Rapper Mac Miller has died at age 26.
Per Rolling Stone, Miller’s unexpected death was due to an apparent overdose. The Los Angeles County medical examiner confirmed the rapper was found in his Los Angeles home Friday morning.
“Malcolm McCormick, known and adored by fans as Mac Miller, has tragically passed away at the age of 26,” his family said in a statement to the magazine. “He was a bright light in this world for his family, friends, and fans. Thank you for your prayers. Please respect our privacy. There are no further details as to the cause of his death at this time.”
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Refinery29 has reached out to Miller’s representatives for comment.
The musician had a reported history of substance abuse, which he addressed in interviews and in his music. His latest album Swimming included lyrics about his sobriety and a recent DUI, which he was open about after it happened in May.
Miller was a charismatic artist, known for constant evolution and reinvention across a prolific career. He broke through in the early 2010s and toyed with genre over five full-length albums, fluidly moving between everything from energized party rap to minimalist, jazz-infused melodies. Miller also worked with a range of notable artists, including Anderson .Paak, Miguel, and Pharrell Williams.
The Pittsburgh-born rapper began his career at 14 as EZ Mac, releasing a set of mixtapes that catapulted him to a record deal with Rostrum Records in 2010. Miller’s star took off with early hits like “Donald Trump” — which sparked a feud with Trump back in 2013, reigniting more recently as Miller repeatedly denounced the president — and he broke through to the mainstream with his debut record Blue Slide Park, which opened at number one on the Billboard charts.
Miller’s fame grew with his later albums and high-profile collaborations, notably his guest verse in Ariana Grande’s 2013 single “The Way.” Grande was also featured on his 2016 song “My Favorite Part.”
The pair publicly dated from September 2016 to May 2018, and Grande has spoken openly about attempting to support him in his sobriety.
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Miller’s music was underscored by candid wordsmithing. He began as an internet sensation who knew how to start a party — breathlessly, head first, with an enthusiastic, carpe diem-like verve — but his lyrics also addressed heavy themes from his own life, like depression, addiction, and loss.
In a recent profile in Vulture, Miller said the duality was part of a balance he spent his life striving and evolving towards, one captured in his music in real time.
“I really wouldn’t want just happiness,” he told Vulture. “And I don’t want just sadness either. I don’t want to be depressed. I want to be able to have good days and bad days...I can’t imagine not waking up sometimes and being like, ‘I don’t feel like doing shit.’ And then having days where you wake up and you feel on top of the world.”
Miller was in the final stages of preparation for a North American tour in support of Swimming, slated to kick off in October with Thundercat and J.I.D. Billboard reports that the tour has been canceled in the wake of Miller’s passing.
This story was originally published on September 7, 2018. It has been updated throughout with new information.