Though it's been eight months since Mac Miller's tragic death, producer Sap says he feels as though the Pittsburgh rapper is still with us.
"He left us so much stuff, so it kinda seems like Mac is still here, you know what I mean?" he said in an interview with DJBooth. "I just try to stay inspired and try to use the things he left us here to keep it going. Do what he would want us to do: keep it moving."
Sap—real name Jonathan King—said he was introduced to Mac nearly a decade ago, when the rapper was working on his fifth mixtape, Best Day Ever. The producer revealed that just hours after their first meeting, he and Mac had completed the platinum-certified single "Donald Trump," which marked the beginning of a fruitful working relationship.
"He made you feel excited about everything, you know what I’m saying?" Sap said, when asked about his first impressions of Mac. "Every little thing that was going on, he was just excited. He always kept the energy lit up in the room. No matter what mood you was in, he kinda put you on the same page as him. It was infectious, you know?"
Sap and Mac went on to collaborate on a number of fan-favorite tracks like "Watching Movies," "O.K.," "Thoughts From a Balcony," and "Jump," as well as cuts that will likely never see the light of day. The producer said he understands the desire for Mac's unreleased music, but believes the rapper already gave his fans exactly what they needed.
"I feel like he was somebody that put out everything that needed to be out, you know?" Sap explained. "I feel like he gave the fans the right music. I’m sure a lot of fans want more Mac music, especially if he’s your favorite artist. I think he gave the fans a good amount of work [...] I feel like he didn’t get cut short of, like … the stuff he put out, that’s a full career for somebody else. That’s a lot of music, and he still had so much more, which is insane."
Sap also spoke on Mac's evolution as an artist, his fearless approach to music, and how he would never sweat the small stuff.
"Little shit didn’t fuck his day up. He always kept it moving. That’s one thing that I definitely learned from him," Sap said. "I only seen Mac get mad, probably, one time. It was this show in Jersey where I guess they messed up his introduction and he had to start over. I think he, like, punched a wall or broke his hand. He still kept performing. I ain’t even know that until after he got off the stage and he had to go straight to the hospital. He gave people everything. He never made too many things about him."
You can read Sap's full interview at DJBooth.
