Ariana Grande’s memories of Mac Miller are tattooed on her heart.
The Wicked actress revealed how the late rapper offered her encouragement as she ended her time on Nickelodeon’s Sam & Cat and began to make her debut album 2013’s Yours Truly.
“I’ve never talked about this, but actually Malcolm, whom you might know as Mac, encouraged me to be myself,” Ariana shared on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast Jan. 13. “And that it was OK to kind of shed that character, and embrace my brown hair, and make R&B-influenced pop music and separate and do the brave thing.”
Further reflecting on Mac’s advice, the “7 Rings” singer added, “I never said that. But it was a great influence, I’m so very grateful for that.”
The encouragement from Mac—who dated Ariana from 2016 to 2018—influenced her decision to feature him on her lead single “The Way.”
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