by Mac Miller
Released August 13, 2010 via Rostrum Records
Reviewed August 25, 2020
Top tracks (based on community voting)
Nikes On My Feet (75%), Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza (50%), Senior Skip Day (32%)
On Mac Miller’s breakthrough mixtape, K.I.D.S., the then-18-year-old was simply having fun with it. This mixtape doesn’t offer the level of lyrical depth or advanced production his later work would feature, but Mac’s potential was evident from the jump. Kicking back and spitting rhymes over some samples, Mac brings a lovable goofball approach to some not so unique topics—smoking weed, drinking, partying, and chasing after girls. The stereotypical life of a high schooler, Mac made it come to life in a way that resonated with you, even if that wasn’t your personal experience. Whether you were a little older, a little younger, or in the same graduating class as Mac, K.I.D.S. will always hold a special place in the hearts of us kids who felt like we grew up alongside him and watched him blossom. – Dominick (7.5/10)
When Mac Miller sat clung to an NPR microphone singing, "... it ain't 2009 no more," it was the bittersweet admission that the success of K.I.D.S. in 2010 was both a boon and a bane to his existence moving forward. K.I.D.S. Mac is a far cry from the 26-year-old that fans would come to mourn in 2018; K.I.D.S. is also a potent reminder of the complex artistic journey he would endure in the eight short years thereafter. Though Mac would flourish tenfold from cheesy kick-back raps over break beats in between movie sound bites, it remains clear that the high school senior was just brimming with talent and potential. 2009 is long gone, but it lives in mint condition inside Mac Miller's debut mixtape. R.I.P. – DeVán (7/10)
Victoria: 9.5/10 | Dominick: 7.5/10 | DeVán: 7/10 | Cam: 6.8/10 | Daniel: 6.5/10 Hadley: 6.5/10 | Enth: 6/10 | Jared: 4.5/10
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