Mac Miller: some people want to date him.
“I love you, Mac Miller! Call me!” Eastern Michigan University student Miranda Heleski said.
Other people want to be him.
“I like Mac Miller. He’s got swag. He’s a ladies’ man. His music is my life in a nutshell. I kinda envy him in a way. I look up to him as an artist and as a person,” EMU sophomore Jared Dolga said.
Why is it that Mac Miller serves as a role model and a lust object for so many?
Heleski suggested that Mac Miller is proof that hip hop has no color. It is true the rise of a young white male in the rap industry has turned a few heads. That’s probably why on Wednesday, April 4 so many people were crowded into the Convocation Center anxiously await the appearance of the man himself.
As we waited for the show to start, the stage was bare save for an image of Miller plastered on the backdrop of the stage. Psychedelic lights swirled in and out of the dilated pupils of the masses. Before long, the stage came alive with the first opening act.
A little known hip-hop duo called The Come Up composed of a middle school friends Franchise and Vinny Radio got the night started. Wearing Adidas track jackets and snap backs, they brought the bass that was so strong it vibrated through the stage.
The Cool Kids, Chuck English and Mikey Rocks kept the energy high. But it was clear the crowd had come to see the musical phenomenon.
By the time Miller was about to finally make his appearance, there was
crowd surfing, screeches and arm flailing like the original Elvis groupies with hands bowing down in unison for their musical master.
Miller emerged from backstage in his traditional attire: a fresh tee that showed off his tattoo sleeves paired with shorts, sneakers and – of course – a snap back cap and shades. In true “Macadelic” style he leap-frogged off giant mushrooms as he made his way center stage.
Miller opened his set with “Blue Slide Park,” showing images of the Pittsburgh neighborhood park and offering a fresh batch of hometown nostalgia.
He kept things rolling, performing tracks from the mixtape “K.I.D.S.” Songs like “Kids” and “Knock Knock” blasted from the speakers and got the audience singing along. The hit “Nikes on my Feet” featuring a video of models showing off unique sneakers.
During “All Around the World” from mixtape “Best Day Ever,” the big screen held home videos and baby pictures of Mac pointing to a map that had girls squealing “Oh my god, he’s so cute.”
Mac continued his show, sharing tracks from album “Blue Slide Park” like “Frick Park Market,” “My Team,” “Loitering” and “Diamonds and Gold.” Miller introduced newer tracks from the most recent “Macadelic” mix tape released March 23 like “Lucky Ass Bitch”and “Loud,” which already seemed to be crowd favorites.
The greatness of the show cannot be measured solely by the talent on stage but by the quality of the crowd.
“I didn’t know what to expect because I’ve never been to a concert but I was pumped all day. It was dope,” Dolga said.
I had a hard time spotting Mac on the stage from the densely populated floor, but it’s not all about being able to see what’s happening under the spotlight. It’s about being able to feel the heat of the audience, the vibration of the bass in your rib cage and let the sound of the music fill you.
College camaraderie is born at concerts like these with strangers dancing amidst a sound that really seems to resonate with the audience.
The audience demanded an encore. Miller complied and returned to deliver his most popular song “Donald Trump,” tossing his cap to the crowd for a triumphant finale.
Mac Miller made an auspicious emergence into the popular music scene, defining the line between unknown and underground. As a hip hop junkie, I think A Tribe Called Quest, De Le Soul, Talib Kweli and The Roots left Mac big shoes to fill. But after seeing his performance, I think he’s hit the ground running and made a heck of a good start.
Miller left his followers with a few inspirational words to live by.
“Everyone told me there was no way I could do this,” he said. “But we built this ourselves. We built this to where it is today. No matter what people say, just get your money and say [expletive] ‘em all,” he chanted as he began his next song “Fuck ‘Em All”.
