In nearly one month from now, legendary jazz musician Miles Davis would have been 100 years old. The famed multi-hyphenate passed away on September 28, 1991, in part due to a stroke. But even though his passing occurred over 30 years ago, music fans, artists, and historians have kept his legacy going.
He's earned the respect of so many people and a result; book publisher Simon & Schuster is commemorating this major milestone. Per Shore Fire Media, S&S will be releasing a special centennial edition of Miles Davis' autobiography, Miles: The Autobiography.
The book was originally published in 1989 and for this new issue, there will be some exclusive features of those looking to add it to their collections.
One, or two things we should say that will make this printing are two new forewords. One was written by renowned essayist Hanif Abdurraqib and the other by hip-hop luminary, Nas.
The latter's dad, Olu Dara, was a jazz cornetist during Miles Davis' run, so he's learned a lot about the Kind of Blue innovator.
However, it goes beyond that as Nas recognizes how much influence Davis' genre has on his.
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When Is Miles Davis' Autobiography Available?
As a result, he was a natural fit, especially since he's one of the greatest to ever do it in rap. Even though the book isn't out just yet, Rolling Stone was able to get a hold on Nas' foreword.
He writes in part, for example, "Miles and hip-hop share the same blood, sweat, and tears. The same struggles and triumphs. Hip-hop is heavily influenced by jazz music. It's our roots. So many of our biggest songs have jazz samples in them."
"Hip-hop and Miles are both innovative and extremely bold. Learning about his personal life was a whole different experience. His journey reflected the times and different eras he lived through. He faced discrimination head-on. He got bloody and received scars, but he kicked his elegant shoes through racism like it was trash on the streets."
This edition of Miles: The Autobiography, will release on May 21, 2026.
