The hip-hop community suffered a devastating loss when talented rapper Mac Miller accidentally overdosed in September of 2018.
The “Self Care” artist was only 26, but his catalog and personal relationships within the industry caused outpourings of love honoring his memory. A benefit concert, “Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life," comprised a lineup of today’s most sought after and elusive acts. Aside from his lyrics and legacy, Miller was known for his extensive tattoo collection.
1. Lotus Flower
A lotus flower is a symbol of spiritual enlightenment and rebirth, according to Town and Country. The flower’s roots are submerged in the mud and grime of river water. Every night its beautiful petals sink back in the muck, only to return and bloom each morning clean and untouched. The lotus is a symbol of a survivor and a transformed being.
2. Hawk
Hawks are birds of prey with eyesight eight times more acute than that of humans and with the ability to swoop in at speeds up to 150 mph, says Beauty of Birds. They’ve long been a symbol of war and valor. Historically, hawk symbolism has been significant for many cultures. Native Americans saw hawks as messengers while the ancient Egyptian god Horus was synonymous with the hawk/falcon.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates “P”
This picture of Mac Miller bout to throw out the first pitch at the Pirates game is legendary pic.twitter.com/rbLk4d6S1k
— Herb (@C_Herb94) January 19, 2020
Mac Miller was born Malcolm McCormick in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended the same high school, though during different years, as “Black and Yellow” artist Wiz Khalifa according to Billboard. Miller had a love for his city, and shoutouts to Pittsburgh were a mainstay within his music. His debut studio album, Blue Slide Park, was named after a playground in Pittsburgh’s historic Frick Park. That same playground was changed to “Mac Miller’s Blue Slide Park” on Google and Apple maps shortly after his passing, according to Philly Voice.
4. Star of David
Miller was raised in a Jewish household but attended Catholic school for the opportunity at a good education and to play sports. “I’m raised Jewish; I had a Bar Mitzvah,” Miller told ShalomLife in 2011. “I celebrate the high holidays. That’s like my family…like how I was raised.”
5. “Most Dope”
In 2013, Miller starred in a reality TV series, Mac Miller and the Most Dope Family, on MTV2. The show chronicled the production and lead up to his second studio album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off. According to MTV, the show was also a look into Miller’s life while settling into Los Angeles and the adventures he got into with the hometown friends he brought along with him across the coast.
6. Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein is arguably the most famous scientist in modern-day history. He was also one of the most quirky. In 1951, while leaving his 72nd birthday party, the Nobel Prize winner was exhausted after having posed for pictures all night, according to The Guardian — he was 72 after all. As photographers pled for one last photo before he left, Einstein stuck out his tongue. It was a moment that immortalized the scientist in pop culture history. For his part, Einstein put the photo on greeting cards so that he could send them out to friends.
Rest in peace, Mac.
