West Coast rapper REASON was under fire with hip-hop fans recently, and with good … reason. Kendrick Lamar‘s TDE labelmate was criticized for name-dropping the late Mac Miller on his new song “Fall,” a move many felt was disrespectful.
REASON Tells His Side
REASON exposes the uglier sides of the music industry on “Fall.” He raps “one day you could become the next Mac Miller,” a reference to the Pittsburgh MC who died of a drug overdose in 2018. In an interview with the Bootleg Kev podcast, REASON says he loved Mac and wanted to shine a light on real a problem in the industry.
REASON Mentioned Mac Miller To Make A Point
Here is the controversial line and its setup:
“Look, you said you wanna be an artist / Well, we gon’ turn you to an addict / Get rid of the n***as that you got on with / Then give you the tools to dig your own sh*t / Surround you with some wack n***as / Some yes men that’s gon’ tell you that your raps iller / A couple cars, some jewelry, make your stacks bigger / Then one day you could become the next Mac Miller.”
While the name-drop doesn’t sound like it was meant to insult Miller, who passed away in 2018 from a drug overdose, REASON has been questioned for being disrespectful and tasteless.
Bringing up someone who is no longer with us — or even making a subtle reference to them — is always a touchy subject in hip-hop. Artists toe the line when it comes to the likes of Tupac, Biggie, Nipsey Hussle and Mac Miller who still have loyal fans. Wiz Khalifa experienced this recently in regards to Mac Miller…
Wiz Khalifa Rejected Album Title Out Of Respect For Mac Miller
Over the summer, Wiz Khalifa went on Twitter to let fans know he was trying to come up with a name for his new project.
“I got 13 songs ready. Just need to name that b*tch. Bout to smoke and come up wit one. Be right bacc” -Wiz Khalifa’s Twitter
After a fan asked Wiz to name it after fellow Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller, he shut down the request out of respect. Wiz even went as far as to admit he considered giving the project a name inspired by Miller’s legacy.
“I wanted to but out of respect for Mac I decided against it,” Wiz replied to an initial ‘MACC SAUCE’ title suggestion.”
Anderson .Paak Honors Mac Miller With Heartfelt Painting
Earlier this year, Anderson .Paak shared a must-see visual masterpiece. In the painting, he’s driving around living his best life alongside Mac Miller, who is flying from the passenger seat.
“My 5th and final Paint with Paak is dedicated to my brother Mac! gone way too soon but his legacy lives on. I like to also send out special thoughts and prayers to anyone who has lost a loved one during this time as well. Stay strong and stay safe y’all. Love you ❤️” -Anderson .Paak’s Instagram
