The As-I-Amber Podcast & BlogKanye West sampled Chaka Khan’s 1984 hit R&B ballad “Through The Fire” on his 2004 hit “Through The Wire” off “The College Dropout” album. I think sampled songs are generation gap connectors and a way to introduce older songs to younger generations. It’s also a way for newer artists to pay homage to the great artists before them. SAMPLED SONGS Playlist Links below. What’s your favorite sampled song? Check the playlist below on Spotify. Apple Music users click here and Tidal users click here.
Check out my Pop/Soul Christmas playlist on Spotify. Also, available on Apple Music click here and click here for Tidal. The playlist features songs from Destiny’s Child, *NSYNC, Mariah Carey, Donny Hathaway, and other artists.
Grammy Award-winning rapper/actor, Aubrey “Drake” Graham, and Atlanta rap trio Migos had State Farm Arena lit up last night, November 17, 2018 in Atlanta for night two of ”The Aubrey and Three Migos” tour. The show started around 7:30 pm with an opening act, which was Drake’s OVO Sound artist, Roy Woods who performed a few songs such as ”Get You Good”, ”Monday to Monday” and ”Drama”. 
I liked the vibe of the rap trio Migos! They have come a long way from their Mixtapes and although they have become more mainstream they still maintain authenticity. Migos consist of relatives, Takeoff, Offset, and Quavo. They were full of energy and zeal being in their home state of Georgia on the final leg of the tour. However, Migos didn’t get on stage until 9 p.m.! The trio performed hits like ”Bad and Bougie”, ”Stir Fry”, and ”Fight Night” and later on performed ”Walk It, Talk It” and “Versace” with Drake and the crowd went crazy!
Drake came on stage around 10 pm.
The stage was set up like a 3D rectangle in the center of the arena, and each artist worked the different angles of the stage throughout the night’s performances so that all fans whether on the floor level to the nosebleed seats could see.
I liked that Drake kept the audiences attention by performing some snippets of his older music catalog. It has been ten years since Drake stopped acting on the Canadian teen drama ”Degrassi” and started rapping. Drake also performed songs of his newer album ”Scorpion” with songs like ”Nice For What”, ”Nonstop”, and ”Mob Ties.” Also, Drake had female dancers for songs like ”Controlla”, ”Work” and ”In My Feelings (KeKe Do You Love Me?)
When performing ”Don’t Matter to Me” which features Michael Jackson, Drake paid homage to the legendary, Michael Jackson by mixing in Jackson’s ”Rock with You”. In the middle of the show, a basketball goal was brought out on stage and an audience member was brought on stage to attempt a lucky half-court shot for $25,000, but the fan wasn’t so lucky when making his shots and did not win the money. However, Drake was kind and gave the fan an OVO Sound Basketball Jersey.
Drake also brought out special-guest and Atlanta native, Gucci Mane who performed his classic hit ”I Think I Love Her” and the audience went crazy! Migos also brought out Lil’ Yachty. Drake also performed ”Yes Indeed” and during the song a ”yellow Ferrari like Pikachu” literally came down from the ceiling and floated around the arena, which was cool.
This was my second Drake concert and you can see the evolution and growth he’s had as an artist. I enjoyed the way the songs flowed and transitioned and Drake and Migos interaction with the crowd. Drake also said that Atlanta, Georgia has a special place in his heart because he recorded a lot of music in the city and it was one of the first U.S. cities he toured when he was first starting out as an artist.
Drake also mentioned how night two of the concert in Atlanta had the loudest audience for the entire tour! Atlanta is the last stop for ”The Aubrey and Three Migos” tour and the last show is on Sunday, November 18, 2018. For more information check out http://www.ticketmaster.com or http://www.drakeofficial.com or follow the #AubreyandtheThreeMigos hashtag on social media.
Check out the Drake and Migos playlist here on Apple Music and Spotify.
The annual One Music Fest was held on October 8-9, 2022 in downtown Atlanta. I really enjoyed myself. This was my fifth time attending.
It’s like Coachella meets Soul Train because the focus is primarily Hip Hop and R&B/Soul artists. Check out www.OneMusicFest.com for more info.
This year’s headliner was Lauryn Hill and Jazmine Sullivan and a plethora of other artists on various stages such as DVSN, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Tank & The Bangas, Sean Paul, City Girls, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Saucy Santana, Alex Isley, Lupe Fiasco and Chloe.
There were also food trucks, other vendors, sponsor tents, and cool backdrops for selfies. There was even an outdoor Roller Skating rink set up to skate if you desired.
My favorite performances were from Lauryn Hill, Tye Tribbett, Sevyn Streeter, Alex Isley, and Jazmine Sullivan, and when The City Girls brought out surprise guest, Usher, to perform their latest single “Good Love”.
During Lauryn Hill’s performance of the song “To Zion” her son Zion came out on stage with his children too. It was beautiful. Lauryn Hill is a grandma yall! Wow.
