In the week leading up to Ivies, Her Campus Bowdoin will be providing you with everything you need to know in our Ivies Survival Guide.
Born Malcolm McCormick, Mac is a 19 year old rapper from Pittsburgh, and attended Taylor Allderdice High School. Another notable Allderdice alum is Wiz Khalifa, and the “Taylor Gang” that Wiz constantly references in his songs is named after both the high school and his group of friends’ shoe of choice, Chuck Taylor All Stars Converses. Members of the Taylor Gang produce and collaborate on many of Mac Miller’s songs, including ID Labs and Wiz Khalifa himself.
The industry has constantly compared Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller as both Pittsburgh natives and young Rostrum Records hip hop success stories, but Mac has been trying to avoid being seen as “Wiz’s homie.” And as a white rapper, Mac Miller is also constantly grouped with other college-aged white artists in the industry like Sam Adams, Chris Webby, and Asher Roth.
Despite his initial difficulties with being grouped off with other artists, Mac Miller has really found his unique sound and has recently made a distinct and successful name for himself. Named as one of XXL Magazine’s 2011 Freshman Class, Mac Miller is projected to explode this year and in the past few months he’s been on tracks with major artists like Wale and Chiddy Bang (download both here). Known for having witty freestyles and sample-heavy but extremely catchy beats, Mac’s sound is quintessential for an outdoor concert on a beautiful spring day. PERFECT for Ivies.
The video for one of his catchiest and most popular tracks (also his first song sold on iTunes), “Knock Knock,” is a 1940’s inspired high school dance with an urban twist. If you want to look like a true Mac Miller fan, whip out that knock knock dance move when he plays this song during his set.
The first single dropped from his March 11th mixtape Best Day Ever, “Donald Trump,” is a flawless party anthem that will probably be blasting all around campus in the week leading up to the concert.
Be sure to download some of his free mixtapes before next Saturday:
But before you go thanking the eBoard for the amazing assembly of artists this year, you might want to send a nod over to the Her Campus Bowdoin twitter, run by yours truly, for pushing for Mac Miller since January.
Oh, and I have a huge crush on him. Fingers crossed.