After Mac Miller tragically passed away in 2018 due to a drug overdose, the federal court charged three men with selling him fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that led to his death. Stephen Walter and Ryan Ryan Reavis are serving their 17 and ten-year sentences, respectively, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death. This was after they struck a plea deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to one count of fentanyl distribution. But federal authorities haven’t said much about Cameron James Pettit’s sentence, and according to a Bureau of Prisons representative, he’s already a free man.
Moreover, reports relayed that authorities released one of the drug dealers charged over Mac Miller’s death from the Federal Correctional Institution in Mendota, California on October 11, about five years after authorities arrested him. According to TMZ, no court records indicate that Cameron James Pettit ever pleaded guilty to any charges while in federal custody, and that he remained there ever since he pleaded not guilty during his 2019 arraignment. It’s unclear exactly what to make of this whole situation, especially since we had no idea what the drug dealer’s sentence was.
Regardless, Mac Miller fans probably focused on much better news this week concerning the rapper, which is that his unreleased albumBalloonerism will come out in early 2025. “Many of Malcolm’s fans are aware of Balloonerism, a full-length album that Malcolm created around the time of the release of Faces in 2014,” his estate expressed in a statement. “It is a project that was of great importance to Malcolm – to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly, though ultimately GOOD AM and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence.
“We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist,” Mac Miller’s estate continued. “Given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing Balloonerism was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world.”
Mac Miller fans will have the pleasure of kicking off their musical 2025 in a very exciting way, as his previously unreleased and long-lost album Balloonerism will officially release on January 17, 2025. For those unaware, this is an LP that he was reportedly working on in between 2013 and 2014. In other words, it was in the middle of the creative processes behind 2013’s Watching Movies With The Sound Off and 2014’s Faces, a project that actually hosted some ideas that were originally meant for Balloonerism. Given how vibrant and pivotal those sonic worlds are for the late Pittsburgh legend’s career overall, this should be a very interesting glimpse into those eras.
In fact, we also recently got an official release for Balloonerism‘s trailer, which originally played this past weekend at Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw carnival. It features a host of animal characters traveling through a woozy, trippy, ever-evolving, and very fantastical world, with a lot of striking imagery, gorgeous animation, and some ethereal background music. It sounds like Thundercat vocals at certain points, and Mac Miller eventually comes in via a snippet at the end.
This also follows a lot more celebrations of Mac Miller’s life and legacy as of late, as the aforementioned Watching Movies With The Sound Off and Faces album recently hit their tenth anniversaries. These events came with some extra songs from the vault, such as “The Quest,” or reimagined versions of existing fan-favorites. It’s been great to see Mac’s estate treat all these releases and events with such care and respect. We all know that posthumous releases can be a pretty controversial matter, and we’re grateful that so much earnest passion and responsibility is at the forefront in this case.
Meanwhile, we’re sure that Balloonerism will prompt many more heartened reflections of Mac Miller’s music, art, legacy, life, and humanity. We still don’t really know what to expect from this new album, unless you’re one of the fans who already consumed the leaked tracks so much that this album’s been “out” for you for a long time. Now, a lot more people will indulge in that joy and celebrate Mac through the joy he shared with us.
During Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival last weekend, Mac Miller fans got a very special treat. The announcement arrived that his long-lost and unreleased album Balloonerism would finally get an official release. Thanks to pre-orders for vinyl, cassette, and CD versions of the LP now available on the late Pittsburgh legend’s official website, we now know that it will drop on January 17, 2025. This is right around the corner and should kick off the year for music in a pretty amazing, cathartic, celebratory, and admittedly bittersweet way. We all miss Mac a lot, but this new release will hopefully be as respectful, caring, loving, and earnest as the other posthumous treatments of his work have been so far.
This comes after a pretty consequential year for Mac Miller’s legacy, as fans everywhere enjoyed the tenth anniversary of Faces. In fact, Balloonerism was reportedly crafted in between that album and the previous 2013 effort, Watching Movies With The Sound Off. Some of its original tracks ended up on Faces, so it will be very interesting to see the artistic overlaps here. As for Watching Movies, that celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, which brought fans new official track releases such as “The Quest.”
Over the years, we also witnessed many artists praise Mac Miller not just for this musical legacy, but for his human spirit. “He changed my life, like, my perspective, and made me a better person,” Vince Staples shared back in 2023. “[…] Like, he would sit there and teach me how to make sure I’m on beat, and like rap with certain energy. It took a long time… I was over everyday with nothing else to do for, like, months, and he was teaching me how to rap on beat, how to project. […] [He was] introducing me to people I had no business meeting, because I wasn’t at the skill level yet. I was talking to his mom today.”
