
Woah, see I’m terrified
Crucifix heavy, who gon’ carry mine?
It’s impressive how many different ways he finds to talk about death and addiction. His ability to repeatedly discuss these complicated issues without getting stale speaks to his unfathomable talent.
The Festival ft. Little Dragon
Cute little song to wrap up GO:OD AM.
Vienna (Cover)
Soulful cover of the classic Billy Joel song.
First Day of My Life (Cover)
Is this song as good as the original? No, of course not. And if you don’t know the original song, stop what you’re doing, do yourself a favor, and immediately start listening to Bright Eyes’ best song.
While Mac’s voice isn’t as good, it’s still soulful and full of heart. If you already like Mac Miller, you’re going to enjoy this song. Perhaps don’t listen if you’re a Bright Eyes purist, but I’m pretty sure you’ll like it too.
Angeles (Cover)
This song is hard to find. It only reveals itself after hours spent combing through Youtube, or scrolling towards the bottom of Mac Miller’s Soundcloud.
The similarities between Mac and Elliott Smith are hard to ignore. Both men dealt with drug addictions which would terrify any rational person. Two unique, visionary talents who died way too soon.
Fire Ass Features
Money Shot — Curren$y
Homie, I don’t need a ho, wonder why I keep her though
She got that bomp-ba-bomp-ba-bomp-bomp like how the speakers go
A brief but engaging verse from Mac Miller, who completely steals this song away from Curren$y. One of the last vestiges of early career Mac.
Piñata — Freddie Gibbs
6 rappers on this song over a Madlib beat. Great song if you’re trying to look cool for the homies.
I Need A Dollar — Chris Webby
Don’t play this song to look cool for the homies. Good rule of thumb is to never play Chris Webby around the homies. Maybe in 2010 but certainly not in 2021. They may demand you leave the group. I still like it though.
Time — Free Nationals & Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis really stands out on this one, which came out after Mac’s death.
Come On Baby — Cookin Soul
Sweet flow on this track. Mac does a solid job on this one.
The Album Who Shall Not Be Named
Blue Slide Park
If you have ever listened to this fucking album, you will understand why I hate it so much. When I first saw the promotions for Blue Slide Park, I was immediately disgusted and turned off.
Could I ever make anything remotely as artistic and financially successful as BSP? No, not even close. But remember, I’m not held to Mac’s standards.
For Mac Miller, BSP represented a downward move. Lateral, if I’m being generous. This album sounds like the label was telling Mac to take the vibe from his early hits and duplicate it for short-term financial gain. It took all the best elements of his original persona and cheapened them.
I don’t even know whether BSP was a commercial success (it peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200). For all I know, it probably was. But none of that matters, because this stupid album turned me off Mac Miller for 3 years! 3 fucking years! Which is the only thing that really matters. I’ll never get that time back.
And for the record, even though he can’t speak for himself, I bet Mac would agree with everything I’m saying. His subsequent work speaks volumes, as they were forays into much weirder directions. Directions which may not have been fully-formed, but at least more interesting than the derivative, “frat-rap” bullshit also known as Blue Slide Park.
Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest.
Conclusion
Well there it is. The most complete compilation EVER of the best Mac Miller songs. I’d like to thank Mac for making this possible. You’re the best and I appreciate you so much.
Rest in peace, my man.
