California artist paints giant Mac Miller mural on side of Etna recording studio

California artist Gustavo Zermeño Jr. was happy he waited three years to paint a giant mural of Mac Miller at I.D. Labs, where the late rapper and Pittsburgh native recorded his music in Etna.

Zermeño painted a mural for Miller, whose real name is Malcolm James McCormick, on the side of a friend’s house after his Sept. 7, 2018 death. When Miller’s birthday, Jan. 19, was approaching, Zermeño Jr. painted another mural for him.

“It caught some attention,” he said. “People close to Mac reached out and said we wished you would come out to Pittsburgh some time.”

While Zermeño had long-time experience painting and drawing, he said he has only been painting murals professionally since 2016.

“Even if I created something artistically on the same level, it wouldn’t have had the same energy,” he said.

The trip to Pittsburgh happened following another mural he painted of Miller between 2019 and 2020. He connected with producer and engineer E. Dan, owner of I.D. Labs.

The mural was Zermeño’s second out-of-state project. His first one was in Miami.

“This is his old stomping grounds. This is connected to the people that knew him best, and I wanted to make sure what I created really represented not Mac Miller but Malcolm,” he said. “Something he would love himself. Who is better to gauge that than people who knew him personally?”

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The mural at 363 Butler St. features Miller wearing Steelers gear and waving the Terrible Towel, artwork from his albums and mixtapes, one of Pittsburgh’s iconic sister bridges and various portraits of Miller.

Another mural honoring Miller, who was 26 at the time of his death, is in East Liberty

The project took Zermeño and his friend, Nick Flax, a week and a half to complete, working from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. They officially finished on July 19. During the process, the work was already gaining the eyes of fans and passersby who visited to take pictures or watch him work. He said some people had traveled from Texas, Ohio and Michigan to see the mural.

Everyone from Etna has been really nice, Zermeño said. He said Carl Funtal, owner of Cop Out Pierogies would bring out food and water to him and Flax as they worked.

“It does happen in LA, but I feel like out here it was a lot different. It was beautiful,” he said.

Tyler Norman of North Versailles works at a restaurant near the studio. Every time he parked in the parking lot near the mural, he would take a peek at Zermeño’s process.

“I think it’s amazing and absolutely stunning. I was looking up his other stuff, and he did a good job,” said Norman, 28.

Norman has a tattoo from the K.I.D.S. mixtape logo with the words “Most Dope” and the signature baby Miller cartoon on his lower right arm. He said he has been listening to that mixtape since it was released in 2010.

“If I am feeling down, I throw on Mac and jam out,” he said.

Zermeño credits his connection to Miller and his music as a driving factor for doing the mural. While painting the mural for his friend in 2018, he said he listened to Miller’s discography. He found out Miller’s birthday was the same day as his mom’s, making him feel a closer connection to him.

“Once I started hearing his newer albums, that’s when I started to instantly feel a connection,” he said. “I listened to his albums on repeat for two years straight.”

Completing the mural is bittersweet for Zermeño, who said that means it is time to leave Pittsburgh.

“This piece itself, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do another piece that matches the energy this piece created,” he said.

Miller grew up in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood. He graduated from Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill.