NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 28: Mac Miller and Ariana Grande share a moment in the audience during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Ariana Grande and Mac Miller were a celebrated musical couple in the late 2010s as their love for each other remained even after their split.

Today, Mac Miller would have turned 36 years of age. The Pennsylvania rapper, singer, and producer extraordinaire is still sorely missed nearly eight years later due with his music and personality being a beacon of light for fans. While the days without him are a bit easier to get through, his presence will never leave.

Ariana Grande can attest to that, revealing that her music journey took off after some empowering advice he gave her. In an episode of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast last week, the pop and R&B singer shared that Mac inspired her to be her real self after a memorable run on Nickelodeon.

She played Cat Valentine on the hit program Victorious alongside Victoria Justice and Leon Thomas. Grande’s air-headed portrayal of the red-haired character was a beloved part of the show. But Mac, as you’ll hear, saw a lot more in her shortly after her TV career ended.

Grande reveals she was struggling to get her musical career off the ground, unsure of what direction to go in for her debut record. “My debut album took some time to figure out, because there was also a strange presence from Nickelodeon in my head at the beginning of, like, what should this project be?”

That’s when Mac stepped in to push her forward. “I’ve never talked about this, but actually Malcolm – who you might know as Mac – encouraged me to be myself, 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.”

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In part, Mac’s belief spawned a terrific debut album for Ariana. The 2013 record, Yours Truly, would debut at number one per USA Today. Of course, the project houses “The Way,” their first collab and the beginning of their journey to a romantic partnership.

Grande also reveals in that interview that she owed it to Miller to include him on the record as a thank you for his wisdom. “That’s also why I was so eager to ask him to be a part of it, not only because he was perfect for the song, but I also felt like I had him to thank for finding my sound.”

Miller and Grande would become one of the couples in the music industry, confirming their relationship in September 2016. They would split in May 2018, and it sadly led to Grande receiving a lot of backlash. Shortly after she announced their breakup, Mac would get into a drunk hit-and-run incident, crashing his car afterwards.

The Pittsburgh native would pass in September 2018 from an accidental overdose. That resulted in the arrest and charges of three men who were found guilty of contributing to his death.