“Nowadays with technology, it’s easier to get messages out to the public with the click of a button on a phone, but I feel it’s best to not let others have an influence on what you truly are passionate about.”

Miles Brown

Miles Brown has been gracing our television screens since 2014 as the funny and upbeat Jack Johnson on the hit ABC show Black-ish. Now that the show is in its seventh season, Brown is flexing his music-making prowess with his debut album We The Future. He chatted with Nyota about what got him interested in performing and the message he wanted the album to send. 

You’re an actor, rapper, and dancer and you started your career very early. Do you remember what initially sparked your interest in performing?

What sparked and inspired me to start dancing was watching James Brown, the Nicholas Brothers and especially Michael Jackson’s performance in The Wiz. This made me want to perform in front of my family and it eventually led to me performing on stage with my dad, Wild Child, and my sister Kiana too. Also after seeing the clips of my dad (who is also a rap artist) on stage in the U.S. and europe, it inspired me to want to start rapping too but my dad said to just have fun with it first, then if I want to take it more seriously he would help.

Black-ish is currently in its 7th season which is a huge milestone. What shenanigans can viewers expect to see Jack getting into this season?

With Jack’s character evolving after six seasons, in our seventh season, he’s becoming more socially aware as a young man and becoming more comfortable in his own skin as he finds out what he’s passionate about.

Tell us a bit about your debut album We The Future. First off, how long have you been working on the songs on the album and why did the name We The Future seem fitting for this first release?

The title We The Future comes from an idea my sister Kiana shared with me. With me being part of Gen-Z I use my voice and platform to speak to the youth. But even more than that being a young man of color, she thought to do a modern take of the iconic image by Howard Chandler Christy of the signing of the constitution; therefore, “we the people” led to “we the future.” I fell in love with the idea and hired her as creative director for the title track single and album cover “We The Future.” I have been working on my first album for over two years but due to my voice change I decided to re-record the songs which was the best decision for me. I’m happier with the album even more now. Almost every feature, from the new or old school; I’ve either performed with them or had a relationship with them. So, it wasn’t hard to gather everyone around the making of each song. 

The album was produced by Madlib, Mic Checkmate, and Deliv. What was it like collaborating with them and what did you learn from them?

I was super excited to work with Madlib, Mic Checkmate, and Deliv for the first time. Shout out to them for contributing to my first project. I have known Madlib my whole life due to my dad Wild Child and Madlib being in a group (Lootpack). Mic Checkmate who is a teacher from Oxnard where I grew up, offered one beat but turned into him producing most of the songs and remixes on the album. Deliv, I reached out to online after hearing his energy on another random beat and I asked for something new with that same energy. He gave me more than what i asked for and that ended up being the first track to set the tone of the album. That beat on “Feeling Inspired” is fire!

The album speaks to the current social and political climate with a clear call to action for your generation to understand the power they hold. Why did you want this to be the album’s message?

I wanted this album to have a certain message versus an album that didn’t have a concept. In addition, with the help of my dad and the experiences I had growing up filming Black-ish, I combined a lot of messages that would not only relate to myself but other teenagers like me growing up in this generation. In the end, these influences and current topics are leaving this world more importantly, this country in our hands to take charge.

People can create change at any age, especially now with social media. What are some ways you think your generation could use their voices?

Nowadays with technology, it’s easier to get messages out to the public with the click of a button on a phone, but I feel it’s best to not let others have an influence on what you truly are passionate about. Using social media, or online platforms like youtube, podcasts or websites geared to the youth, these things are easier ways to get your point across to the public and if I can be a voice for the youth who feel their voices can’t be heard, than I am proud to take that position.

I’m sure each song holds a special place for you, but do you have a favorite song on the album?

Every song has a special place for me. I remember the process of recording each song but I actually don’t have a favorite one over another. My goal was to create something impactful my friends and the public would also like. Even though people may relate to a specific song for a certain reason, I like it when one day a song is their favorite, then another day they like a different song because of their mood.

You recently released a music video for your song “Entourage.” How involved were you in the creative process of making the video and what was it like to see the final product?

“Entourage,” the last song recorded for the album is probably the most fun song I had making because I was able to speak about my best friends. They were even involved in recording the song and filming of the video. Having my uncle Madlib make the beat was the cherry on top especially knowing the beat was intended for Travis Scott whom I’m a huge fan of! I reacted like “I think I stole a beat from Travis Scott!”

Outside of acting and working on your music, you’re also a member of the Jr. NBA Leadership Council. Tell us a bit about the work you do with them, and how that opportunity came about. 

I was invited to the NBA offices in NY. I then met with the NBA, WNBA, and Jr. NBA staff and they really loved my knowledge of stats from both the NBA and WNBA games. They only knew I was a fan of the game and the players. But once I pitched to them for someone of my age to ask questions to the players like the normal media does, I asked how cool would it be to ask questions from a teenage point view? Teenagers like me could get the cool scoop of what the athletes pre-game music playlist is? Why certain sneakers were picked for that specific game? Or even how they chose their pre-game outfit, because I got inspired about fashion from watching the athletes pregame outfits. The NBA loved the idea and offered me to be that guy! It was awesome finding out I’m the youngest member on the Jr. NBA council. Shout out to the Jr. NBA!

What advice do you have for those who want to pursue acting or music?

My advice to those who choose to make music or pursue acting is to make sure you love doing what you do. My parents gave me the exact same advice. Also, never forget where you came from or the people who helped you along the way. My last piece of advice is, if success comes along that same road then appreciate it, thank God, and realize everyone’s path is not the same.