5 Lesser-Known Mac Miller Releases
Rapper Mac Miller experimented with his sound throughout his career, and these releases show him at his most creative.
Rapper and producer, Malcolm McCormick, better known as Mac Miller, was one of a handful of hip-hop’s blog era artists who truly exemplified what it means to grow in one’s craft.
Miller was a self-taught musician who learned to play piano, guitar, drums, and bass by age six. Though he initially wanted to become a singer, he settled on rapping instead. He started recording as a teenager and dropped his first mixtape, But My Mackin’ Ain’t Easy, under the name Easy Mac in 2007.
By 2009, he’d released three more mixtapes — honing his skill, gaining buzz online, and garnering the attention of record label executives. In 2010, he signed with independent label Rostrum Records due to its location in his hometown of Pittsburgh, as well as its affiliation with his friend and fellow rapper Wiz Khalifa. Miller finally entered into hip-hop’s consciousness with his breakthrough mixtapes, 2010’s K.I.D.S. and 2011’s Best Day Ever. He even earned a spot on XXL’s 2011 Freshman Class cover next to Kendrick Lamar.
Later that year, Miller released his debut studio album, Blue Slide Park, to mixed reviews. For every fan that liked the record’s light lyrical content about fame, money, and partying, there was a critic deeming him as nothing more than a happy frat rapper. Miller channeled his frustrations into his music and branched out creatively with 2012’s Macadelic mixtape and his second studio album, Watching Movies With The Sound Off — two projects that saw the rapper embrace introspective lyricism and a psychedelic production style, along with the introduction of his producer alias, Larry Fisherman.
Throughout his career, Miller continued to experiment with his sound, writing more personal songs and often incorporating psychedelic, jazz, and funk styles into his production. He also developed a small cast of alter egos, through which he released music. After Watching Movies, Miller left Rostrum, formed his own label, REMember Music, and joined the Warner Bros. roster. He went on to release four more studio albums — GO:OD AM, The Divine Feminine, and Swimming, as well as the posthumously released Circles.
Years after his untimely death, Miller’s music continues to inspire his peers and speak to a generation of fans. If you’re looking to honor Miller’s diverse talents, dive into these five lesser-known releases that show him at the height of his creativity.
Live From Space (2013)
Live From Space is the only live album in Miller’s discography. Recorded during several shows in various cities on 2013’s Space Migration Tour, the rapper energetically and emotionally performs signature tracks from Best Day Ever and Macadelic, most of Watching Movies’ tracklist, and five previously unreleased songs — all while backed by contemporary R&B band The Internet. The crowd’s cheers, Miller’s improvisations, and The Internet’s arrangements breathe new life into Live From Space’s source material and the new tracks foreshadow the rapper’s transition toward the experimental and existential.
Faces (2014)
Miller’s 11th mixtape, Faces, was released between his second and third studio albums. Like Watching Movies, the mixtape was mostly produced by Miller (as Larry Fisherman) and moved further into his exploration of psychedelic and jazz instrumentals. Faces is noted for its dark lyrics and discussion of addiction, psychosis, and mortality — themes that would become prevalent in the rapper’s later works. The mixtape features friends and collaborators such as Earl Sweatshirt, ScHoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul, as well as contributions from unlikely pairings including Rick Ross and Mike Jones. Faces was originally released as a free digital download, but was commercially released on vinyl in 2021.
Run-On Sentences: Vol. 1 (2013)
Miller introduced the world to his Larry Fisherman persona with a beat tape. Released just prior to his second studio album, Run-On Sentences: Vol. 1 was offered as a free digital download. The mixtape showed Miller’s prowess as a producer and his genius as a marketer by truly allowing the music to do the talking — his voice doesn’t appear on the tape until the final track.
Delusional Thomas (2013)
The Delusional Thomas mixtape introduced listeners to another Miller alter ego, a rapper modeled after the evil voice in his own head named Delusional Thomas. The 10-track tape was entirely produced by Miller, under his Larry Fisherman pseudonym, and features him rapping in a distorted, pitched-up voice. Compared to his other works, the music on Delusional Thomas is decidedly horrorcore — references to violence, challenges to religion, and off-color jokes — and showcases Miller’s versatility in the writing and production realms.
Stolen Youth (2013)
Stolen Youth is a collaborative mixtape between California rapper Vince Staples and Miller as Larry Fisherman. Originally titled Tales of a Stolen Youth, the project started out as a solo EP for Staples. Miller had given him a few beats for the project, but as the pair worked together in his home studio, Stolen Youth expanded into a full 10-track collaboration entirely produced by Miller. At the time of its release, Stolen Youth was met with acclaim from critics who found the rappers’ chemistry refreshing and felt Miller’s “warm and moody” production was the perfect accompaniment to Staples bars about his rough L.A. upbringing.
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