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Mac Miller’s Open Struggle With Depression and Addiction Made Him the Most Real

Deandrea Chavis | November 2, 2018

Topics: Childish Gambino, drug overdose, drugs, J Cole, Mac Miller, mental health, rap, Rapper, Substance Abuse

On Halloween night, thousands gathered at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles for a tribute concert dedicated to the life of artist Mac Miller, who passed away in September from a rumored overdose. Miller’s closest musician friends hit the stage to perform his favorite songs and the songs they’d made together. John Mayer, Chance the Rapper, Miguel, and many others spoke highly of Miller, sharing the memories they had of him with his grieving fans. This concert was the much-needed closure for family, friends, and fans of Mac Miller.

Miller’s death hit my generation hard. For us, rushing home off the bus in middle school to check out the latest music videos on YouTube and watch Wiz Khalifa’s DayToDay vlogs was the thing to do. Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Wale, Curren$y, Dom Kennedy, and Mac Miller were all in one class of artist. In another, you had A$AP Mob, Black Hippy (TDE), Flatbush Zombies, and The Underachievers. Yeats later, every single one of them still holds weight in the music industry.

While each of these artists were great, there was something different about Mac Miller. What was it that made his music so captivating? Besides the fact that he was a scrawny, witty, funny looking white kid, it was an undeniable fact that he had bars. He introduced us to “frat rap” and showed us how to “kick incredibly dope shit,” all while staying true to who he was. In the industry, a lot of artists get caught up in everything but the music and move away from their sound, chasing whatever is trending. Mac Miller never did.

Photo by Jules Muir

This is why his death at 26 hit us so hard. At a concert in Chicago the night after Miller’s death was reported, Childish Gambino said, “This Mac Miller shit got me fucked up… we were both internet music kids, and a lot of critics were like, ‘This corny-ass white dude, this corny-ass black dude,’ and we used to talk. And this kid, he just loved music.”

Although the sounds Miller created from his classic 2010 mixtape, KIDS to his recently-released final album, Swimming, are extremely different, his music always felt like him. He perfected every sound he experimented with, which showcased his true artistry. Mac Miller made music that everyone could relate to, no matter where you were from. If you wanted to party, there was a song. If you wanted to cry, there was a song. If you were in love, there was a song. If you were heartbroken, there was a song.

Mac Miller brought my generation through all of these emotions as we faced middle school, high school, college, and finally adult life. We didn’t grow up on him, we grew up with him, and there are many people who thank him for being that long-lost friend they never even knew they needed.

And yet it was Mac Miller’s fight with depression and drug addiction, which was no secret, that made him the most real. Like millions of people, this was something he dealt with from the beginning. On his last album, Swimming, he dove deeper than ever before. Songs like “Self Care,” “Wings,” “Come Back to Earth,” and “Hurt Feelings” showed everyone just how in tune he was with these feelings. Music was his therapy, but so were the drugs which ultimately killed him.

Mac Miller, like many people, fell into unhealthy habits when going through something. And like many people, he had a very ugly break-up this past May. He turned to weed, pills, and other hard drugs in an attempt to erase the problem, but looking for that distraction killed him. The National Study on Drug Use and Health, conducted in 2016, found that “28.6 million Americans age 12 and over used illicit drugs during the month prior to the study.” This also means that one in ten people struggle with some form of substance abuse – including prescription drugs.

We have become content with drugs given their prevalence in our communities. Only when a situation like this happens do we realize how it could have been prevented if we just spoke up, instead of enabling. Mac Miller’s house was apparently “cleaned” by someone after his death, someone who enabled him. TMZ reported that a source close to Mac Miller even said it made no sense that someone who’d already taken a fatal overdose would then scrub the house clean of all drugs and paraphernalia in case they happened to die.

Drug addiction and mental health struggles are becoming all too common, in the entertainment industry as well as in everyday life. Recent celebrity deaths including Robin Williams, Anthony Bourdain, and Kate Spade prove that a better conversation about these taboo subjects needs to be had.

J. Cole said it best in his song “Friends,” “drug addiction and depression don’t blend.” And they never will. We have to speak up to our friends who we feel are coping with life the wrong way, before it is too late. Mac Miller waited until it was too late, and he will be added to the list of great influential artists who were taken away from us far too soon. Even as we mourn his loss, though, we thank him for everything he did while he was here. It will never be forgotten.

*Cover photo by Christian Weber

The Mesmeric Lyricism of Rapper Cole Hicks

Brianna Scott | October 15, 2018

Topics: Cole Hicks, female artists, May Day, new album, Rapper, richmond rap

Where Richmond rappers are concerned, Cole Hicks is in a league of her own. She established herself as an artist before she even set foot in high school, and she’s been proving her worth ever since.

Hicks’ first introduction to rapping started when she would listen to her cousins dropping cyphers (a form of freestyle rapping) at her grandmother’s house. After listening to her relatives, Hicks would go home to rewrite her cousins’ lines with her own lyrics. No one knew she had an interest in rapping, but Hicks’ hidden talent would soon be revealed when her mom caught her rapping one day in her room while she was grounded.

