A medical examiner at Los Angeles announced on Monday that Mac Miller's cause of death is due to a mix of powerful fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol. The rapper, whose real name is Malcolm James McCormick, died at the age of 26 back in September wherein he was found unresponsive in his Studio City home.
Authorities have been performing an autopsy on Miller following his death, but the cause was deferred pending further investigation. The toxicology report took some months before being completed, where it now revealed that the rapper's body contains a deadly and powerful mix of drugs. His cause of death was listed as "mixed drug toxicity," and the coroner ruled that his manner of death is an accident.
According to the South China Morning Post, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid which is about 50 to 100 times stronger compared to morphine. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that although fentanyl can treat severe pain, the drug can be illegally made and usually mixed with cocaine or heroin. Just last year, CDC found the United States had a high record of drug overdoses, driven by synthetic opioid use.
Some recent high-profile deaths were also linked to fentanyl, including Prince who died in April 2016 at the age of 57. A medical examiner ruled his manner of death as accidental overdose after finding fentanyl in his system. In October 2017, Tom Petty also died at the age of 66 due to overdose as he accidentally mixed his medication with an opioid.
Born in Pittsburgh, Miller gained popularity in 2011 after releasing his album "Blue Slide Park," debuting at No. 1 on the hoarding 200 charts. His success, however, has been accompanied by some critical circumstances, where he's very candid in sharing his struggles with depression, stress, as well as drugs. During his interview with Vulture, Miller openly shared he used to rap about dark things because that's what he usually feels at that time, and said that it's fine because life is all about emotions.
Miller's death shocked the music industry. His family released a statement after his death calling him "a bright light in this world for his family, friends, and fans." His loved ones and management team also hosted a benefit concert, "Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life," featuring friends and collaborators such as John Mayer, SZA, Chance the Rapper, Earl Sweatshirt, and Travis Scott. The rapper was also known to be the ex-boyfriend of pop singer Ariana Grande.
