Mac Miller, born Malcolm James McCormick, passed away September 7 at the age of 26. Graduating from Pittsburgh’s Taylor Allderdice High School, Mac was one of the most influential artists to come out of the Pittsburgh area in recent years, and he continued the trend of exceptional artists coming from the area like Billy Eckstine, Ray Brown, George Benson, and Kenny Clarke, as well as more recent stars like Wiz Khalifa and Christina Aguilera.

After dropping his debut studio album Blue Slide Park in 2011, (which included some absolute bangers like “PA Nights”, “Blue Slide Park”, and “Party on 5th Ave”) Mac burst to the forefront of the hip-hop scene where he would remain for years to come. Throughout his all-too-brief career he would release five studio albums (Watching Movies with the Sound Off, GO:OD AM, The Devine Feminine, and Swimming) as well as numerous mixtapes that really became the epicenter of Pittsburgh rap like Macadelic, Best Day Ever, Faces, and K.I.D.S.

Mac was the music my fellow editor Sammy Kissick and I grew up to. We both agree that Swimming (his most recent) was the best album Mac could have finished on thanks to its calm vibes. If you haven’t listened to much of Mac, Swimming should definitely be at the top of your queue.

Mac was an important artist in the Pittsburgh area who had an impact on many many people. This adoration by the Pittsburgh population was displayed when thousands gathered at Frick Park (a.k.a. Blue Slide Park) for his vigil. It’s hard to fathom that he was a local high school student just like us only a few years ago.

A few students from Beaver Area shared what it felt like to lose him.

“He was a superstar, and when he came back to Pittsburgh he drove his parents’ Prius—very down-to-earth guy,” said senior Dan Dikec.

Sadly, like so many others before him, the pressures of fame (coupled with some mental health concerns) led Mac to the path of self-medicating . . . and ultimately, his death.

While we still have his music, Mac will be missed.

“I felt like I lost one of the homies,” said senior Jack Yanssens.