Also, Jazmine Sullivan her background singers were phenomenal and Jazmine even opened up about her personal life. She shared that her mother is battling cancer right now and to comfort her everyone in the audience cheered for Jazmine’s mother by saying “We Love You.”
Singer-songwriter, Sevyn Streeter, also put on a great performance and she and her background dancers looked great in orange.
Tye Tribbett’s high-energy Gospel performance was amazing too and really ushered in the presence of God.
BET’s Original 106 & Park hosts, Free & AJ, were hosts on one of the stages too.
I even got to meet singer-songwriter, Alex Isley. She was walking around after her performance and I walked up to her and asked for a photo. She was so kind and smelled good too. The funny thing is just a few weeks ago I wrote about her for Magnetic Magazine, (click to read)and then boom I met her!
There were thousands of people at the event and even Stacey Abrams’s campaign was there promoting others in Georgia to register to vote.
I felt as if I got my money’s worth seeing so many artists at the two-day event. Overall I enjoyed myself at One Music Fest and if you are a fan of R&B/Soul and Hip Hop I highly recommend going!
It’s HBCU Homecoming Season! The time of year when historically black college and university alumni from across the country come together to fellowship for the biggest friends and family reunion football game of the season.
I can already smell the food on the grill, see the hugs, hear the band, and see the pageant waves from the homecoming queen and the royal court during the parade, but before you make your homecoming plans here are a few rules for alums:
1. Pace yourself! You’re not 21 anymore.
2. Don’t go uninvited to people’s personal tents and eat their food and drink their drinks when you haven’t been invited to do so or didn’t contribute.
3. Have a place to stay or get a hotel room.
4.Have fun! This is not about work or your career right now.
5. Drink some water and stay hydrated and know your limit.
6. Stretch before you go to the party, so you won’t have to utilize an Icy Hot patch the next day after strolling, droppin’ it too low, or dancing too hard.
7. Take pictures and make new memories. However be aware that you have a job-career now, so be cautious of what you upload to social media or update your “privacy” settings or “close friends” list.
8. Do NOT act like you’re single when you are not!
9. We remember you Before the degrees and titles and also how you treated folks years ago. As Dr. Maya Angelou said, “People may forget what you said or did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel” remember that and act accordingly.
10. Get tickets for different events you and your crew plan on going to and have cash for various vendors.
11. Have a portable cell phone charger.
12. Wear comfortable shoes at the tailgate and walking on campus
13. Do NOT pretend like you were a student at that school when you weren’t.
14. Think about a weather friendly hairstyle. Example: You just got your hair pressed and it’s gonna be humid or cloudy out, so plan accordingly.
15. Last, but certainly not least don’t forget to contribute your time, money, and resources back to your HBCU to impart into future generations.
Follow me on Twitter: @asiamber and let me know what HBCU you represent in the comments below!
Living legend, Stevie Wonder, is a musical genius in my opinion. Here’s a playlist of some of my favorite songs of his. Click below to listen on Spotify and click here to listen on Apple Music click here for Tidal.
Click here to listen The past two weeks in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt have been a spiritual and emotional awakening and a breath of fresh air for me. Seeing The Middle East and North Africa for myself has been amazing. The pandemic and life itself have been a LOT to deal with, so this trip has been a relaxing reset. I have traveled overseas before years ago while I was in college I studied abroad in various Italian cities and have vacationed in London, England, Paris, France, and Athens and Santorini, Greece. Yet, this trip just feels different to my soul and was my first international trip since 2016! Also, my mother traveled back in the 80’s to Israel and other places and my maternal grandmother traveled years ago to the Holy Land too, so it’s in my blood to explore!
I went by myself with the Go-Ahead travel group,(click the underlined link for more info.) which consists of various cultures and types of people from across the U.S.A. The tour company also has payment plans and take care of everything like flights, tours, local tour guides and translators, security,and transportation for you and was worth it to me! I was also happy I went with a travel group and not alone because it was a LOT of pick pocketers and people that prey on tourists, so I am grateful for the local tour guides and the security we had on the charter bus in The Middle East/North Africa. Also, to see the touristy sites be prepared to wake up early or go earlier in the day when it’s cooler and less crowds or research the better time of year to go. This is a major factor for a religious region with different holidays. Seeing places that I’ve only read about in The Bible or National Geographic or heard about from Westernized media has been very eye opening.
Traveling and learning more about the three Abrahamic Religions✝️☪️🔯(Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) and this Holy Land for myself has expanded my mindset on religion and spirituality. The people in Jordan were so kind, yet very curious about me and some Jordanian teens and small children came up to me out of curiosity and intrigue wanting to take pictures and interact with a darker skinned Black American like me.
