Mac Miller’s debut album Blue Slide Park dropped in November of 2011, but even though it sold quite well…critics weren’t too easy on it. And at 19 years old (at the time), that’s not the easiest pill to swallow. “Unless you buy into Miller’s persona—and why would you?—Blue Slide Park offers you nothing that you can’t find done more much artfully by, say, Curren$y,” one review read, along with a 1.0 rating. It ended up getting to Mac so badly, he got seriously addicted to something. More info below.
In his recent interview with Complex, Mac revealed that the poor reviews, mixed with feeling boxed in to being a “frat rapper” when his 2012 tour hit nothing but colleges, sent him into a downward spiral that got him hooked on promethazine (aka lean).
“I love lean; it’s great,” he told Complex. But during the Macadelic tour things got out of hand. “I was not happy and I was on lean very heavy. I was so f#cked up all the time it was bad. My friends couldn’t even look at me the same. I was lost.”
Then when that lawsuit came from Lord Finesse over the summer, it got him even more upset…but it was also a wakeup call that he needed to get clean.
“I’ve never really been worried about Mac except during that lean period,” his childhood friend Jimmy told the mag. “I saw him in that mentality I remember being in—you’re getting f#cked up because you feel like you need to. You’re trying to get away from everything.”
Everyone got more worried about him, but finally, he was able to kick the habit in November…just before his new reality show started taping.
“For how much he was drinking, it’s unbelievable that he stopped,” Jimmy added. It’s definitely one of the most impressive things he’s ever done.”
Good for him!
Source: Complex
It’s good when a rapper acknowledges that the substances they rap about can get out of control. A lot of kids just listening to drugs being glorified don’t see the negative impact that it can really have on your psyche. I commend Mac for making it a point to recognize when the pill is a bit too big to swallow. Hopefully, some of his peers and listeners can take this op to make a positive change in their lives as well.