Fans gathered at Frick Park in Pittsburgh, PA on Tuesday night to honor the late rapper Mac Miller. Miller (née Malcolm McCormick) passed away last Friday after an apparent overdose, however the cause of his death remains unconfirmed. His first album, Blue Slide Park, was named after a playground within Frick Park, which inspired fans to gather around the titular slide that evening to pay their respects.
"We all screamed his lyrics," 21-year-old Karlee told Refinery29 over Instagram DM. "We cried. We laughed. It was perfect."
"I think it was very important for us to honor him in this way," another attendee, 19-year-old Noah, said. "I feel like it was a time of healing and celebration of the life that he lived and everyone he inspired thought his music. I hope he is remembered as an inspiration for our generation. He has inspired me to pursue my passion of music and I know he has inspired many others to pursue their passions."
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"I felt like he was there hanging out with the thousands of us that came out to show our respects. It was special," Karlee said. "He is so important to us here in Pittsburgh because I know everyone here feels like they lost their closest friend or family member. We grew up listening to his music...When they had the moment of silence I prayed for him, I talked to him. It was beautiful to see everyone go silent and pay their respects."
According to Instagram, Miller's grandmother came by the vigil to talk about how much her late grandson would have loved the gesture.
Earlier this week, Miller's mother posted her own tribute:
See more moving images from the vigil below:
If you are struggling with substance abuse, please call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information.
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