What Makes Swimming a Modern Classic

Mac Miller was a well respected and widely adored rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He achieved a lot in his short career, from immense popularity and chart-topping albums such as Blue Slide Park, Watching Movies With the Sound Off, GO:OD AM, The Divine Feminine and Swimming. Mac Miller was also a widely respected figure in the music industry, working with and befriending musicians such as Earl Sweatshirt, JID, Post Malone, J Cole and many more. Mac's music was jazzy and constantly evolving. His lyrics were self exploratory and always personable. He constantly tried to improve his music and push it forward.
Mac died in September 2018 of a drug overdose following an incredibly tumultuous period of months after his breakup with Ariana Grande and the release of his 5th album, Swimming. Rest in peace Malcolm.

#Volksgeist #VideoEssay #MacMiller #HipHop #Swimming

[dansnofrills]

I've never felt the loss of someone I've never met before so deeply...

[LancasterWL]

I think it's ironic how frequently you references Mac "coming full circle" after the announcement of his new album Circles, that he was working on at the time of his death. Especially since it was made to accompany Swimming. It really shows the kind of foresight that Mac had as an artist.

[PrinceBobbyHill]

I got chills when you said "Mac Millers 5th and final album" god man that really hit me hard, i know hes dead but hearing that really made it sink in.

[luyindulamatondo]

As a fan of Mac Miller, I just want to say thank you Volksgeist. This was greatly appreciated.

[kincaidryan]

my regrets look just like texts i shouldn't send.

[goodmusic]

Mac constantly reinvented his sound. A true artist.

[SirHimothyy]

Mac miller deserves a Grammy for this album and for all his work before this .. dude has put out over 13 amazing projects and never got his Recognition while he was alive. BUT regardless if he doesn’t win anything I hope they take some time to pay respects to him at the Grammys that’s the least the music world can do for him.. he wasn’t just your standard rapper, he came up independent and stayed relevant this whole time dude was versatile and talented he could make beats, sing, crazy MC, write, produce & play several different instruments .. we definitely lost a Goat.. mac was probably one of the most underrated artists of our time if you actually look at all he’s done and the great people he helped on their come up.... anyone whose involved in this industry or this culture and is actually passionate about this shit knows and understands how important Mac miller really is !!!! His music will age beautifully all this trendy shit will come and go but the real will always last.. mac miller left his mark. #LLMM

[Flanigan]

Swimming is a great record because it has SOUL

[naufal-utmh]

WHO ELSE FEELS LIKE THEY DIDNT APPRECIATE MAC ENOUGH BEFORE HE PASSED

[Jclegg]

Swimming provides the ultimate metaphor I never thought I needed to hear. Life feels like this vast ocean that I’m stuck in the middle of. I feel small, there is no sign of shore or other boats, it’s terrifying. That fear of scale and the unknown keeps me frozen. Then waves of anxiety toss me around and nearly drown me in my thoughts and insecurities. The only real way to help your self is to start swimming. The waves will keep coming, you’re still small compared to an ocean. The important thing is that when you start you are finally moving forward. As long as you keep swimming you cannot drown, you will find land, you will find help, you will make it. Waiting in the water arguing with yourself about what could and couldn’t be, only keeps you stuck in the same place. Mobility is the only solution to immobility. So pick a direction and go.

[tescobesco]

Rip to an incredible rapper. Truly a great artist. Rest easy dude

[mihan]

Honestly, i feel that Mac also hinted at his eventual death in a few of his songs. Like in Self Care he says "like september I fall" and he ended up passing in september. Also the music video was him in a coffin so he was hinting that he was not in the right headspace for a while. Also in the beat switch of the song he goes on about the "beautiful feeling in oblivion" which again is him hinting of what he believes the afterlife is, utter nothingness but pure peace. Wherever Mac is I hope he's finally found a way out of his head and he's happy, he'll be truly missed fr

[MrGreenHulk]

Ive been a Mac stan since Best Day Ever. I can remember in high school whenever I was in a bad mood I would put on some of his early stuff and I could never help but crack a smile. As I grew up and graduated it felt like Mac was evolving with me. I remember when Watching Movies and Faces came out I was in one of the darkest spots of my life, and I felt like he was speaking for me in a sense. And as things grew better and I started to find myself I feel like Mac did too.
When Swimming dropped it was like the culmination of everything he had made up to that point and a symbol for the journey he had taken, and therein my own. I was upset at the time that it got buried underneath Astroworld and Swimming wasn't going to get the recognition it deserved. I cried real tears when Mac died, something I've never done for any other celebrity or musician. Its hard to come to terms with someone who has brought you so much joy and has been a huge influence in your life just being gone.
Its great that now he is finally getting the recognition he deserved, but it still baffles me that it couldn't have happened sooner. Maybe things could have been different. I guess we'll never know.

RIP Mac, rest easy buddy.

[creative.kontent]

People can say what they want about Mac, but there is no denying this man left his mark in music!

[jimmynutreon]

It's actually sad how underrated This guy is

[djisham]

Mac painted a picture with every lyric he sang.

[juddarnold]

I wonder if you'd still regard Swimming as a modern classic if he was alive.

[jonathanlopez]

I never expected anything from this album but it really was a something, it made me even cry with his lyrics on procratination and feeling useless, it was so cohesive that it makes me think how sad it is that he left us, RIP Mac Miller

[Rossboe]

Im 40 years old and never listened to Mac before Swimming. I heard '"whats the use" and thought, I need to hear more of this. I bought the album and I new after the first couple of listens it was a masterpiece. Its the only hip hop album I can listen to from start to finish on repeat that has come out in a long while.

[MonsterLombard]

Your video quality is literally so good