Jewish rapper Mac Miller found dead of suspected overdose

Mac Miller, the platinum hip-hop star whose rhymes vacillated from party raps to lyrics about depression and drug use, and earned kudos from the likes of Jay-Z and Chance the Rapper, has died at the age of 26.

His family said in a statement that Miller died Friday but gave no further details. “He was a bright light in this world for his family, friends and fans,” the statement said.

Los Angeles police said they responded to a report of a deceased person at a home on the same block where Miller is listed as a resident, and had turned the case over to the coroner’s office. The coroner’s office said it did not have any details it could release.

The 26-year-old struggled with substance abuse for years, including during a high-profile relationship with pop star Ariana Grande.

Last month Miller was charged with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol after a May crash in which he crashed his car into a power pole.

“I made a stupid mistake. I’m a human being,” Miller told Zane Lowe on Beats 1 on Apple Music in July. “But it was the best thing that could have happened. Best thing that could have happened. I needed that. I needed to run into that light pole and literally have the whole thing stop.”

Variety reports Grande cited Miller’s substance abuse as a reason for their break-up. “I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be,” she wrote on Twitter in response to a tweet blaming her for Miller’s DUI. “I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety and prayed for his balance for years (and always will of course) but shaming/blaming women for a man’s inability to keep his s— together is a very major problem.”

Miller was about to start a concert tour next month. On Thursday he tweeted: “I just wanna go on tour.”

He was open about his trouble with substance abuse including an addiction to powerful cough syrup — known on the street as purple drank.

But he said he was getting better as he released his fifth studio album, “Swimming,” last month.

He told Rolling Stone at the time: “Have I done drugs? Yeah. But am I a drug addict? No.”

Miller was born to a Christian father and Jewish mother in Pittsburgh. He has talked about having a bar mitzvah and celebrating Jewish holidays growing up. He also has a Star of David tattoo on his hand.

In his song “S.D.S,” he describes himself as a “Jewish Buddhist tryna consume the views of Christianity.”

At the news of his death, Chance the Rapper tweeted: “I dont know what to say Mac Miller took me on my second tour ever. But beyond helping me launch my career he was one of the sweetest guys I ever knew. Great man. I loved him for real. Im completely broken. God bless him.”

J Cole said on Twitter: “This is a message for anybody in this game that’s going through something. If you don’t feel right, if you feel you have a substance problem, if you need a ear to vent to. If you uncomfortable talking to people around you. Please reach out to me.”