Record Roulette: K.I.D.S.
The mixtape I've chosen for this week's Record Roulette, K.I.D.S.: Kickin' Incredibly Dope Shit by Mac Miller, is more familiar than the records we’ve explored in the past. Of course, my aim is always to provide an outlet to expand your music taste, but sometimes it's nice to reflect on what we know and love.
K.I.D.S. was Mac Miller's fourth mixtape, originally released on August 13, 2010, by Rostrum Records and commercially re-released in 2020. The title directly references the 1995 coming of age film Kids, which is a recurring theme throughout the tracklist, and the mixtape itself is what I would consider coming of age music.
Most Millenials and older Gen Z have a few fond memories attached to K.I.D.S., and somehow Miller beautifully encapsulated what it felt like to be a carefree teenager. "The Spins" and "Senior Skip Day" take you right back to the end of senior year, living in limbo between final exams and graduation. It's hard to think back to high school when everyone so desperately wanted "real life" to begin, not knowing that those moments would become treasured memories of the last times we truly got to be stupid kids.
On "Poppy," Miller taps into those growing pains through the story of loss. The song, dedicated to his late grandfather, perfectly describes how it feels to leave the ones you love behind as you reach adulthood, whether through death, moving, or the slow unraveling of childhood friendships. Arguably the most emotional song from the mixtape, Miller brings you back up with songs like "Kool-Aid & Frozen Pizza" and "Knock Knock," both fan favorites.
Donna-Claire Chessman reminisced on K.I.D.S. in a 2019 DJBooth article saying," The mixtape was a definitive moment for [Miller] and his first creative renaissance. Everything about the project screamed carefree joy and love. Mac's happiness made the mixtape into a living classic upon release." Truer words have never been spoken. This mixtape holds sentimental value for those of us who grew up with Miller and subsequently experienced his heartbreaking death second-hand.
Unlike his other records, this one is hard to play all the way through. Although K.I.D.S. only runs for 47 minutes, it's almost too painful to listen to track after track of young Mac. It's an aching reminder of Miller's innocence before his highly-publicized battle with addiction. Don't get me wrong, it's still a phenomenal mixtape, and most songs from the tracklist end up somewhere on my monthly playlist. That music itself is upbeat, and "The Spins" is always a crowd-pleaser, but the project in its entirety now holds a deeper meaning.
K.I.D.S. is a time capsule of youth for an entire generation, and if you're feeling nostalgic, give it a listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or SoundCloud.