RAPPER Mac Miller died Friday of a suspected overdose.
At 11:50 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a radio call of a death investigation in North Hollywood at an address matching Miller’s. A spokeswoman tells Yahoo Entertainment the call involved “a deceased adult male” and the cause of death “did not appear to be criminal in nature.” While the LAPD did not identify the person by name, Yahoo can confirm that it was Miller.
The artist’s family later issued a statement to ET: “Malcolm McCormick, known and adored by fans as Mac Miller, has tragically passed away at the age of 26. 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.”
Tom Corson, co-chairman & COO of Warner Bros. Records, Miller’s record company, gave his own statement. “All of us at Warner Bros. Records are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of Mac Miller’s untimely passing,” Corson told Yahoo via email. “Mac was a hugely gifted and inspiring artist, with a pioneering spirit and a sense of humor that touched everyone he met. Mac’s death is a devastating loss and cuts short a life and a talent of huge potential, where the possibilities felt limitless. We join all of his fans across the globe in extending our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.”
Miller, whose real name is Malcolm James McCormick, rose to fame in 2011 with his chart-topping debut album, “Blue Slide Park.” It was the first independently distributed album to top the Billboard 200 since Dogg Pound’s “Dogg Food” in 1995. He gained mainstream notoriety after appearing on Ariana Grande’s 2013 track “The Way.” Miller was one of the most respected lyricists in hip-hop.
His material took a darker turn on the 2014 mixtape, “Faces,” where he opened up about depression and drug use, rapping “a drug habit like Philip Hoffman will probably put me in a coffin,” mentioning his use of cocaine, codeine cough syrup, and angel dust.
The rapper had seemed to be doing well both professionally and personally – he and Grande began dating in 2016. However, his talent was overshadowed in the past year by troubling headlines. In May, he was arrested on DUI and hit-and-run charges after crashing his car in Los Angeles and fleeing the scene. His blood-alcohol level was reportedly twice the legal limit. The accident came days after his highly publicized breakup with Grande.
He released his fifth album (and third for Warner Bros. Records), “Swimming,” in August. In what turned out be his final video, for the track titled “Self Care,” Miller is seen trapped inside a coffin. The clip is even more disturbing in light of Friday’s shocking news.
Late Thursday night, he was active on social media. Miller posted videos on his Instagram Story showing a turntable playing the song “So It Goes” off his album, Swimming. The track includes the lyric, “Nine lives, never die, f*** a heaven, I’m still gettin’ high/Never mind, did I mention I’m fine?”
Miller was getting ready to begin his US tour on Oct. 27 in San Francisco. (ET)
