On this day in 2018, the hip-hop world was saddened by the shocking news of Mac Miller’s death at the age of 26. Several years later, the pain of loss still runs deep. It feels fitting to highlight one of the many standout songs of his impressive and varied catalog, which includes such beloved projects as K.I.D.S, Watching Movies With The Sound Off, Faces, and GOOD AM.
Speaking of the latter — GOOD AM is an interesting one, as it serves as a stylistic and thematic transition point for Mac. Though he’d later go on to tackle themes like love, relationships, and mental health on albums like The Divine Feminine and Swimming, many still look to his more rap-heavy era as his prime.
As such, “100 Grandkids” feels like a well-deserved victory lap, a hybrid of Mac’s multifaceted persona — the playful, aloof, and carefree youth and his more debaucherous, hedonistic, and willfully ignorant counterpart. Here, both sides are exemplified by a two-part musical shift, produced by the tandem of I.D. Labs and Sha Money XL.
Rest in peace Mac Miller — four years removed from his tragic death, have you kept GOOD AM on repeat rotation?
Quotable Lyrics
I made a mill’ before I paid a bill
Cause fools worried about a wave, I’m a Navy SEAL
Come with me, I can make your life change for real
Always had a dream of stuntin’, it ain’t nothing unless you runnin’ shit
Just a young muthafucker with a plan