You can check out pre-orders for Balloonerismby clicking here. One of Mac Miller’s most legendary unreleased albums is finally seeing the light of day, and amid other new music rumors surrounding him, we hope to keep celebrating his life and career with the same joy he brought to us.
Music fans continue to mourn the loss of Mac Miller, but they are more concerned with celebrating his legacy and the great work that he left us with. While he’s no longer around to share that love and passion with fans, it seems like they will get more chances to spread them in his name. Moreover, this is because of a new teaser that played during the first day of Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium (Saturday, November 16). In between Sampha and The Alchemist’s sets at the “Gnaw” stage, a teaser with various colorful visuals of anthropomorphic animals played on the screens, playing the previously leaked “5 Dollar Pony Rides” track from “The Quest” creative.
At the end, a title card simply read “Soon” as a balloon depicting Mac Miller’s face in an abstract, George Condo-esque way rose up. As such, fans are very excited about the possibility that Mac’s long-lost and unreleased album Balloonerism could be officially coming out as a posthumous release. The album was recorded in between Watching Movies With The Sound Off and Faces between 2013 and 2014, with some leaked tracks and associated songs landing on the latter project.
In addition, E. Dan of ID Labs posted and then deleted some comments about Mac Miller’s Balloonerism. Basically, he said that the whole thing comes from a week of studio jam sessions and that Mac eventually moved onto Faces, taking a few tracks with him. Over the years, many songs from this era leaked online, and fans are very eager to hear what could arrive. Of course, maybe we’re all just misinterpreting this clip with no release date or official statement to work with, but it seems pretty reasonable. There could also be more unreleased music on the way from the Pittsburgh legend…
However, it’s important to note that some fans will understandably always be skeptical when it comes to posthumous releases. Fortunately, it seems like Mac Miller’s estate, loved ones, and fans assumed that responsibility with the utmost care and respect, so hopefully Balloonerism follows suit. He continues to resonate with massive audiences, and we can’t wait to celebrate his life again.
Furthermore, fans got a few special surprises on Watching Movies‘ tenth anniversary repackaging. The most obvious of these is an original version of the opening track “The Star Room,” featuring a different instrumental using the same sample as the version that Mac Miller released first. In addition, Ear Sweatshirt graces the track with a brief but fitting vocal appearance. What’s more is that the vinyl edition contains an exclusive bonus track called “The Quest.”
Also, in relation to Mac Miller’s enduring catalog, the I Love Life, Thank You artist has some more releases on the way. For example, there’s his highly anticipated and mythical collaborative project with the legendary producer Madlib. Maclib was thought to be just the stuff of legend, with the beatmaker himself initially suggesting that it wouldn’t happen. Most recently, though, he said that he was “finishing up” the tape, so hopefully it’s an amazing testament to Mac.
Meanwhile, during our interview with him, Lil Xan spoke on the late great’s impact. “The cr*zy thing about Mac is he unknowingly- millions of kids he’s affected,” Xan stated. “I mean millions of people he’s affected, obviously, in a positive way with his music. But, from 2009, man, his music has just helped me in every situation that I’ve been in in life.” On that note, stay up to date on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Mac Miller.
On June 18, 2013, Mac Miller released his second studio album, and the one that arguably marked his first major mainstream evolution as an artist. Of course, true fans will credit earlier projects like Macadelic with that achievement, but for many, Watching Movies With The Sound Off was the Pittsburgh MC’s true next step. Moreover, those who love his music or just respect him as a one-of-a-kind artist celebrated the album’s tenth anniversary online. Now, they have another way to fully celebrate this landmark LP, with his estate and Rostrum Records releasing a special edition of Watching Movies for its tenth birthday. Still, there’s few edits and tweaks to make to an album that was already beloved on impact.
First, let’s start with what’s new on Watching Moves With The Sound Off‘s tenth anniversary edition. The original version of the tone-setting album opener, “The Star Room,” appears at the end of the album’s tracklist (including bonus songs). On it, the most notable difference is the different vocal takes and the different interpretation of the beat. In comparison to the version released in 2013, the instrumental and sample flip is much moodier and more meditative for Mac Miller’s flow to ride.
