What I’m Listening To: Divine Feminine

Mac Miller’s Divine Feminine album turned 10 this year, and was re-released with three bonus tracks. Those that know me know that Mac is my favorite artist. Although, I don’t think I could have ever imagined the influence that he and his work would have on my own creative career. 

I’ve always enjoyed Mac’s music. It’s something that I have been able to share with my brother for a long time. I believe it was really the gateway for me to start to discover different types of music. GO:OD AM came out in my first semester of college, a time where I was experiencing life on my own for the first time. 

In 2016, Divine Feminine came out, and I remember getting a call from my brother, saying that the tour would be going through Omaha. Without hesitation tickets were purchased and we were set to see it live. To this day, it is still the best concert experience I have ever had, and I am so thankful I decided to buy the meet and greet. You never know how quickly life can change and your favorite artist is gone.

Fast forward 10 years, my life as a creative has thankfully continued. I still have a deep desire to create. I have grown as a creative and as a human in this time, lots of highs and lows, but ultimately I wouldn’t change a thing. I find that music has had the biggest influence for me when creating, working, chilling, and everything else in between. For artists like Mac Miller, I get inspired through the nostalgia of listening to him in the past, the way he approached his art to make it unique to him, how he didn’t let himself be defined by one style. 

Mostly known as a rapper, I think that Mac Miller’s curiosity and experimentation is ultimately what made his music so different. In addition to the hip-hop sound, his range expanded with jazz, funk, soul, and R&B. There’s even hints of rock music in some projects. As time went on, he evolved his art from just rap music to music that at times was confident, weird, dark and introspective, romantic, and vulnerable. It’s a beautiful thing that you can see that progression through his discography. 

Mac Miller will always hold a place in my heart and my creative process. His music serves as a reminder to do things your own way, to always stay curious, and to create art not for the money, but for the soul.