We were lucky to catch up with John Miles recently and have shared our conversation below.
John , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I would have attribute my resilience to my mother. She is a cancer survivor and an amazing mother. Early on she educated my family through bible teachings as well as her unrelenting Haitian spirit to keep moving.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a father/hip-hop artist/audio engineer and a mechanic.I started my journey into music at the age of 18 in Ybor City Tampa, Florida. A friend of mine was playing the record “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” by NAS and I fell in love with his authentic style of hip-hop. After listening to his album “Illmatic” my mind was made up. Hip-hop was now my passion and it has only grown more intense over time. I moved to Atlanta in 2013 from Tampa, Fl to gain a better perspective on how the music industry
functions.I spent close to a decade working with different underground artists and movements around the city.
Once my daughter was born in 2020 I moved back to my home state of Florida to be her father.Now I’m back in Ybor City with more knowledge and connections to the industry. My next album will be called “The Gospel according to Luke” which will go more in depth concerning my upbringing and struggles that got me here so far. I plan to release this album in 2024 under my very own record label. My business partner and I have been working on launching our own clothing line and we are currently working on a release date.
My mission statement is to Be ORIGINAL!
Be you. It’s super cliche but it’s true.
I believe in the power of Hip-hop.
The five elements are the foundation of the culture that I want to bring back to life and show the generations of tomorrow what it means to:”MC/DJ/Tag/Breakdance and most importantly have Knowledge!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Being the son of a former marine, I can tell you this: IDENTIFY/ADAPT & OVERCOME! This phrase and state of mind is what has kept me focused on my career and my future.
I would recommend if you’re just starting on your journey, to not get discouraged and to find you a mentor or someone who’s already been there, and definitely absorb as much knowledge from them as possible.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always open for collaborations. As of right now I have my eyes on YTC the label. Yung Dred and Richie Wess are on fire right now, and I am amazed by their progress. I would like to collaborate with Rennie of BSE.
Through watching his movement I have learned a lot, and he is an incredibly humble person to be as talented as he is. last, but not least, I would definitely like to collaborate with Tom G.. if you from Central Florida, I don’t have to say too much about Tom. He is Tampa.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Miles813
- Twitter: @milez813
- Youtube: YouTube/Realhiphop813
- SoundCloud: Soundcloud.com/Milez813
Image Credits
Anthony Gourdine and Meliek Gaynor
