Rayland Baxter - Good Mmornin (2019)

Rayland Baxter never met Mac Miller, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t inspired by the late rapper’s body of music. Now Baxter is paying tribute to Miller with an EP of covers called good mmornin, which he’s previewing with the release of two tracks, “Objects in the Mirror” and “2009.”

Miller died from an accidental overdose in September 2018, after struggling for years with substance abuse — troubles he often chronicled in his work. Baxter, who released his latest LP Wide Awake two months before Miller’s death, leans into the jazzy, smoldering groove of Miller’s music, especially in his luxuriating rendition of “Objects in the Mirror.” Though slower than the often upbeat hooks of his own writing, Baxter accentuates the optimism percolating below the surface of the originals, even on the somber, vibe-heavy shuffle of “2009.”

Baxter is joined on good mmornin‘s seven tracks by keyboardist and guitarist Aaron Embry, drummer Eric Slick, and his own father, pedal-steel player Bucky Baxter. good mmornin will be released July 26th via ATO Records, with proceeds going to MusiCares’ Mac Miller Legacy Fund.