Mac Miller’s Family Speaks Out Against “Exploitative” Biography About the Late Rapper

Battle of the biographies: Mac Miller's mom, Karen Meyers, slammed an upcoming book about her late son as "exploitative and incredibly disappointing." Here's why she plugged a different book instead.

By Lindsay Weinberg May 08, 2021 12:31 AMTags
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Mac Miller's family is instigating a boycott of a new biography about the late musician, who died in 2018 of an accidental drug overdose at age 26.

His mom, Karen Meyers, released a lengthy statement on Instagram on Friday, May 7, to condemn an upcoming book by writer Paul Cantor, titled Most Dope: The Extraordinary Life of Mac Miller, which is set to release on January 18, 2022.

Now that the book is available for pre-order, Karen made it clear that it's "not authorized or endorsed by Malcolm's family and has been written by a writer with whom Malcolm did not have a relationship." She claimed that Paul, who has written for The New York Times and Billboard, "had no meaningful access to those that were closest to Malcolm," including friends, family and collaborators.

"In fact, the writer of this book was made aware at the outset of the process of writing this book that the family and friends of Malcolm were uncomfortable with him authoring this biography, yet he chose to proceed against our polite insistence that he not do a disservice to Malcolm's legacy through writing a book without legitimate primary sources," she continued. 

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Mac Miller: Life in Pictures

Karen acknowledged that she "can't definitively speak to the intention" behind the biography, but noted, "we cannot help but feel" that it's "meant to capitalize on the interest" in the recently-announced The Book Of Mac by music writer Donna-Claire Chesman, which is family-approved. Karen believes "people will confuse" Most Dope with Donna's book, which "does have the support of the estate and includes extensive interviews with people whom Malcolm held dear."

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She then accused Paul of taking advantage of Mac Miller's birthday on Jan. 19 when planning the release date of the book on Jan. 18, calling it a "marketing tool" that is "exploitative and incredibly disappointing."

She wrote, "We have been consistently disappointed by the author and publisher's decision to pursue this book given their full understanding of our discomfort." 

She ended with a request for fans of the "Self Care" rapper, asking them not to buy a copy. "With that in mind, we urge those that wish to support Malcolm and his legacy to abstain from purchasing this new book," Karen added.

However, Paul is firing back and defending his work. The music journalist said her statements are "factually incorrect." 

The New York author told Page Six, "I'm a journalist with nearly twenty years of experience, having been fair and honest in my reporting on the biggest celebrities to people in the smallest corners of everyday life... My credibility is unimpeachable and I don't take his family's claims lightly. It's unfortunate that they feel this way."

Paul explained that he did, in fact, reach out to Karen and the estate ahead of time. "They were made aware of the book at its inception with the utmost best intentions, and they chose to not participate—which I respected," he went on. "This book was approached with love and care. And [Miller]'s friends and other people close to him, as well as numerous people in the music industry, did willingly speak to me. I sat through countless hours of long interviews, many of them emotional and revealing."

Karen Meyers/Instagram

According to the book's description on Amazon, Most Dope includes "detailed reporting and interviews" with dozens of Mac's "confidants."

As the synopsis describes, "You will meet Miller's collaborators, producers, business partners, best friends, and even his roommates. Traveling deep into Miller's inner circle, behind the curtain, the velvet ropes, and studio doors, Most Dope tells the story of a passionate, gifted young man who achieved his life's ambition, only to be undone by his personal demons."

The Book Of Mac is expected to come out first, on October 26, 2021. The Karen-preferred account of her son's life includes quotes from his friends Will Kalson, hailed as his first manager, and Quentin Cuff, who was his tour manager, per Amazon.

Donna also spoke to Mac's pal Kehlani, who shares in the book, "I want people to remember his humanity as they're listening to the music, to realize how much bravery and courage it takes to be that honest, be that self-aware, and be that real about things going on internally. He let us witness that entire journey. He never hid that." 

E! News has reached out to Paul for additional comment.