Mac Miller’s Unreleased Track, ‘Benji the Dog,’ Leaked Online 8 Months After Rapper’s Death

A new Mac Miller song leaked online on Monday, eight months after the rapper’s tragic death.

Miller passed away in September at the age of 26, to the shock and horror of the hip hop world. On Monday, a never-before-released track appeared on Soundcloud called “Benji the Dog.” So far, there is no word on where it came from, how it leaked or why now.

The song uses a sample from “Benjie,” a 1972 song by Valerie Simpson. The self-effacing, melodic track was reportedly recorded in 2015. It addresses Miller’s struggles with substance abuse, financial anxiety and mental health.

“They told me don’t make a promise you can’t keep / All the drugs in your system, you can’t sleep,” Miller raps. “Man, I swear this is what I dream about / Ever since my mom told me that she need me out / Always smoke weed, causing trouble, never clean the house / But I paid her back for everything, I guess we even now.”

The version of the song released this week includes a sound bite from The People V. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, in which actor David Schwimmer — playing Robert Kardashian — says: “he’s never gonna stop being the Juice.” Fans speculate that this must have been added after the fact, perhaps by the person who leaked the song. The show did not premiere until 2016, a year after Miller is believed to have recorded “Benji the Dog.”

The original Soundcloud post has been removed, but the song has spread to other outlets and mediums since. None seem to be officially endorsed by Miller’s representatives or his estate. It is unclear of the song was ever meant to be released, or which of his albums it was tied to.

The song does match some of the themes of Miller’s work from the era, particularly his lauded 2014 mixtape Faces. The confessional lyrics about drug use, insomnia and social reclusiveness are the same, even if the audio sample makes it a bit more chipper.

“So hard to stay sober when you’re feeling f—ed over so much,” miller raps. “I can never sleep at night / F— paying bills, I need a brand new lease on life / Why does doing wrong always feel so right? / Well I guess f— it, that’s life.”

It was the following year that Miller began dating Ariana Grande, and his music briefly took on a more hopeful tone. However, Miller’s substance abuse issues persisted, and he and Grande ultimately split. A few months later, Miller crashed his car while reportedly driving under the influence, and in September he passed away of an accidental overdose.

Miller’s final album, Swimming, was cheered by fans and critics for merging and building on the themes in his early work. The record got him a posthumous Grammy nomination earlier this year.