JID recently opened up about a defining moment early in his career: being in the studio with Mac Miller as the late rapper created his 2018 masterpiece Swimming. In a conversation on Real Late with Peter Rosenberg, the Dreamville lyricist reflected on the sessions that left a lasting mark on him both personally and artistically.
“I was in his studio. I was in the studio when he was working on that album. The Swimming album,” JID recalled. “I probably came to like two different sessions, but I saw like a few songs being made.” He explained that he even ended up contributing, clarifying: “I was on the song, ‘Take Care.’”
But beyond the collaboration, what stayed with JID was the raw emotion Mac poured into his music. He remembered one particular record that shook him deeply. Quoting Mac’s words, “My regrets look just like texts I shouldn’t have sent.”
JID described watching him perform the track as almost overwhelming. “I was in there the whole time… he’s just in there singing his heart out, bro. It was beautiful,” he said.
JID Watched Mac Miller Make Swimming
The scene was as hazy as it was profound. “I’m in the white business this time. We just in there, and he’s just in there singing his heart out,” JID told Rosenberg. For him, the moment felt surreal. “I felt like I was in a spaceship. Like, it was the craziest moment, one of my craziest moments in my career that I’ll never forget.”
After Mac’s death in 2018, JID made sure to honor his late friend by incorporating the track into his own live shows. He would pause mid-performance to play the record, telling fans, “Yo, I just want to play this for y’all. Like, I was in there when this song was being made.”
JID’s recollection underscores the profound impact Mac Miller had on those around him. More than a studio memory, it was a lesson in vulnerability and artistry that continues to influence JID’s journey today.