Song of the Day - 2009 (NPR Tiny Desk Concert) by Mac Miller

I'm not going to lie, yesterday's news of Mac Miller's passing was a gut punch for me. I was never a huge fan of his early work, but about the time Watching Movies With The Sound Off was released, I found myself giving him a chance due to the production on SDS by Flying Lotus. Something about that album drew me in. I think hearing an album dealing with the raw emotions of being in the middle of and addiction connected with me more than I expected largely due to personally being in the middle of quitting drinking and dealing with all of those rough emotions resulting from that. I'm in a significantly different place in my life, but that album helped me and occupied a space in time that elevated it to a pretty special place in my mind. When my wife texted me to tell me he passed yesterday I could physically feel my body sink. I wasn't expecting to feel that way about the passing of an artist.

Sitting down yesterday after I got home I found myself watching this performance from just a month ago and just letting the pure sadness of it all wash over me. 26 is too young to go and this song with it's optimism just seemed to drive home the reality of everything. RIP Mac Miller.