Mac Miller is one of the most celebrated rappers of this generation. His creativity and eccentricity separated himself from the pack and his legacy will always be remembered. Part of the reason for that is because his discography is loaded with fantastic projects, with one of them being Watching Movies with the Sound Off. His team gave us a 10th anniversary edition during the summer and last year with four bonus cuts. However, Mac Miller and his estate have one more surprise for us up their sleeve with “The Quest.”
For those who like getting their hands on physical copies of records, vinyl buyers were treated to an additional song. “The Quest” is sort of an aspirational and celebratory track for Mac Miller. He raps with tons of happiness and confidence, reassuring himself throughout. “Once (Once) upon (Upon) a time (A time) / The world (The world) is soon (Is soon) to be mine (To be mine).”
What also makes “The Quest” a standout is the production from Mac Miller. This is just one a few cuts that the multi-hyphenate showcased his craft on. However, while streaming fans are certainly enjoying that they have a chance to hear it, it does beg this question. How do the fans who paid money for vinyl feel that a wider audience has the chance to get it on it? This has been a trending topic over the past couple of weeks, especially after Kanye and James Blake’s recent comments.
What are your thoughts on this “brand-new” song, “The Quest,” by Mac Miller? Is this the strongest Watching Movies with the Sound Off (10th Anniversary) cut, why or why not? Do you think it was a smart idea to give everyone a chance to hear it, why or why not? Is this album still in your rotation? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Mac Miller. Finally, stay with us for the most informative song posts throughout the week.
Quotable Lyrics:
As we get higher, f*** work, girl, let’s get fired (Girl, let’s get fired) In the making (In the making), I’m doin’ great things Ran around the motherf****n’ streets like a psycho Hard to keep your balance when you’re jumpin’ on a tightrope (Tightrope) Jumpin’ on a tightrope (Rope) If I fall, would you love me at all?
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.
