A legend of modern hip hop, owing in part to his tragic demise, Mac Miller’s iconic mixtape KIDS was one of the primary ways that people got to know him. It’s one of the works that made a lot of early fans—myself included—fall in love with his recordings. It’s filled with great samples, fun lyrics, and a breezy, youthful flow that captures his early days.
Despite being regarded as one of Miller’s most valuable contributions, there’s no doubt that it’s a little long. Naturally, with such a pure artistic purge, as can be so succinctly felt on this record, there are moments of
Regardless, I’ll make the blanket statement that the entire mixtape is a masterpiece, and it works as a cohesive unit because of Miller’s genius.
But in our busy, busy world, there’s no time to waste and the best picks from the record should be at the forefront of your mind when flicking through your playlists. The album obviously has some standouts and some misses—like any album does—so, without further ado, here’s a ranking of all the songs on KIDS.
Ranking the songs on Mac Miller’s KIDS:
16. ‘Mad Flava, Heavy Flow (Interlude)’
Getting started as with an easy choice, there’s really not much to this one. It’s just the interlude, and I almost didn’t include it on the list, but since it technically counts, it’s getting the bottom slot.
15. ‘Kickin Incredibly Dope Shit (Intro)’
Same deal as the interlude, in that the intro isn’t normally a song that people put on just to jam out unless they’re listening to the mixtape in full. It’s a good intro, but just not enough to top the rest of the songs that come after it.
14. ‘All I Want Is You’
Don’t get me wrong—I do like this song. It’s catchy and fun, but I think it’s probably the most generic on the album. It’s the least recognisable as Mac Miller musically, so I think it can sit comfortably here on the list.
13. ‘Face In The Crowd’
Again, this song has a certain groove to it, but it’s not entirely baked in that quintessential KIDS Mac Miller sound. It’s good, and it definitely has a place on the album, but I’d say it only gets better from here.
12. ‘Poppy’
I feel just a little guilty placing ‘Poppy’ a little lower on the list, but I only do so keeping in mind the progression of his more serious work in his later years. I think that when he gets serious, you see so much more of him, and ‘Poppy’ is really just the beginning of that potential.
11. ‘Get Em Up’
This one might give away the 2010 vibes with the instrumentals. It’s a great throwback, and it’s tons of fun, but I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite on the album. As far as throwbacks go, it is pretty great.
10. ‘Outside’
‘Outside’ embodies a difficult balance of mellow flow and consistent beat. It definitely has that 2010s quick beat in the back, but it blends with some old-school charm and a catchy melody. It’s a great song to toss on the vibe party playlist.
9. ‘Ride Around’
This is a super cool song with great lyrics and a 1990s beat. It’s a great song to listen to in the car, especially given the words and the actual subject of the song. It’s one of the deeper cuts of the album, but it’s great.
8. ‘Paper Route’
This song features Chevy Woods, bringing a little variation to Mac Miller’s largely solo mixtape. It’s a song with a sense of groove to it, and it makes for some great background music. However, it also has some fun lyrics that warrant a little more attention, too.
7. ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’
This one is pretty popular for the sample—and you’ll likely recognise it immediately. ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’ borrows the backing track from Owl City’s ‘Fireflies’, but Mac Miller uses it so creatively that it feels like its own song in itself as well as a callback to the original.
6. ‘Good Evening’
Getting into some of the real favourites on the mixtape, ‘Good Evening’ just has an incredible beat that makes you want to dance. Also, the callout to the album’s title is sweet and creative in the lyrics.
5. ‘Nikes On My Feet’
Yet another old-school-inspired banger. ‘Nikes On My Feet’ has a natural flow and beat that just makes you want to kick back and party. The lyrics are also amazing, making every listen of the record an experience where you can discover something new.
4. ‘Senior Skip Day’
This one might be an unpopular opinion to place so high, but I think it captures the youth of his work so well. From the title to the music and especially the lyrics, it’s just a fun and carefree track. I mean, “Smoke weed, eat yogurt” has got to be one of the best lyrics of all time.
3. ‘Knock Knock’
‘Knock Knock’ has got to be one of the most creative songs on the mixtape. It’s simply tons of fun. It’s such a melodic and upbeat song, and he uses his samples in such a unique way, you can’t help but fall in love with it a little more with every listen.
2. ‘Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza’
I wrestled with putting this one at the top, but ultimately I’m satisfied leaving it close to the top. ‘Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza’ is a pretty short song, but it’s one of his very best in terms of lyrics and beat—not even just on the mixtape. Of his whole discography.
1. ‘The Spins’
You had to know this one was coming. Who would have thought that a song from his earliest days would continue to touch people more than a decade later? ‘The Spins’ is one of Mac Miller’s best, and what’s more, it’s the climax of the album.
