Home Video Footage of Mac Miller Reveals Carefree Child

Mac Miller, who died Friday at age 26 from an apparent overdose, loved rapping even as a child, as highlighted by the home video footage used for his 2011 music video, “Best Day Ever.”

The first part of the video shows a young Miller rapping, then there is a shot of him singing with an adult at an even younger age. Another scene shows Miller running through a backyard before we see the then-19-year-old Miller performing.

“Best Day Ever” later appeared on his fifth mixtape, Best Day Ever, in 2011. Miller released another mixtape that year, I Love Life, Thank You, and released his first studio album, Blue Slide Park in November 2011.

In total, Miller released 12 mixtapes and five studio albums. His last, Swimming, was released a month before his death.

Miller became famous at a young age, and admitted in a new interview with Vulture that he felt the pressure of being a young star.

“A lot of times in my life I’ve put this pressure to hold myself to the standard of whatever I thought I was supposed to be, or how I was supposed to be perceived. And that creates pressure,” Miller explained. “It’s annoying to be out and have someone come up to me and think they know. They’re like, ‘Yo, man, are you okay?’ I’m like ‘Yeah, I’m f– at the grocery store.’”

Miller went on to say that he understood that pressure came with the job.

“You know? It’s the job. This is what I signed up for. So, you just have to not. You have to have your own reality and that has to be the driving force of your life. Do I wish that every single thing I did when I was 19 wasn’t a discussion? Sure,” Miller explained.

Miller’s work also delved into his demons, including struggles with substance abuse. It was a major topic on his 2014 mixtape Faces. In a 2015 interview, Miller admitted he was worried about dying at the time he wrote the record, but was much healthier.

“I was doing a lot of drugs around that time, which is another difference now: I’m not doing as many drugs,” Miller told Billboard. “It just eats at your mind, doing drugs every single day, every second. It’s rough on your body. That was the plan with Faces: [Closing song] “Grand Finale” was supposed to be the last song I made on earth. I don’t feel that way as much anymore.”

Miller died on Friday at age 26 from an apparent overdose. He was found at his home in the San Fernando Valley in California.

“Malcolm McCormick known and adored by fans as Mac Miller, has tragically passed away at the age of 26,” Miller’s family said in a statement to TMZ read. “He was a bright light in this world for his family, friends and fans. Thank you for your prayers.”

Photo credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella