Mac Miller, devoted Pittsburgher, dead at 26

A thing you need to understand about Pittsburgh is that, around these here parts, one’s regional identity is inextricably linked to their sense of self, almost as if their DNA is composed of black- and-gold nucleotides. There is joy in being a Pittsburgher, especially a native Pittsburgher. If you’ve ever visited Disney World, or Las Vegas, or Times Square, or anywhere, you’ve seen Pittsburghers. They’re never hard to find; they’re the ones proudly displaying garb festooned with Steelers or Penguins logos or the local area code. This — the insatiable desire to full-throatedly announce their allegiances and geographical circumstances to passersby — isn’t the result of egotism or snobbishness or self-aggrandizement, but rather sincere, emphatic pride.

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