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By Rob Markman

Seems like Mac Miller did it all this year. The 19-year-old Pittsburgh spitter started out 2011 with an appearance on the XXL Freshman cover, then he released his Best Day Ever mixtape and toured the country in support of it. Mac is also set to ring in 2012 by performing on MTV’s “NYE in NYC 2012,” airing live at 11 p.m. ET/10 p.m. CT on December 31.

When reflecting back on the year in which he became a star, Mac has one event in particular that he considers a highlight: his November 8 debut album release and the fan reaction that landed him atop the Billboard albums chart a week later, after selling more than 144,000 copies.

"The whole album coming out was probably the #1 highlight," Mac told MTV News of his independently released Blue Slide Park. "I remember putting out the album and being really curious about what critics had to say about it because I felt like I made this album from the heart and it was by far my best work."

Unfortunately for Mac, the album reviews did not satisfy his expectations. To him, it seemed that the critics just didn't get it, and he began doubting whether or not he put out the right album. That was until his fans reassured him that he made the right move.

"All people of all different ages everywhere coming up to me and genuinely telling me how much they like the album," Mac recalled. "That's definitely the highlight, seeing this music that I've created and just seeing how much more powerful people are than publications. That's who I make music for."

Watch MTV's "NYE in NYC 2012," featuring Mac Miller, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and more, live on December 31 at 11 p.m. ET/10 p.m. CT on MTV! Head over to NYE.MTV.com for more info.