Artist Profile: Miles Chancellor.

By: Smoove.

Introduce yourself. Where are you from, when did you start making music, why?

My name is Miles Chancellor. I'm from Philadelphia.

I started making music about 6 years ago

I was rapping & putting out lil mixtapes for a long time but I didn’t start taking it serious & getting in the studio til 6 years ago…and I guess I started making music bc I had things to say & I felt ready to be heard.

My purpose in making music has evolved since then though.

How would you define your sound? Who is your “average” listener?

I’d define my sound as very human but also otherworldly. I’m an experimentalist & an emoter, so my listeners vary depending on what they come to me for because my range is pretty wide

I think my core listeners, like the people that really stick with me & love my shit are really open minded music lovers. People who look for that feeling in the music. People searching for soul in the music they consume, no matter what the emotion being conveyed is.

one time this girl told me she could make a playlist with all her favorite songs of mine and wouldn’t have to change from it or add anyone else because I had a song for every feeling she was looking for…and i think that’s one of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten because I aim for that, without compromising who I am…I’m just here to express. Express what i feel & to express what maybe even you feel, especially if you’re not in a position to express it how I can.

Who would you say some of your influences are in the music industry?

This is a layered question , but I’m gonna assume you mean both musically & like how they move

So first & foremost Ye. He’s consistently pushed the envelope throughout the years , which I think has contributed greatly to the evolution of hip hop & music as a whole.

And that unwillingness to fall into complacency, dedication to the execution, & child-like fascination is what Ive tried to add to my toolbox.

My favorite thing about Ye as an influence is, the only way to actually sound like Ye, is to sound like yourself. Sure there’s people that’ll find ways to shamelessly copy anything but that real shit? You can’t replicate the feeling.

Besides him, Toro y Moi, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott and, Tyler The Creator,

those are all guys that make music & move in a way that inspires & empowers me.

There’s definitely others that inspire me musically & even others in how they move in impactful ways but those are the ones that do both & really get it in my opinion.

What is your favorite thing about making music and releasing it to the world?

My favorite thing about making music is probably the recording process & just being able to dig into beats & see what i come up with because I never know before I’m actually in front of the mic. I love the process & I love having lil theme songs of my own I can just bang in the whip. Making songs also helps me process how I actually feel or what i actually think about something that strikes me emotionally, so it helps me stay in tune with myself so I’m not a stranger in my own head.

As far as releasing it, I love seeing people have that reaction of the first listen. I like playing with shock value & the idea of anticipation.

I’ve come to accept that I get a kick out of being a tease with my music

Bc the thing is, once the people get it, they don’t want for it anymore

and for artists, that make music people wanna hear , there’s a lot of power in realizing that.

So I enjoy that & also the world building process, the movement that comes along with how the music is released. When I put out my last album, Spook!: Act I, it was a world. A movement, an era. The album was more than just the songs on the track list.

I could actually go on & on about this so I’m just gonna leave it here lol .

What is your studio ritual?

I won’t go too much into detail bc it’s very sacred to me , but it’s a process for sure.

I’m not one of those artists that goes to the studio & records immediately when I get there

I need some time to warm up & channel the energy I want to embody in the music I make that night. I don’t care if I leave that night with a half a song, a hook, 2 songs or 5. I want everything to feel right & My main focus in the studio is catching lighting in a bottle.

I like talking a lot too, those conversations almost always directly influence the music that’s made that night & that’s why I'm very guarded about who I allow in that space.

But my studio ritual is mostly protecting & focusing my energy.

What is your favorite song of yours?

I have favorite songs for different moods but If I had pick, I gotta go with Tutor. It’s just me lol.

It’s funny because I think a lot of people interpret that song as r&b but it’s not lol it’s just it’s own thing. I'm not singing on it. Idk if necessarily rapping either

but that song totes that line maybe the most seamlessly of all my songs & it’s really catchy & it feels like that Spook era, the theme song for that movement, thus the theme song to me claiming my freedom & coming into myself.

Maybe that & “Scared $$$”

My actual favorite song isn’t out yet though.

Biggest lesson you’ve learned since the start of your career?

It’s on you. Nobody is going to care the way you do.

You have to keep things moving & make yourself the priority. Take initiative.

Also never let anyone convince you not to trust yourself or your ideas…and that doesn’t mean others ideas aren’t useful or great ideas, but the timing process of taking in ideas is important.

Get to your point first. Work with people who hear you & comprehend you and don’t hesitate to move on in your business from those who don’t. You’ll keep more friends that way.

Steer the ship. Lead. Because if you don’t then everyone else will take the liberty of doing so for you.

What has been your favorite or biggest accomplishment this year?

Honestly, completing my album Act II.

It was a long time coming & I feel like this album is the culmination of all my albums up to this point & applying my skill set in a way that I’ve never executed quite on this level before.

and also, Identifying the source of a lot of my pain & learning what to do with it. Learning how to be a better more efficient me, i think was my biggest accomplishment this year.

Let’s reconvene next year.

Whats the theme song to your life?

This actually a hard question. I got different theme songs for different times in my life

right now I’d say it’s Magazine by Toro y Moi.