How do you properly celebrate 250 years of America? Most people will light their BBQs and let off a truly preposterous amount of fireworks to celebrate the occasion this 4th of July. Additionally, people will definitely park themselves in front of a TV and enjoy America’s favorite pastime: baseball. Consequently, MLB is ringing in a quarter of a millennium with all the games you could handle on U.S. Independence Day.In their latest campaign, For The People, they tease a slew of games on Fox and NBC/Peacock for the weekend. But in the video, you’ll notice a curious song soundtracking such a monumental occasion: “The Spins” by Mac Miller. The typical person might not immediately think of patriotism when they think of the late Pittsburgh legend.However, for the MLB, this was a deeply intentional decision. We spoke to Steven Tyler, the league’s Senior Director of Global Brand Management, who argued the right soundtrack for the 4th of July wouldn’t be so obvious. Picking “The Spins” properly captures the true sense of unity the holiday is all about and is easily reflected in America’s favorite pastime.Why MLB is Celebrating 250 Years of America With Baseball and “The Spins”“The best needle drops make people feel like they are seeing the sport in a slightly new way,” Tyler told Noisey. “’The Spins’ has this instant feeling of joy and being outside that is reminiscent of a great day at the ballpark with friends. For a Fourth of July spot, especially one connected to America 250, we wanted something authentic to the experience of being at a baseball game in the summer.”“‘The Spins’ gives you that vibe immediately. It feels communal. It is a song loved by people across generations, just like baseball. That made it a really natural fit for the kind of energy we wanted the spot to have.”Still, when you think of patriotism, you’re more likely to think of Toby Keith instead of Mac Miller. But Steven Tyler suggests that Americana doesn’t have to be the same kind of grizzled, country aesthetic that we’ve grown used to over the years. Instead, he argues that Miller’s classic mixtape K.I.D.S. speaks to a newer American experience.“A more traditional patriotic song would have made sense on paper, but it also could have made the spot feel more expected. Mac brings a different kind of Americana. K.I.D.S. is a very American mixtape, but in a more lived-in way,” Tyler said. “It captures youth, friendship, summer, neighborhood pride, and the feeling of being outside with the people who make a place feel like home. That felt true to the way people celebrate baseball and the Fourth of July today.”The Intersection Between Baseball and Hip-hopEven though hip-hop has been the definitive cultural export over the last few decades, you might not immediately associate it with baseball. However, Tyler says that there are more similarities than we think.“Baseball and hip hop both have a deep relationship with place, personality, style, rhythm, and self-expression. So much of baseball culture is about where you are from, how you carry yourself, what makes your game different, and how individual moments become part of a bigger shared story,” he continued.Initially, the instinct for their campaign was to lean nostalgic. It’s the easiest way to feel good and celebratory of America standing tall for 250 years. Going the hip-hop route with Mac Miller allowed them to still feel fresh while capturing that warm, fuzzy feeling. “Hip hop was definitely part of the conversation because we wanted the campaign to feel contemporary and culturally fluent. The goal was to find a song that worked for baseball in the moment it’s in today,” Tyler shared.“The Spins” Wasn’t The Only Song in Consideration for MLB 4th of July FestivitiesAdmittedly, Steven Tyler and co. mulled through quite a few records from K.I.D.S. before settling down with “The Spins”. Because so much of the Mac Miller mixtape exists in such carefree bliss, it was hard to narrow down their selection. Initially, there were big pushes for classics like “Knock Knock” and “Senior Skip Day”.In the end, though, it was the ability to still feel relevant and fresh today that made “The Spins” an easy choice. “It has the rare ability to feel both nostalgic and immediate,” Steven Tyler concluded. “It already lives with people in a very emotional way, and when you pair that with baseball, summer, and the Fourth of July, it gives the spot a feeling that is just right.”The post Why MLB Chose This Late Rap Icon’s Music to Celebrate 250 Years of America, Even if It Was an Unexpected Choice appeared first on VICE.