Mac Miller’s Watching Movies 10th Anniversary Edition’s OG Version Of “The Star Room”
In addition, Mac’s alternate persona Delusional Thomas doesn’t appear on the OG version of “The Star Room,” a character represented by the more high-pitched vocals. Also, the original recording features some brief words from Earl Sweatshirt, which are a subtle but welcome addition, especially considering that their collab “I’m Not Real” appears shortly after in the tracklist. Finally, the special edition’s vinyl (which you can find here) contains an exclusive track from Mac Miller titled “The Quest.” Other than that, it’s the same Watching Movies you know and love from the late legend.
Meanwhile, the artist’s posthumous catalog remains respectfully limited outside of album reissues, although Madlib recently said that Maclib is coming soon. As such, there will be much more Mac to celebrate, whether for his unearthed gems or his forever enduring catalog. On that note, you can find Watching Movies With The Sound Off‘s 10th anniversary edition on your preferred streaming service. For more great music and the latest Mac Miller news, stay posted on HNHH.
2023 marks the 10th anniversary of Mac Miller’s second studio album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off. His sophomore album arrived on June 18, 2013 — the same day as Kanye West’s Yeezus and J. Cole’s Born Sinner — via Rostrum Records. Watching Movies with the Sound Off followed Mac Miller’s 2012 mixtape, Macadelic, an effort that saw him branching out from the sounds of his debut album, Blue Slide Park. Watching Movies With The Sound Off continued to move further away from his debutbothstylistically and artistically.
His debut album was an introduction to Mac Miller without a guest feature attached to the tracklist. However, Watching Movies with the Sound Off had a stacked guest list of talented artists, including Earl Sweatshirt, Ab-Soul, Niki Randa, Action Bronson, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Electronica, and Tyler, The Creator. Meanwhile, he tapped a star-roster of producers to flesh out the sound of the project, such as Earl Sweatshirt, Flying Lotus, Clams Casino, ID Labs, Pharrell, The Alchemist, Sap, Diplo, and Mac Miller himself. Watching Movies with the Sound Off was its very own world with an array of renowned artists tapping into a sound that Mac Miller had not previously explored. Today, we’re looking back at Mac Miller’s Watching Movies with the Sound Off for its 10th anniversary.
Watching Movies With The Sound Off marked a clear departure from both Blue Slide Park and Macadelic. Both projectsincluded party-ready songs with slick punchlines that showcased Mac Miller’s charisma. Still, Macadelic specifically saw Mac branching out and trying out different styles, making both festival-approved bangers and vulnerable songs that emphasized melody. But, compared to his previous work, Mac Miller’s artistic risks in Watching Movies With The Sound Off paid off tenfold. The low and high-pitched vocals on songs like “The Star Room,” “I’m Not Real,” and “Gees” provided psychedelic textures to the album’s production. These artistic decisions throughout the effort made for Mac Miller’s best work at the time. Sadly, the album revealed more about Mac Miller’s complicated relationship with drugs that led to his passing in 2018.
In Watching Movies With The Sound Off, Mac Miller leaned further into experimenting with his rap style, songwriting, and song choices. Many of the records dived into personal matters, some of which learned into the grim territory. However, Mac still provided his signature wit and humor in his rapping, with energetic songs like “Watching Movies” and “Goosebumpz.” The melody-driven tracks like “Objects in the Mirror” and “REMember” made for some of his most emotionally transparent tracks at the time.
Watching Movies With The Sound Off was eclectic in lyrical content, style, and production and the collaborations reflected that. The features from Mac Miller’s rap peers may have seemed unexpected on paper, but the execution paired perfectly with the overall direction of the project. He goofs around with Ab-Soul, Tyler, The Creator, and ScHoolboy Q, flexes his bars with Action Bronson, and gets esoteric with Jay Electronica. Furthermore, the production choices felt like a breath of fresh air for Mac Miller, whether it was choppy grooves from Flying Lotus and Clams Casino or the ethereal production from ID Labs and AdoTheGod. While many producers and featured artists helped Mac Miller execute his vision, he was still the star of the show.
Watching Movies with the Sound Off was a significant turning point in Mac Miller’s career, especially after he started producing under the name Larry Fisherman. He solely produced multiple album highlights such as “Avian” and “Aquarium.” The talent of Mac Miller as a new producer was quite remarkable. He would produce an instrumental EP and an entire Vince Staples mixtape that same year, as well as being more involved in the production of future releases like Faces and Swimming.
