ECU community reacts to Mac Miller's untimely passing

Deceased rapper, Mac Miller, during a previous performance.

The sudden death of Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller was felt across the world on Friday and in the days following the tragedy, the fresh wounds of the fallen artist still are felt among his fans at East Carolina University.

Known to his fans and collaborators for his humorous nature and high spirit, the “Nikes on My Feet” and “Smile Back” singer died in his California home on Friday of an apparent drug overdose. Miller’s drug use was no secret kept from the public, for the rapper often discussed his daily drug usage, mental health and desire for sobriety in interviews and in his music.

"It just eats at your mind, doing drugs every single day, every second. It’s rough on your body,” Miller said in an 2015 interview with Billboard Magazine after the release of his eleventh mixtape Faces. “That was the plan with Faces' (closing song). 'Grand Finale' was supposed to be the last song I made on Earth. I don’t feel that way as much anymore."

Reports discussing what drugs Miller was on at the time of his death have not been released to the public, however, the rapper has claimed he has used cocaine, codeine and angel dust in “What Do You Do,” a track from Faces. Since Miller’s mainstream debut in 2010, the rapper has been in and out of rehab, with his most recent rehabilitation check-in being in 2016.

Junior communication major and Miller fan, Griffin Julian, claims hearing about Miller’s death was “unfortunately not a surprise” and said he thinks his support team should have tried to do more to help Miller with his open drug addiction.

“I think we, as the general public, need to ask ourselves each and every day how can we help others. I’m not sure about his management team and how they assisted his drug problems, but they definitely knew about Mac’s drug abuse,” Julian said. “Mac (Miller) was a true inspiration to our generation.”

On Aug. 21, just two weeks before the rapper’s death, the Los Angeles Attorney’s Office officially filed charges against Miller for two counts of driving under the influence. The DUI charges stemmed from Miller’s car accident in the San Francisco Valley area back in May of this year. No one was hurt in the accident.

The music industry joined in mourning of the rapper amid the news of his passing, as artists such as ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande, Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino, Snoop Dogg, John Mayer and many more took to social media to remember the 26-year-old rapper with photos and captions discussing Miller’s impact on the lives of others.

With a notable discography consisting of songs such as “Kool Aid and Frozen Pizza,” “Loud,” “Knock Knock,” “Party On Fifth Ave” and “Lucky Ass Bitch,” Miller did more than create feel good raps and college anthems for a night out. The Pittsburgh rapper, according to student rapper Ryan Schneider, inspired many who brought a different vibe to the rap game “such as himself.”

Schneider, a junior fashion merchandising and marketing double major, said he’s been a fan of Mac Miller’s music since his freshman year of high school. Schneider said after being recommended by a friend to listen to Miller’s song “Donald Trump,” he became enamored with the artist’s impeccable lyricism and rap delivery.

“I found out about his death while I was in the studio, actually. I’m not going to lie, at first, I thought it was a hoax. A legend like him couldn’t just be gone so young and so sudden,” Schneider said. “It was devastating to find out that his passing was nothing fake.”

With drug usage being of prevalence in the lives and lyrical content of modern day hip-hop artists, ECU counseling personnel such as Shannon Bellflower, want students to be aware of what is available to them in terms of taking the proper steps toward treatment and recovery.

“We have substance abuse counseling on campus, which is a resource that any student at ECU can and should take advantage of, if necessary,” Shannon Bellflower, a mental health screener and case manager at the ECU Center for Counseling and Student Development (ECU CCSD), said.

The deaths and overdoses of those in the public eye have been known to trigger an influx of listeners, fans and even those who only know the famous face by their name and not their work, to reach out for professional help.

Despite the passing of the young artist, student fans such as Mariah Shingler believe Miller will “live on forever” through the body of musical work he left behind. To Shingler, the most “disappointing” part of Miller’s death was the possibility of him living on to be “greater than great.”

“Mac (Miller) was suffering with demons in silence, just as we humans all do in different ways, some more deadly and dangerous than others,” Shingler said. “There’s no telling where he could have been five to 15 years from now if he only had got the life-saving help he deserved.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with signs of severe depression or addiction of any kind, please contact the ECU Collegiate Recovery Community at 252-328-6661 for support and counseling.