“Here we are. The act of having to write this at all feels surreal,” his family wrote in a statement shared to the late rapper’s Instagram page. “At the time of his passing, Malcolm was well into the process of recording his companion album toSwimming,entitledCircles.”
“Two different styles complementing each other, completing a circle — Swimming in Circles was the concept.” the statement continued. “He had been working with Jon Brion, who after hearing some early versions of songs, cleared his calendar to help Malcolm fine-tune them. After his passing, Jon dedicated himself to finishingCirclesbased on his time and conversations with Malcolm. We are eternally grateful to Jon and to those who gave their best to the difficult and emotional task of putting out this body of work.”
The family added that revealing the album has been difficult for them to navigate, and said that there would not be any promotional posts leading up to the LP’s release shared on Miller’s personal accounts. They have instead created a new account for more information.
Jon Brion.Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan via Getty
“This is a complicated process that has no right answer. No clear path. We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it. One of the most difficult decisions in the process is how best to let people know about it — how to communicate meaningfully while keeping sacred what should be sacred. So this will be the only post on any of his channels,” they wrote. “Information regarding this release, his charity, and Malcolm himself will be found at @92tilinfinity.”
“Thank you to all the fans who’ve supported him unconditionally through the years. We miss him. We are left to imagine where Malcolm was going and to appreciate where he was,” they finished. “We hope you take the time to listen. The look on his face when everyone was listening said it all. with humility and gratitude. Malcolm’s family.”
Miller’s fifth studio album,Swimming,was released in August 2018, one month before the Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist (real name: Malcolm McCormick)wasfound deadin his Studio City, California, home on Sept. 7 at the age of 26.
Carl Timpone/BFA/REX/Shutterstock
The following November, PEOPLE confirmed that the “Hurt Feelings” rapper died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol. Miller’s family buried him in their hometown of Pittsburgh.
At the time of his death, an insider told PEOPLE that Miller spent the evening before his death watching football with friends.
Miller’s casual night with friends seemed so benign, “that’s why this is such a shock,” the insider said. “Everyone who he worked with was aware that he was delicate, but thought it was because of the new album[Swimming],nerves, nothing like this.”
Three men have been arrested and charged in connection to Miller’s death, according toRolling Stone. The outlet obtained an indictment unsealed in October 2019 that outlined how Stephen Walter, Ryan Reavis and Cameron James Pettit were all accused of distributing drugs that caused the young artists death.
All three are set to appear in court in Los Angeles on September 29, 2020,CBS reported.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