Watching Movies with the Sound Off proved to be a pivotal moment in Mac Miller’s career. However, it also paved the way for Mac Miller’s future releases. He would dive deeper into the quirkiness and depressed lyrics of Watching Movies on the Faces mixtape, which he produced the majority of. His third studio album, GO:OD AM contained the energy of songs like “Matches,” and even included a sequel to the song. Both GO:OD AM and The Divine Feminine also consisted of a multitude of love songs that expanded on records like “Youforia.“ The Divine Feminine went even further, making love and passion its main themes. Mac’s affinity for melody shined on Watching Movies With The Sound Off but it also made for standout moments on Swimming, which was also very emotionally vulnerable.
Watching Movies with the Sound Off was a major step for Mac Miller’s career and development as an artist. Compared to his previous works, the album showed growth for Mac Miller both as a rapper and as a producer. His willingness to experiment and take risks with the album allowed him to showcase his versatility on future albums.
Mac Miller’s Watching Movies With The Sound Off just turned 10 years old on Sunday (June 18), and fans everywhere are celebrating the album’s highlights, impact, and its overall place in the Pittsburgh MC’s career. For many, this is the album that truly launched him into the mainstream of rap, with more versatile hits and clear growth from the early phases of his career. What’s more is that Mac shared its release date with Kanye West’s Yeezus and J. Cole’s Born Sinner. Moreover, it was quite the stacked release day, and Watching Movies still holds up against those bodies of work.
Furthermore, the album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (interestingly enough, the aforementioned rap projects were 1 and 2). It sold 102K copies in its first week and, as of writing this article, is certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). On social media platforms like Twitter, fans have been reposting live performances, their favorite tracks (any “Matches fans out there?), and much more about Mac Miller and his 2013 album. With more posthumous releases to come, there will surely be much more Mac to celebrate in the future.
For example, Madlib recently revealed that he’s almost done with their mythical and highly anticipated project, Maclib. “Right now, I’m finishing up the Mac Miller album, Planet Asia album, Erykah Badu album, different stuff,” he told Sway. While he remarked that there were no plans to release the team-up in the months after his passing, he recently remarked that his family green-lit its arrival. Given just how much fans have been expressing excitement for it since news first broke of its potential existence in 2019, this is incredibly exciting news.
Meanwhile, other albums from the “Hand Me Downs” artist’s discography have seen quite a lot of spins since he tragically left us in 2018. His last album before that, Swimming, recently received double-platinum certification by the RIAA. But back to Watching Movies, what are your favorite tracks and moments from the album, or from that era of his career. Let us know in the comments down below and join us in celebrating a legend. For more news and the latest updates on Mac Miller, stick around on HNHH. Rest In Peace Mac Miller.
While some rappers unfortunately did not live to see the full fruits of their labor, they live on through their music, fandoms, and family. An old video of a very young Mac Miller spitting a freestyle on a bus recently resurfaced on the Internet. Moreover, it’s incredibly heartwarming to see the late artist having fun with his colleagues. In fact, there’s not even a beat, just one of Mac’s friends beatboxing. Also, you can tell this is incredibly early into his artistic journey, as he’s still got a full head of hair and an even more youthful demeanor than what he broke onto the scene with.
“I ain’t God, but you can call me Hova,” the Pittsburgh legend raps in the new clip. “In the Ranger Rover, never sober, I don’t even know ’cause you know I am a flower.” It’s a short but sweet reminder of Miller’s early style and the fun-loving attitude he brought into even his most pained music. Since his tragic passing in 2018, many fans noticed the deeper themes behind his spunkiest material. While projects like Swimming and Circles certainly wore them on its sleeve, this video shows Mac still finding his voice before looking inward.
Regardless, it’s a treat for fans to see. Fans and fellow musicians alike continue to celebrate his legacy, positive impact, and definitive artistic voice. For example, Earl Sweatshirt took to Twitter to express that he misses Mac a couple of months ago. Even with some posthumous releases giving fans new ways to appreciate the artist, his energy and presence feels irreplaceable. Earl’s tweet prompted many to remember some of the collaborators’ best work, as other tribute moments call us back to our favorite Mac moments.
Meanwhile, other artists have spoken on how his vocal struggles with addiction and strides to turn his life around inspired them. Whether it’s French Montana or Demi Lovato, the late 26-year-old touched many hearts in the industry with his experiences. After they resulted in tragedy, his memory and journey became just as crucial to discuss as the issues he was tackling head-on. Check out the freestyle above and let us know your favorite Mac Miller, song, album, or moment in the comments.
JANUARY 17TH
