The Essence of Friendship

Mid90s, the directorial debut for acclaimed actor Jonah Hill, began playing in theaters October 19th.  Since it's release it has garnered the attention of skaters and indie movie lovers alike. On the surface, mid90s is a skater film set in you guessed it, the mid 90s. When layers are peeled back and viewers are given context it turns out to be much more. This film encapsulates what it means to find friendship.
The film captures the essence of friendship in such a way it makes the viewer feel as though they are there with them. Mid90s is centered around a teenage boy by the name of Stevie who finds himself looking for an escape from his rough home life. The film follows Stevie as he picks up skating and befriends some older teenagers who are already well-versed in skating. The progression of the film is focused around the growth of the friendships. The film stays true to it's roots and is refreshing to see.

Mac Miller's Artistic Progression

Mac Miller was a rapper, singer-songwriter, and producer among many other talents. The Pittsburgh native was only 26 when he died of an accidental overdose just a little over a month following the release of his album, "SWIMMING". Miller started off as what some would describe as a 'backpack rapper'. Early on his sound revolved around his everyday experiences with girls and parties. This sound appealed mainly to high school students and college students. At the time Miller would be unknowingly creating a lane within mainstream rap exclusively for this style of rapping. Pop rap aka frat rap was not a prominent sub-genre until Miller's explosion onto the mainstream. Though the style of rapping was popular among college students and high school students it was very frowned upon by critics and was deemed shallow and lacking of any real substance. The critical response to this style of rapping would reach Miller and result in a change in sound. Seeing as 2009 was the start of Miller's rap career, 2011 would mark the end of Miller's pop rap phase. 2012 marked a new chapter in the rapper's career as he would become more involved with heavier drugs and become an alternative rapper, rapping on rather unorthodox beats speaking on topics such as his drug use and experiences with failed relationships.
Miller was very open about his drug use and how it effected him musically. Miller's fan base found him to be more introspective and revealing in his music. From 2012 to 2014 Miller's sound can be described as left-field alternative rap. After his highly acclaimed mixtape Faces, Miller's fans would be forced to wait nearly 17 months for a return as Miller struggled with rehabbing and getting clean. September 2015 Miller would make his return more clear headed than ever. GO:OD Am marked a new chapter, seeing Miller in a new light as he discusses his battle with drugs and his new found confidence in his rapping abilities. The project received some of his most positive reviews to date from critics. From 2015 to 2018 Miller would experiment topics ranging from introspection regarding life experiences to the process of falling in love. Due to his untimely death, Miller fans will never know what would follow SWIMMING.