Mac Miller, rapper and former partner of Ariana Grande, dies aged 26
Photo: Mac Miller has died at the age of 26. (Facebook: Mac Miller)
Mac Miller, the platinum hip-hop star whose rhymes varied from party raps to lyrics about depression and drug use, has died at the age of 26.
A family statement released through his publicists says Miller died but no further details were available on how he died.
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Miller, who also drew headlines for his two-year relationship with singer Ariana Grande that ended earlier this year, was apparently found dead at his home in Los Angeles.
Grande has disabled comments on her Instagram posts after commenters began to blame the rapper's death on the break-up.
Los Angeles police said they responded to a report of a deceased person at a home on the same block where Miller is listed as a resident, but released no other details.
While Miller did not have a hit on Top 40 radio, he had a strong following on streaming networks. He often alluded to his battles with addiction over the years.
Fellow hip hop stars Chance The Rapper, J Cole and Snoop Dogg paid tribute to Miller on Twitter.
External Link: Chance the Rapper Tweet: Mac Miller
External Link: J Cole tweet: Mac Miller
Photo: Mac Miller and Ariana Grande broke up in May this year. (Facebook: Mac Miller)
In a statement, his family described him as "a bright light in this world for his family, friends and fans".
Born Malcolm McCormick in Pittsburgh, Miller released five studio albums and many mixtapes, including under the aliases Delusional Thomas and Larry Lovestein.
His final album, Swimming, was released last month and featured collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Thundercat, The Internet's Syd, and John Mayer.
On tracks like Programs, Buttons, and What's The Use? the album addressed his personal troubles and increased media attention related to his relationship with Grande, who called it "toxic" in a series of online posts.
External Link: Mac Miller: Best Day Ever (2011) - WARNING offensive language
Shortly after the break-up, Miller was involved in a highly publicised car accident. He was officially charged for drink-driving in Los Angeles last month.
Miller discussed the incident in a July interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1. "It was the best thing that could have happened," he said.
"I needed that. I needed to run into that light pole and literally have the whole thing stop."
Following the pair's split in May, fans of Miller criticised Grande for her decision to break up with the rapper, to which she responded on social media that women should not feel the need to be a babysitter or mother for their partner.
"I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety and prayed for his balance for years (and always will, of course) but shaming/blaming women for a man's inability to keep his shit together is a very major problem. Let's please stop doing that," Grande said on Twitter.
"Of course I didn't share about how hard or scary it was while it was happening but it was. I will continue to pray from the bottom of my heart that he figures it all out and that any other woman in this position does as well."
Miller embarked on his first trip to Australia in 2014, performing as part of the final Big Day Out festival.
The following year, he released his third studio album, GO:OD AM, which earned him his first Top 50 appearance on Australia's ARIA Album Charts, coming in at #32.
His 2016 album The Divine Feminine gave Miller his highest Australian chart ranking, at #13 on the Album Charts, and Swimming reached #21.
Miller's label, Warner Bros., released a statement calling him, "a hugely gifted and inspiring artist, with a pioneering spirit and a sense of humour that touched everyone he met".
"Mac's death is a devastating loss and cuts short a life and a talent of huge potential, where the possibilities felt limitless," the label said.
Photo: Mac Miller addressed his personal troubles in his music. (AP: Owen Sweeney)
AP/ABC
Topics: death, person, music, arts-and-entertainment