Latest Posts

Tonight: Mac Miller

October 7, 2015

Coming off of last month’s release of his third studio album, GO:OD AM, Pittsburgh-born rapper Mac Miller has emerged as one of the leading figures in hip hop in recent years, collaborating with artists like Lil B, Ab-Soul, Chief Keef, Schoolboy Q, and Earl Sweatshirt. His recent work has found the MC working through his troubled past, resulting in clear artistic growth and some of the most infectious tracks of his career. Having managed to outgrow the “frat-rap” label of his early releases, Mac has found himself at the center of many discussions about the relationship between race and hip hop today and has remained an unpredictable artist capable of transcending stereotypes. Tonight, the rapper will perform to a sold-out Town Ballroom in Buffalo with support from Los Angeles rapper and Odd Future affiliate Domo Genesis along with quickly rising singer/rapper GoldLink, whose danceable, funky style draws from 90’s r&b as well as golden-era[...]

Mac Miller – GO:OD AM

September 22, 2015

Finally. You log onto Spotify. You click the search bar. You frantically type in “mac.” You realize you could have probably just typed in “M” because what bigger “M” artist is there than Mac Miller? Your hand starts to shake as you click on the name, which may as well have been inscribed in #ffd700. After a quick scroll, you’re in. You try and double click on the intro track, “Doors,” but you miss the second click and have to repeat the process all over again. You miss the second attempt.“Fuck,” you utter to the empty room. You take a sip of the Miller Light classic logo aluminum bottle-can that you’ve fetched from the mini-fridge. It was originally intended for the most serene listening experience, however, now it’s become a tool to calm your nervous hands, just as it did at Alfred a couple years ago before that huge exam.[...]

Mac Miller – “Diablo”

September 5, 2014

Four years has done a lot from the kid from Pittsburg. Initially dismissed as one of the frat rap archetypes, Mac Miller has grown to become contemporaries with the best names in rap. Faces, the latest, and perhaps most acclaimed project from Mac, is a slew of depression, insanity, and humor in a genre usually consistent in a masculinity. “Diablo” was the first song we heard from the project, and it was a raw preview of what was to come on Faces. It also showcased Miller’s growing production skills, which I raved about in my review of the tape way back when.The video juxtaposes Miller’s goofy image with the serious, hard-hitting lyrics that can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. There are rumors that the video is one of several that are to be released soon from the tape. It’s a reasonable fear that Miller will forever be taken as a joke, an[...]

Mac Miller – Faces

May 16, 2014

Mac Miller has taken an unconventional path as an artist. He gained notoriety as pseudo-frat rapper after a couple mixtapes as a late teen, then released an independent that was number 1 on Billboard. With a style that appealed to the mainstream, and a debut album that was panned and looked at as cheesy, a legitimate future in the rap game is something that didn’t seem to be in the stars for Mac. And yet here we are, Mac’s almost a year removed from a critically acclaimed album and on the cusp of a critically acclaimed mixtape. He has scored collaborations with the likes of UGK legend Bun B, kind of-legend/anomaly Jay Electronica, and consensus top 2 rapper on the planet Kendrick Lamar. He’s befriended Kendrick, has a significant friendship with ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul, frequently collaborates with rap messiah Earl Sweatshirt, and is becoming one of the most reliable[...]