Bedroom raps molded into radio, when Hicks called into local hip hop/R&B station 106.5 The Beat to show off her skills. People could call in to The Beat and participate in on-air cypher battles — and Hicks was ready to take someone on. When she called in, host Zxulu was taken aback.

Cole Hicks, In the Studio

“He said I sounded like a little kid, and I was like, ‘Well, I am a kid, but I can rap.’ Then he was like, ‘This ain’t no kids thing,’ and he hung up,” Hicks said. “I called back, and as soon as he answered I started rapping. He was like, ‘Hold up, who is this?’”

Hicks cites Jay-Z as her source of inspiration, and used the NYC rapper’s lyrics as study material.

The first time Hicks performed in front of an audience was at Richmond’s former club, Mansion 534, which was originally called The Boss. Not even old enough to be allowed in the club legally, she opened for Lil Wayne, one of the biggest rappers in the 2000s, who was dropping songs like “Lollipop” and “A Milli.”

Barely 15 years old, Hicks developed connections with affiliates of Roc-A-Fella Records at the time, like Philly rapper Freeway and late Wu-Tang Clan member Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Even though she never signed with Roc-A-Fella, the opportunity to rap alongside prolific artists at such a young age put Hicks several leagues ahead of many rappers above her age.

From there, it was only a matter of time before people caught on to Hicks and her impeccable talent. Now 30 years old, Hicks released her debut album, entitled May Day, this year on May first — her birthday. It’s been a long time coming. 

“May Day” Album Cover

“I always had this thing where I would start projects but never complete them,” Hicks said. “I wanted this to be a thing where… it’s another year around the sun and I’m actually doing something that I said I was gonna do and completing it.”

Having taken a short hiatus from rapping, Hicks jumped back in the studio with some of Richmond’s finest, including Michael Millions and Joey Gallo.

May Day was originally just a mixtape. “[The album] became even more special because it wasn’t even intended to become a full album. The way I had created it, it was just going to be a mixtape to gift myself and gift people… to remind people that I still got bars,” Hicks joked. “Being able to collaborate with all these different artists and create a project out of the love for rap, it’s just an amazing thing.”

The 12-track album invites us into Hicks’ world as she delivers dope metaphors song after song, rapping about her life experiences. Being from Southside in Richmond plays an important part in Hicks’ music.

“It was just like this haven,” Hicks said of the neighborhood. “It was full of hate, but full of love — we all stuck together, it was just like a big family.”

As I sat down with Hicks in her home music studio, I asked her what sets her apart from other rappers in Richmond.

“I don’t know if that’s a question I can answer, that might be a question for the audience,” Hicks said. “But I can tell you that, the type of rapper that I am, I’m a true lyricist. I don’t like to make words rhyme just to make them rhyme. I take my time on different songs, different themes and different rhyme schemes. I challenge myself to become a better lyricist, as opposed to just making a song for the club.” 

Hicks’ mesmeric lyricism captures your attention the moment she grabs a mic, letting you know all eyes should be on her. 

But despite how far successful women like Hicks can go, there’s always a guy out there to remind them “you’re good, for a girl” — as if women can’t stand alone in their endeavors without being validated by men. Hicks proves herself as the best, regardless of gender, every time she hits the stage. 

“If I’m kicking ass on these instrumentals like your favorite rappers are, then naw, I’m the best rapper! I have to carry myself like I’m the best rapper — I don’t like to brag or boast about my lyricism, I just like to show it off,” Hicks laughed. “I challenge myself every time I put a pen to a piece of paper… I put it in my mind that people are already going to say that. We have to aim to be better than who they think the better man is.” 

The Mighty Cole Hicks

Hicks has some music projects in the works, and has also been collaborating with other RVA rappers on a podcast called The Late Bloomer Podcast, which you can listen to on SoundCloud. It may be some time before we get another album, but when it comes, people should be prepared for another album full of intoxicating songs to fall in love with. 

Folks, keep your eyes on Richmond’s rap scene, because it isn’t slowing down anytime soon. 

“We’re at a beautiful space right now, and I can’t wait to see how much more we’ll grow within a short period of time. We need to stick together with this music stuff. More collaborations and less allegations,” Hicks says, throwing in a bar to show that, even when she’s offstage and out of the studio, her flow never stops. 

You can stream May Day on Soundcloud or Spotify. Follow Hicks on Instagram @iam_nicolehicks to keep up with her latest ventures. 

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

“Awareness” by Bigal Harrison feat. Michael Millions Needs Your Attention

Hip Hop Henry | October 4, 2018

Topics: Awareness, Bigal Harrison, hip hop, Michael Millions, music video, rap, Rapper, richmond, River City, RVA

Here’s the new clip from VCU Track Star and RVA rhyme kicker, Bigal Harrison, for his buzzing single “Awareness,” off of the forthcoming album Bintage. Joined on the track by veteran emcee Michael Millions, the two take a trip down Grace Street and wax poetics. With a vintage production feel to match the street vibe of the visuals, the young gunner and the man with the mural are setting the fall season off correctly.

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