I felt like a celebrity or something with all the stares in Amman and Aqaba, Jordan. The culture here in the Middle East & North Africa is different. Not as many people were looking down at devices all day as much and actually talk to one another or make do with so much less and women dress much more conservatively in beautiful fabrics and coverings (hijabs)and have beautiful eye brows and makeup. Some of the Jewish men in Israel wear yamakas on their head. There is internet-WiFi at the hotels I stayed in, but not many English speaking options to watch and very censored and dubbed media outlets. In Israel the people primarily speak Hebrew, English, and other languages. In Jordan and Egypt, the people primarily speak Arabic and English and other languages too. So far the top highlights so far of my trip have been in Israel floating in The Dead Sea with no swimming or floating device!
I can swim and love the water, but The Dead Sea is so salty and the pull of gravity below sea level literally makes you float on your back and the sea salt water and oil makes your skin feel like you have been at the spa! So cool! Then riding on camels in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan was amazing. The scenery literally looks like a screen saver or movie set, but this is nature! This is real life! I had to pinch myself and after taking so many pictures put my phone up and just absorb the environment. I am in amazement with the people of the Bedouin tribe with NO GPS and being in the middle of the desert with no lights etc. they navigate the land by camels and star gazing and looking at the mountains.
Reminiscent of the wisemen in The Bible Story of the Nativity of men following the stars to find Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to give them gold, franksense, and mur. Also, the camel’s hide feels like soft carpet! As a believer of Jesus seeing the places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem and going to the places where Jesus walked and performed miracles was chillingly moving. Going to the Western/Wailing Wall to say a prayer and put a prayer in the wall in Israel was powerful and going to the Garden of Gathsemene where Jesus prayed the night before he was crucified gave me chills.
I was also in awe seeing the pyramids and sphinx in Giza, Egypt and The Nile River and I immediately thought of Moses and the book of Exodus in the Bible and the film “The Prince of Egypt.”
The ancient ruins and wonders of the world have stood the test of time! I also thought of Michael Jackson’s Egyptian themed “Remember the Time” music videos. Also, it was eye opening going to the Holocaust Museum and memorial in Israel. It was heart breaking seeing the remnants of such evil. Out of respect I did not take pictures inside of the Holocaust Museum.
It was also interesting and so beautiful looking at the ancient places, architecture, and ancient ruins in Jarash, Jordan or Al-Khazneh (the treasury) in Petra, Jorda, which was also featured in “The Indiana Jones” Movie series and have stood the test of time. Also seeing the Upper Room where Jesus and his disciples ate At The Last Supper and where King David was buried in was intriguing too.
Going through the border control to leave Israel and enter Jordan and seeing the walls that divide the Holy lands and the political, religious, and repercussions it has on the people in the area were eye-opening. In Israel, young men and young women must join the military at 18 and it was interesting seeing them patrol the streets and holy sites with rifles. Whereas in Jordan and Egypt I didn’t see as many weapons just a greater police presence. In Israel, Jordan, and Egypt there really aren’t a lot of pork food options due to the religious aspects of the area.
However the grilled lamb, fish, chicken, hummus, pita bread, potatoes, rice, fruit, and vegetables were so fresh and good and people drink lots of hot tea. I don’t think there are the same preservatives there are in the food as in the USA.
Also, the time change is about 6-7hours difference. So when it’s afternoon or evening here it’s early morning or middle of the day or night back home in the USA. Soccer and Basketball are major international sports so it was cool seeing people enjoy that. There is so much more I can say, but overall this has been a trip of a lifetime. I will forever cherish these moments. Thank you, God!
I finally finished The Beyoncé Bracket. I didn’t create this game. I just found it on social media and filled it out. As a member of The Beyhive, 🐝 I found this bracket’s song selections were kind of difficult to choose from, and certain songs on the bracket are better performed live in concert versus just listening to in your headphones. I’m excited about The Renaissance album era! The new album drops 7/29/22!
There is also different energy on stage when Beyoncè is performing on tour alone versus performing with Jay-Z. I’ve also provided a blank copy of the bracket, so you all can play too. Click the link below to listen to my favorite songs on my Beyoncé Playlist on Spotify and click here for the Beyoncé Playlist on Apple Music and here for the playlist on Tidal.
This bracket game is similar to the NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament bracket instead of teams it’s songs. Out of the categories given you pick the song out of the two that you like more and that song advances to another round with other songs. Kind of like 2 basketball teams play a game and the winner moves on to the next level game and competes with other teams. It’s fun! Let’s play!
What are your favorite solo Beyoncé albums so far?
It has been 13 years since Michael Jackson passed away. I’ll never forget when I heard the news on the radio as I was picking up my brother from baseball practice and all the pop and r&b stations started playing Michael Jackson’s 🎶 catalog. I had a chance to write about Michael’s song “Stranger in Moscow” from the HIStory album. Click here to read it. What are some of your favorite Michael Jackson songs or albums?
Check out my Michael Jackson playlist available below on Spotify and click here for Apple Music.
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