Rooted in Rhythm and Community

In a world where many people pick one lane and stay there, Miles Mason is quietly building a life that refuses to be boxed in. He is, at once, a lyricist, a resource specialist for fathers, and a community gardener cultivating land with partners like Bodi Buzz. His story is a tapestry of music, mentorship, and Mother Nature, each thread woven with intention, service, and authenticity.

From Notebook to Microphone

Miles’s relationship with music started early, long before studio sessions, projects, or collaborations. It began with words on paper. He recalls that his creative path started in childhood:

“I’ve been writing lyrics since I was nine. I fell in love with listening to music, vibing and everything about it, just naturally. I truly fell in love with the creative process in general…” – Miles

For Miles, creativity isn’t just about a finished song; it’s about the process—taking something invisible and making it tangible. When asked what drew him into music, he doesn’t talk first about fame or success. He talks about creation:

“I just like the aspect of creation. Like the fact that you can take a thought into an idea, into something that people can hear and explain, like the highest quality of it.” – Miles

A Sound That Honors the Past, Speaks to the Present

Miles’s sound lives at the intersection of throwback authenticity and modern energy. He describes a recent project he released as having a clear early-2000s feel—something familiar yet new:

“Early 2000s type of vibe, it gives a throwback, but it’s a new, refreshing type of energy… no auto tunes, real rap, exactly what people need to get back to, respectfully.” – Miles

His music is rooted in real rap, storytelling, and a refusal to conform to trends that take the soul out of the art. It’s about reclaiming value in an era where shortcuts are common and authenticity is rare. He references listening to classics like the Isley Brothers and Outkast, invoking a lineage of artists who made music that lasts, not just charts. His own work follows that tradition—music meant to move people, not just move numbers.

Collaboration, Chemistry, and Hustle

One of Miles’s recent musical milestones came through a powerful moment of alignment after a concert, where he and another musician realized they needed to build something together:

“Everyone was at the T.G.I.Free's the concert… I was thinking, we should do something, and it was crazy because we both stepped back at the same time and gave each other that look at the same time, and then we just took it off. We made the record Hustle in my DNA.” – Miles

That line,“Hustle in my DNA”—captures the essence of who he is. Whether in the booth, the classroom, or the garden, Miles moves with the same relentless drive to build, collaborate, and leave something meaningful behind.

Fathers and Families: Helping Men Rebuild Their Lives

Beyond the mic, Miles has spent over eight and a half years in the educational and youth support space—assistant coaching, substitute teaching, instructional aide work, and operations. Today, that passion has crystallized into his role at the Fathers and Families Center. He serves as a resource specialist, and the way he describes his job makes it clear this is not just employment—it’s a calling:

“I work for the Fathers and Family Center… and I’m a resource specialist. So practically, what it is is just making sure that they find a way out of what they feel like is no way.” – Miles

Removing Barriers, Restoring Dignity

At Fathers and Families Center, Miles helps fathers navigate some of the most difficult barriers they face—things that can quietly, but powerfully, lock them out of opportunity:

• Suspended driver’s licenses

• Legal and expungement issues

• Employment barriers

• Access to counseling and life skills support

  
  

Participants in the program can access up to ten counseling sessions at no cost to them; it’s covered through the organization’s budget. They may also qualify for services like expungement or assistance through barriers quest, concrete tools that help them move from being stuck to being stable. Miles doesn’t just see this as case management; he sees it as a moral responsibility, to “be the change” in a world where so many people feel unseen and unsupported.

“I wish more people would help people out… but we have to be the change that we wish to see.”

From Green Thumb to Community Farm: Growing With Bodi Buzz

Music and mentorship would be enough for many people, but Miles’s story doesn’t stop there. About four and a half years ago, he discovered something new: a green thumb.

When his first plant sprouted, it wasn’t just a gardening moment, it was a revelation:

“First found out that I had [a] green thumb about four, four and a half years ago, when the first thing sprouted. I said, ‘Wow. God bless you with green thumb.’”

He’s quick to push back on the myth that you’re either “born with it” or not:

“Misconception is [you’re] either born with it or not, but you just have to be consistent, and you got to be willing to learn as well…” – Miles

Over time, he’s worked with plants like peppers, basil, and mint, learning the details, patterns, and patience that gardening requires. This personal journey into gardening eventually bloomed into something larger: a community farm project with collaborators like Bodi Buzz.

Finding the Land: From Residential to Commercial

The farm didn’t appear overnight. It started with a search for land through a city-run public domain listing, where people can explore available lots:

“There is a public domain in the city that people can check out… if you go there, it’ll list out the certain type of lots, the amount of acreage… It’ll give you like this auction type of vibe. Some of them have the specific price listed. You do have to do your research… because you don’t know the back history of the land.”

Initially, the first location he looked at was zoned residential, not commercial, which meant a long rezoning process—forms, city review, and up to 90 days of waiting. Eventually, he pivoted and found a lot already zoned for commercial use and decided to take the “leap of faith.”

Along the way, he gives credit to his collaborators:

“Shout out to the homies, Bodi Buzz, Dave… when it comes down to… we can do it ourselves, but it’s even better as a team.”

That’s the core ethos of the farm: community over individualism, shared labor over solo grind.

What the Farm Will Offer the Community

This isn’t just a garden, it’s a community ecosystem in the making. The farm will host a wide variety of plants:

• Fruits: peaches, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, and more

• Vegetables: a rotating assortment based on the seasons and community needs

• Herbs: culinary and medicinal herbs supporting health and flavor

• Flowers: beauty, pollinator support, and joy for visitors

  
  

Miles explains that each square of the farm is being designed as its own ecosystem:

“Each and every square is basically going to be its ecosystem, and it’ll have X amount of things that’ll be growing inside of it. So it’s helping, like, cultivate its own space, growing in synchronicity with each other.” – Miles

Beyond the crops, the farm will be a learning hub. There will be workshops for all ages, with a simple requirement: a willingness to learn.

“Expect there to be workshops… doesn’t care how old you are, doesn’t care how young you are. If you want to learn, let’s learn. Just step by step. Let’s be willing to listen to each other. Let’s be willing to be open minded.” – Miles

In a time when people are questioning the quality and transparency of store bought food and even seeing recalls and ingredient controversies, this farm stands as an answer: a place to rebuild trust in food by growing it ourselves.

Collaboration, Barter, and Value

Miles also challenges how value is defined. Through experiences like launching a detox juice line, he’s learned to negotiate collaboration through honesty, factoring time, materials, and labor on both sides.

“It’s about having real conversations… not everything has to be strictly financial.” – Miles

For him, collaboration is not transaction—it’s alignment, respect, and shared investment.

One Interview, One Song, One Garden

Across every lane he occupies, the mission is the same: build something that matters.

Through music, he protects authenticity.Through Fathers and Families Center, he restores stability and dignity.Through the farm, he cultivates food, education, and community access.

This is not a story of juggling roles, it’s a blueprint for integrated purpose.

One interview. One song. One garden at a time.

Dont forget to follow Miles and Rooted Legacy 317 . The farm will be opening May 16th but volunteer opportunities are available throughout the rest of April and early May to get the farm ready for the community.