In an era of music dominated by pop, by the Katie Perry’s, Taylor Swift’s, and one hit wonders like Gotye’s ‘Somebody that I used to Know” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” the art of hip hop was just beginning to enter its 2nd renaissance. With established artists such as Drake and Kanye West, and veterans such as Nas and Jay-Z, a young Pittsburgh native was beginning to gain a mass following, by the name of Mac Miller.  Born Malcolm McCormick, he began rapping in high school under the name “Easy Mac with the Cheesy Raps.” Upon graduating high school, and now under his famous stage name, Mac released his 4th mixtape, “K.I.D.S.,” in 2010. The album garnered mass appeal and praise, and this ultimately led to the release of his debut studio album “Blue Slide Park,” in 2011. The album received largely scrutiny from critics and rap listeners alike, labeling Mac a “frat rapper,” and saying that he has yet to find his sound or improve his music ability. 

A year later, in what was a defiant response to the critics, Mac released an under-the-radar EP, under the pseudonym “Larry Lovestein” accompanied by “The Velvet Revival.”  The short, 22 minute long EP is a front to back collection of 5 incredibly smooth experimental jazz songs, accompanied by the surprisingly comfortable and calm voice of the Pittsburgh rapper.

The project opens with the booming, video game-like bass of “Life Can Wait,” accompanied by a deep, pitched down voice of a man proclaiming that love is what brought us here today. The controlling 8-bit style beat is cut off after only a few seconds, before immediately transitioning to the soothing high hats of jazz drums, and the chords of a keyboard.  The voice proceeds to introduce himself as Larry Lovestein, who tells us to “sit back and relax” and give way to what he calls “You.” Upon this introduction, the voice of Larry Lovestein floats comfortably over the smooth jazz instrumental, proclaiming his attraction for a person, despite rumors and bad things he has heard about said person. He then asks if this person minds if he falls in love, opening the way for a proclamation that he’s “IN LOVE,” which brings in a catchy horn to the chorus, that does a fantastic job of fitting in with the smooth jazz, and not overpowering or dominating the other elements of the instrumental. He proceeds to profess his love and attraction on the rest of the song, with the same horn adding itself to the powerful vocals on the chorus. 

The EP’s next leg is “Love Affair,” following much of the same smooth jazz elements of the opener. Malcolm is yet again professing his love to a person whom he is in an affair with, and finds himself questioning if he is even deserving of this person’s love. His vocals and hums fit together perfectly with the chorus, as the keyboard and drums are the backdrop of Mac’s “Oooooooh’s,” “Ahhhh’s,” and completed with Malcolm’s child-like “dun-dun dudundun.”

“Suspicions” is up next, with the keyboard leading the way. Larry’s vocals are far heavier on this track; it sounds like he is almost pleading his case as to why he should be with this person. He exclaims that with her he is happy, and without her he isn’t. He seems to be growing suspicious of this person, and questions their affection towards him. This song as a whole is easily the most attention grabbing on the EP up to this point, as Mac’s controlling vocals in the opening are the precursor to the chorus. The drums rapidly pick up pace, and the keyboard is pushed more towards the background, as bongos are the star of the chorus instrumentally, playing perfect complement to the drums. Mac’s voice picks up yet again as well, as he finds himself hoping that his suspicions aren’t true, that this person is all he’s known, yet the both do not know what is going on in their relationship. The song closes with another chorus, as Mac proclaims this person is his “fantasy gone wrong.” Mac’s psychedelic vocals shine on this track, and the addition of other percussionary elements into the instrumental add to the sense of urgency and almost panic in Mac’s voice.

The next track, “A Moment 4 Jazz,” is exactly that. No vocals here, but the so far lovely instrumentation is given its own platform on which to shine. The keyboard yet again opens this instrumental track, before being joined by the softness of the drums. The track opens very slowly and smooth, as other percussion accompanies the drums. Strings are introduced into the quartet as well, before all the percussion is cut off, giving way for a deep horn that fits in perfectly. The song then picks up rapidly after it mellows out. The keyboard is played more aggressively, and the drums, while still sounding much like jazz, are played much more like rock drums would be. A drowned out, almost maraca sounding line is steady through this period of the song. A beautiful track, and a great penultimate song for this so far masterful jazz EP.

The crescendo of this project is its title track, “You.” A 6 minute long showcase of the EPs  elements, it again opens with the soft notes of a keyboard, this time with the return of the deep, pitch-down voice of Larry Lovestein from the opener. He begins by thanking us, the listeners, for joining him and his band. He wishes for us to stick around for the “after hours’ as they have 1 last number to play. Towards the end of his prologue, the drums begin to kick in. The song then really begins, with the high-pitched, flat, voice of Larry; but it works on this smooth jazz beat and psychedelic mixing of his vocals. He is yet again proclaiming his love for a person, making his most drastic claims yet, of how they could “change the world together.” The chorus then begins with a powerful change in vocal mixing, as the flat and high pitched voice turns into Malcolm’s controlling vocals, drowned in a spacious vocal effect that adds to the weight of the finale. The booming horn enters the forefront, followed by the more aggressive drums seen in the track before, mainly to serve as the kick and high hats for a hefty and impactful chorus, the most developed of the project’s entirety. Mac is taken by surprise at this person’s beauty, claiming he had seen the “whole world” in their eyes. He tells this person that if they ever find themselves lost, scared, or alone, to let “his love” guide them home. The instrumentals then return to what they were at the beginning of the song, the soft tapping of a drum accompanied by the soothing keyboard notes. The attraction to this person has now become obsessive, as they are revealed to at one point have been in love with Mac, and no longer are. Mac reveals a fear of this person falling in love with someone else. The chorus signs through again, ending in a drawn out version of how it did the time previous, exclaiming that his love is only “You,” and nobody but “you.”

Overall, not only does this project serve as a look into a man’s obsessive, unhealthy, and troubling attraction towards a mysterious person, but also a defiant statement for its creator. Taking a stand against the claims of being a soundless frat rapper, Malcolm McCormick uses this short and concise project to showcase his versatility, and his surprising command and comfort over an exclusively neo-jazz project. An EP full of highlights, and a collection of carefully crafted masterpieces of neo-jazz, Mac broke every expectation set for him by critics and then some, with this similar influence being seen in his later projects, such as his critically acclaimed “Divine Feminine.” A masterpiece from front to back, “You” serves as a landmark project in Mac’s discography, whether critically acclaimed or not, as it opened the floodgates for jazz inspiration on his future projects, a style which would ultimately go on to define his time as an artist before his tragic passing in 2018.