Miles Stones Releases EP "Country Black Man"
Underground Atlanta rapper Miles Stone, from North Carolina, has been making a calculated effort to branch out and connect with neighboring hip-hop communities—including bringing his Southern lyricism to the Classic City for the first time earlier this year. From hitting stages across states to releasing catchy music and popping up with his vintage and urban clothing business FamLei Market, Stone has been making noteworthy strides over the past year.
There’s good news for fans and newcomers alike: Stone released his highly-anticipated EP Country Black Man yesterday, June 9. It’s a brief playthrough at just shy of 16 minutes, with two of the five tracks formerly unreleased. However, it’s a solid and diverse listen to take in the current state of Stone’s music and a preview of what’s hopefully next.
The EP opens with “Black Man,” a single previously released back in 2020. It sets a thought-provoking tone for the album and expectation for what kind of energy you’re about to dive into. As this track brings up topics of hardship and inequality, it transitions into the motivating and more upbeat “Flip Sum” encouraging listeners to continue moving forward and hustling. In the end, it’s all about finding a way through and a better way out.
Of the fresh tracks on this EP, “Mixed Emotions” stands out as yet another introspective track weaving fast flows through steadily hypnotic instrumentals and featuring silky female vocals adding breath and space between Stone’s packed verses. There’s a lot at play in this track’s composition, and overall the EP’s track selection is well curated to show off Stone’s versatility and strengths without coming across as muddled or trying to touch on everything.
Country Black Man is Stone’s first project release since 2018’s album Trip, and it demonstrates a development of his style and confidence in trying new sounds.