REASON found himself in the firing line of Mac Miller fans on Friday (October 9) after name-dropping the late rapper on a song called “Fall” off his New Beginnings album. The Top Dawg Entertainment artist referenced Mac’s accidental drug overdose and it didn’t go down too well with everyone.
In a new interview with Bootleg Kev, the Carson native revealed he mentioned Mac to touch on how drugs can affect all different types of rappers in the music industry as opposed to stereotypes.
“To me, that song is the most important record on the project,” he said. “Because not only is this industry affecting the quote on quote “street n*ggas” that come in and how they are with drugs and stuff like that too. But that’s the reason why even though he’s so loved and I love him too. You know, rest in peace Mac Miller, that’s why I mentioned his name.”
REASON acknowledged he might receive some hate over the mention but stands by using his name with good intentions.
“I might [catch some flack], but at the end of the day I pride myself on being one of the more honest artists out here,” he said. “I love Mac Miller, and it’s a tragedy what happened, but the reason why I mentioned his name was to show the industry like, it’s for the people that’s gon’ say, ‘it’s just these artists that are affected by it.’ It’s not just the Lil’s.”
He continued. “This is a great kid, he was like one of the greats. And a great kid and a great guy and a nice guy. And this industry, in my opinion, you know what I mean, destroyed him. It’s not just the young boys, and that was the reason why I did it. I was like, there’s a chance that I can catch some flack but I feel like this is so important for people to understand is that it’s not just the Lil’s.”
The TDE rapper also thinks adults should be more responsible around kids in the music industry and lead by a better example when working with them.
“This industry affects everybody, especially the kids that are stars young,” he said. “Like Mac Miller has been in this shit since he was like 8, you know what I mean? So it’s like, when you grow up in this industry, you almost don’t even have a shot unless we start changing how we approach kids.
“Like these are kids bro, you know what I mean, and we’re putting certain things in front of they face and expecting them, like how are you as a 15-year-old gonna be in the studio with one of your idols and he offers you a blunt and not hit the blunt? Like, you get what I’m saying, we gotta start taking more accountability.”
On “The Fall,” REASON talks about how life as a musician can result in drug addiction, being surrounded by the wrong people and sometimes death.
“Look, you said you wanna be an artist/Well, we gon’ turn you to an addict/Get rid of the n*ggas that you got on with/Then give you the tools to dig your own shit/Surround you with some wack n*ggas/Some yes men that’s gon’ tell you that your raps iller/A couple cars, some jewelry, make your stacks bigger/Then one day you could become the next Mac Miller/Here’s your chance, n*gga, sign here,” he raps.
Fans of Mac took to Twitter to voice their outrage about mentioning him on the track.
After analyzing the Mac Miller line in Fall by Reason it actually has some disrespectful implications.
Saying “we gon turn you to an addict” and then saying “then one day you could become the next Mac Miller” is wild.
He could’ve said something else…
— Dedee ? (@thoughtfulbae) October 9, 2020
Reason a whole ass bitch for disrespecting Mac Miller in his verse
— juan (@juaanalfonso) October 9, 2020
Reason to have name drop mac miller like that is uncalled for. I love the album but some things are not meant to be said.
— Reanny (@rnyfzkm) October 9, 2020
The controversy arrives shortly after REASON took shots at Logic on his song “The Soul – Pt. 2.”
“See y’all mistake my name for Logic’s, y’all got me fucked up,” he raps. “How you compare a n-gga that take from the culture/Versus a n-gga that’s for it.”
Logic responded to the diss on a Twitch stream, saying, “I don’t know who that is,” when questioned by a fan.
Listen to “Fall” below.
