Sonny Miles synthesizes hip-hop textures with old school R&B sensibilities
Citing gospel, funk, and neo-soul as his biggest influences, singer and multi-instrumentalist Sonny Miles fuses catchy, relatable lyrics with flowing grooves. Miles brings his soulful music to the Moss Arts Center for a concert in the Cube on Friday, April 14, at 8 p.m.
From Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Miles’ talents have gotten him featured on the lineups of the Hopscotch Music Festival and Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival as well as on the stages of beloved regional venues such as The Pour House, Cat’s Cradle, and The Ramkat. Opening for acts such as T.I., Flying Lotus, Tori Kelly, and Kehlani, he has proven to be a star on the rise with a captivating live performance.
This performance is part of “Up 86,” a new collaboration between the Moss Arts Center and North Carolina artist Shirlette Ammons, who is serving as the center’s first independent guest performing arts curator. Ammons brings a new perspective to the center’s lineup, creating a focus on Black Southern artists who effortlessly cross genres and revitalize time-honored music traditions.
"I first heard the music of Sonny Miles (government name, Jordan Williams), while cutting the grass overrunning my backyard,” Ammons said. “His voice, equal parts Marvin and Donny, swept me up like the soft, torrential outer bands of a hurricane. Sonny belts a wisdom beyond his 20-somethings, seamlessly synthesizing modern hip-hop textures with old school R&B sensibilities. His lyrics contain observations, rich with the lives of others. ‘Raleighwood Hills’ — a song on which his guest verse is the highlight — landed on President [Barack] Obama's legendary summer playlist in 2019, acknowledging the staggering musical gift of Carolina’s newest soul-stirring son."
Miles has amassed over 500,000 streams on Spotify alone, with his entire catalog attracting 12,000 monthly listeners on the platform. Miles’ releases of the EPs “Gamma,” “Catallabs,” and “Catallabs Live” are available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all other streaming services.
Please note, this performance contains mature language.
Related events
During his visit to Blacksburg, Miles will lead a workshop in songwriting, recording, and producing for students in Virginia Tech Digging in the Crates (#VTDITC), the university’s student-led hip-hop studies program.
In addition, the hosts of "Dusty and Digital" on Virginia Tech's campus radio station WUVT-FM will welcome Miles on their weekly program on Thursday, April 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Ticket information
Tickets for the performance are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.
Paid parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Virginia Tech has also partnered with ParkMobile to provide a convenient, contactless electronic payment option for parking, which may be used at any parking meter, campus parking space, or lot with standard F/S, C/G, or R parking.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours.
