Blackish star Miles Brown is expanding his career to new heights with the release of his debut album, We the Future.
Brown has received numerous accolades for his role as Jack Johnson in the ABC hit sitcom Black-ish starring alongside Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross. While continuing to star in the series, Miles has also partnered with Crest and Oral-B to promote hygiene among young children with the Conquer Cavities 2Gether program. The Knockturnal had the pleasure of sitting down with Miles to discuss his new album and aforementioned partnership.
The Knockturnal: Hi Miles, hope you’re doing well. My first question is could you tell us a little bit about your collaboration with Crest and Oral-B how you came to partner with the brand and what you’re currently working on to promote healthy teeth and gums among children.
Miles Brown: Well, I really have always promoted good hygiene among me, my family, and my friends. Really they all know that. My mom and my dad taught me that I need to make sure I brush my teeth and gums two times a day. It is something I wanted to pass down to my cousins. I really thought of how I could do that in the best way to they and other kids can understand what good hygiene means and what it could do for you in the future. I thought I could partner with Crest and help promote that. I think it’s a dope idea to be able to get together with them and help promote that things that are needs with Gen Z. It’s not even just with your teeth but everything that comes with that.
The Knockturnal: When did you realize you wanted to embark on a music career and what was your creative process in making your first album?
Miles Brown: What’s crazy is that my dad is an artist and musician, so I have always been around that music scene. It was never really something that I wanted to take seriously until right around I was doing Black-ish. It really inspired me to talk about certain topics that I wanted to bring up that nobody else was talking about. I was wondering how I could do that and it came to my mind that I could pursue that through music. That’s where my inspiration for taking it seriously really started. Ever since then, every song is really tackling certain topics that need to be talked about it. Especially in music because I know music is a very popular way of speaking about things.
The Knockturnal: So If you had to name a few artists who inspire you who would they be?
Miles Brown: Well it’s crazy because a lot of artists that inspired me to create music are on this album. Slick Rick, Jidenna, Method Man, there are a lot of people who are on certain tracks that inspired me to start listening to music in the first place and wanting to do music. I am young so a lot of my inspirations are new school like Drake, Kendrick, J Cole. A lot of people that are old school and have that older influence on me are on this album for sure.
The Knockturnal: Additionally, are there any artists or producers you would love to collaborate with in the future?
Miles Brown: Well one thing I can say is that ever since I got to work with Madlib on one of my songs, he’s kind of like an uncle to me because him and my dad are so close. It was really dope because I love all the work that he’s done. Being able to just have a beat from his is crazy to think of. Every time I look back at it, it seems like a bigger deal every time so he is a producer I would love to work with more.
The Knockturnal: What would you say is your favorite song on your new album and why?
Miles Brown: I would say either the title track, “We the Future“ or maybe “Entourage,” which was produced by Madlib. Those are the two songs that are the craziest because of the process and story that was behind them. That’s why I love them so much.
The Knockturnal: Beyond music what is next in store for you in the upcoming year?
Miles Brown: There’s so many things that unfortunately I can’t say. Obviously when it comes to Black-ish that is coming soon hopefully. When it comes to music, I’m always still working on music. Hopefully, one day I can release another album someday.
The Knockturnal: My final question for you is as a role model to young kids what do you hope your fans take away from this album?
Miles Brown: I would say that the messages in the music I put out there. I have always used the motto “Dream Big and Inspire Many”. I guess I really base my inspiration off of other artists I watched growing up. I can take that and put it into what I do. Hopefully one day it could inspire other kids to do what I do and want to inspire others that come after them. It is an ongoing motto I use and actually is one of the names of the songs on the album. Maybe one day I can see kids inspired by what I’m doing and what other kids are doing and turn that into inspiring other kids after them.
Miles’ new album We the Future is available on streaming platforms worldwide.
About Crest and Oral-B’s Conquer Cavities 2Gether program:
• Conquer Cavities 2Gether encourages kids and parents to take the pledge to brush for two minutes, twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• For every pledge, Crest and Oral-B Kids will donate up to 10,000 Conquer Cavities kits, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and educational materials, to children and families in need.
Photo Credit: Jeff Lewis
