Deep beneath the floorboards of The Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee lies one of the most haunting and poetic pieces of hip-hop history.
In the basement of this historic venue sits an abandoned, drained swimming pool—a place where only a select few artists are invited to leave their mark. Years ago, Mac Miller climbed down into that empty pool and left a message that feels like a chilling transmission from another lifetime.
The inscription reads:
"I am Mac Miller. I once lived now I am dead, my soul remains here. Enjoy P.S. I sold this place out 3 times."
Written in black marker during the height of his early "Blue Slide Park" era, the note was a bit of macabre humor from a young kid on top of the world. But today, it hits different. Fans can’t help but point out the heavy symbolism: leaving a message about his soul "remaining" in a swimming pool, years before releasing an album of the same name.
The venue has since placed plexiglass over the signature to preserve it forever—a permanent monument to an artist who clearly knew his impact would outlive his time on stage.
Legacy isn't just about the music; sometimes it’s written on the walls of the places that built you. 🕊️✨
#MacMiller #TheRave #HipHopHistory #Swimming #MostDope
In 2009, we tried to throw our very first DatPiff Live concert at the Masonic Temple in Brooklyn. On paper, it looked solid. Styles P, Red Café, JR Writer. In reality? Total disaster. We had no idea how to properly market a show or handle the logistics that come with running one. On top of that, the venue was way out of the mix. It was the perfect storm for things to go wrong, and they did.
But we learned.
In 2010, we ran it back. This time at SOB’s in SoHo, arguably the hottest, most intimate venue in NYC at the time. The approach was different. Instead of stacking the bill with just popular New York names, we built the lineup around artists whose mixtapes we had recently released. XV was the headliner. He was buzzing heavy, and we were dropping his new mixtape at midnight that same night, so the synergy made perfect sense. The supporting cast was strong too: Cory Gunz, Los, Masspike Miles, DJ Woogie, DJ Killatouch.
And then there was Mac Miller.
K.I.D.S. had dropped about a month earlier. Mac had never performed in New York City before. We knew he was hot online, but we had no idea what that would translate to in real life. We didn’t know how many fans would show up for him.
Big mistake.
That night quickly became a Mac Miller show first, DatPiff Live second. I’m not exaggerating when I say 90% of the crowd was there for him. He went on third to last, and the second he touched that stage, the place exploded. The room was shaking. He did a 30-minute set, and if I could go back, I would’ve given him an hour to run the entire mixtape front to back. He absolutely bodied it.
I remember looking around at everyone backstage, we were all in shock. Like, “what just happened?”
His manager at the time, Artie Pitt from Rostrum, great dude, was in tears after the set. He looked at me and said, “I’m just so proud of him, man. He made it. This just solidified what I already knew, the kid’s a star.”
He was right.
None of us could’ve predicted just how far Mac would go, but in that moment, we all knew something had shifted. He had arrived.
As for the rest of the night… after Mac’s set, about half the crowd left. Masspike Miles went on to a nearly empty floor. The remaining fans were holding out for XV, who closed the show to about 40–50% capacity. To his credit, he still delivered a great performance, finishing right around midnight as his mixtape officially dropped.
The next day, the blogs and media coverage labeled it “Mac Miller’s show at SOB’s.” DatPiff barely got mentioned. The other artists barely got mentioned.
And honestly?
Rightfully so.
Deep down, we all knew that was the night. The night Mac Miller went from a buzzing mixtape kid out of Pittsburgh to a future global touring superstar.
It’s a night I’ll never forget.
And I guarantee anyone who was in that building won’t either.
If you were there, drop a comment 🙌 #macmiller