Watching Movies had this wild psychedelic sound which was different but, at times, was all over the place. He's always had unconventional musical ideas. 3, falling behind Travis Scott, who dropped his third studio album Astroworld the same day - and Drake again, whose fifth album Scorpion has been in the Top 10 since being released in June.īobby, you were saying earlier how you think Swimming showcased his musicality hit a new peak?Ĭarter: I think so. His recently-released fifth album, Swimming, debuted at No. In 2016, Mac was outdone by Drizzy again when his fourth studio album, The Divine Feminine, was bested by Views, which at that point had already been out for five months but jumped back to the No. 1 on release week in large part because of Drake and Future's surprise collab tape What A Time To Be Alive (which, let's face it, definitely hasn't aged as well as Mac's third studio album). 2015's GO:OD AM suffered a similar fate, being bumped from No. 3 spot after its release because of Kanye West's Yeezus and J. 2013's Watching Movies with the Sound Off, after months of promo, got bumped to the No. 1 on the Billboard 200, but after that, he had a period where it seemed his releases were always overshadowed by others, mostly because of release scheduling. His debut album, Blue Slide Park, released independently under Rostrum Records, debuted at No. He always delivered dependably aching and honest albums - almost as if you could feel his eyes growing red from late studio sessions over the burden and, as far as sales, we kind of took that for granted. He was always someone I could count on for a different sound with each new record. I remember feeling so immersed in the horns and the layering of piano on Watching Movies with the Sound Off and The Divine Feminine. Sidney Madden: I think the fact that he was so ready to get into the space and start rehearsing with the string players shows his commitment to his musicality and respect for live instrumentation - aside from his raps, that's always something that piqued my interest when I'd give any of his new records a first spin. Placing Thundercat on the shaker for the first song was a game-time decision that came from one of those jokes - if you look closely at the piano player, Javad Day and Mac during "Small Worlds," you'll catch them snickering as Thundercat opens up on that shaker! We literally had to hit 'pause' on the antics in order to get the instrumentation situated. There was a very endearing dynamic between Mac and Thundercat on- and off-camera they were constantly trying to one-up each other with the jokes. Thundercat and Mac Miller after their Tiny Desk Concert performance. He told me that he was a little nervous - this was the first time they would perform these songs live. He wanted to get to the desk, and that's where they stayed. I carved out some extra space for Mac to get situated, but he wasn't interested. I showed them to the green room, where he met the four string players for the first time, greeting them graciously. Thundercat, who joined him on bass, had performed solo at the Desk just a few months prior, so he was able to brief Mac on what was to come and totally break the ice. They all arrived as a unit and exited their Sprinter giggling like high schoolers. I understand and respect that approach, but Mac Miller was the polar opposite. I've produced plenty of acts at the Tiny Desk where the artist wants to get into the green room, relax, or get into a zone right up until performance time. The conversation below is a reflection on Miller's legacy from two NPR Music staffers: Sidney Madden, who covers hip-hop for the site, and Bobby Carter, who produced Miller's August Tiny Desk Concert, which would turn out to be one of the artist's final performances.īobby Carter: Mac and his team had just hopped off of a coast-to-coast flight, but were really eager to see the desk and to play. Nightfall Records is inviting visual artists "to come and paint, create draw live tribute art," and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the playground's namesake slide has gotten a fresh coat of blue paint for the occasion. Miller's music will be played chronologically, interspersed with tributes from those whose lives he affected. Tonight, a public vigil organized by Pittsburgh label Nightfall Records will be held at the city's Blue Slide Playground inside Frick Park, a frequent childhood hangout spot of Miller's that inspired the title and content of his debut album, 2011's Blue Slide Park.
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