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.
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!
Amber and special guest, Solomon, discuss their complex relationship with producer-rapper, Kanye West. Click here to listen. Also, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, and whatever other podcast platforms you listen to. Also, check out the “Jeen-Yuhs” Kanye documentary on Netflix. It chronicles the makings of Kanye’s first album and behind-the-scenes footage of Kanye and his late mother Professor Donda West. I highly recommend watching it. It’s very interesting to see everything Kanye went through in the early 2000’s to see the person he is now.
My “Kanye Rant” lol
I do NOT like or agree with Kanye West’s current political beliefs or like everything he says or does. Yet, I cannot deny the man is musically gifted and over the years has produced such good music. Can y’all believe it’s been 17 years since Kanye’s debut album “The College Dropout” was released?!
I remember when I first heard the song “Through The Wire” at a leadership conference in middle school. The speaker was talking about overcoming obstacles and how this new producer, Kanye West, recorded his album with his jaw wired shut after surviving a car accident. I remember everybody rocking Polo T-Shirts and backpacks and teddy bears. I remember HBCU bands playing Kanye’s ”All of the Lights” during football games.
Kanye has always been outspoken: from his comments about former President George Bush and how black people were negatively impacted by Hurricane Katrina to him interrupting singer, Taylor Swift’s award acceptance at the 2009 MTV VMA’s to say Beyoncé had the better music video. Many question how Kanye went from being the socially conscious rapper with songs like “All Falls Down“, “Jesus Walks“, and “Heard ‘Em Say” and making appearances on “Def Poetry Jam” and fast forward to present day to Kanye making more controversial statements like saying slavery was a choice and being a supporter of Trump, who has spoken so negatively about so many marginalized groups to include Black and Brown people who happen to have been some of Kanye’s day one fans.
In my opinion, it is difficult to support an artist who praises a political figure that you don’t support, has questionable antics, and who has actions that contradict everything they write or talk about.
Check out a young Kanye on “Def Poetry Jam” circa 2004.
Also, Check out Kanye’s mom, the late Donda West’s book “Raising Kanye“, it’s quite interesting.
Sigh, I enjoy(ed) Kanye’s older music and I can’t deny his talent. I know that artists and people evolve, and I wish him well, but I miss the “old” Kanye West circa 2004-2011. Maybe I get nostalgic because those were my teenage and college years. However, I really am concerned about Kanye’s mental health since the passing of his mother, Professor Donda West, and I am hoping he is getting counseling or treatment. I just feel like “The Current Kanye” is in a trance or alternate universe compared to 17 years ago, yet like his debut album’s ad-lib echoed, “WAKE UP MR. WEST!” Your original fans miss ya! Kanye recently dropped a Gospel type album titled “Jesus is King” featuring his Gospel choir from his “Sunday Service” music concerts. Who am I to say if Kanye’s relationship with Jesus or God is genuine or a marketing tactic? Maybe turning to religion is a source of comfort for him. Who are we to judge?
Anyway, enough Kanye ranting, but what’s your favorite Kanye West song, album, or moment? Click below to listen to the Spotify playlist and click here to listen to the playlist on Apple Music.
Amber and special guest, Solomon, discuss their complex relationship with producer-rapper, Kanye West. Click here to listen. Also, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, and whatever other podcast platforms you listen to.
My “Kanye Rant” lol
I do NOT like or agree with Kanye West’s current political beliefs or like everything he says or does. Yet, I cannot deny the man is musically gifted and over the years has produced such good music. Can y’all believe it’s been 17 years since Kanye’s debut album “The College Dropout” was released?!
I remember when I first heard the song “Through The Wire” at a leadership conference in middle school. The speaker was talking about overcoming obstacles and how this new producer, Kanye West, recorded his album with his jaw wired shut after surviving a car accident. I remember everybody rocking Polo T-Shirts and backpacks and teddy bears. I remember HBCU bands playing Kanye’s ”All of the Lights” during football games.
Kanye has always been outspoken: from his comments about former President George Bush and how black people were negatively impacted by Hurricane Katrina to him interrupting singer, Taylor Swift’s award acceptance at the 2009 MTV VMA’s to say Beyoncé had the better music video. Many question how Kanye went from being the socially conscious rapper with songs like “All Falls Down“, “Jesus Walks“, and “Heard ‘Em Say” and making appearances on “Def Poetry Jam” and fast forward to present day to Kanye making more controversial statements like saying slavery was a choice and being a supporter of Trump, who has spoken so negatively about so many marginalized groups to include Black and Brown people who happen to have been some of Kanye’s day one fans.
In my opinion, it is difficult to support an artist who praises a political figure that you don’t support, has questionable antics, and who has actions that contradict everything they write or talk about.
Check out a young Kanye on “Def Poetry Jam” circa 2004.
Also, Check out Kanye’s mom, the late Donda West’s book “Raising Kanye“, it’s quite interesting.
Sigh, I enjoy(ed) Kanye’s older music and I can’t deny his talent. I know that artists and people evolve, and I wish him well, but I miss the “old” Kanye West circa 2004-2011. Maybe I get nostalgic because those were my teenage and college years. However, I really am concerned about Kanye’s mental health since the passing of his mother, Professor Donda West, and I am hoping he is getting counseling or treatment. I just feel like “The Current Kanye” is in a trance or alternate universe compared to 17 years ago, yet like his debut album’s ad-lib echoed, “WAKE UP MR. WEST!” Your original fans miss ya! Kanye recently dropped a Gospel type album titled “Jesus is King” featuring his Gospel choir from his “Sunday Service” music concerts. Who am I to say if Kanye’s relationship with Jesus or God is genuine or a marketing tactic? Maybe turning to religion is a source of comfort for him. Who are we to judge?
Anyway, enough Kanye ranting, but what’s your favorite Kanye West song, album, or moment? Click below to listen to the Spotify playlist and click here to listen to the playlist on Apple Music.
Vinyl records, cassette tapes, and CD’s are antiques in 2020, but good music is timeless. Below is a playlist I created featuring older songs that have been sampled over the years by different artists. What’s your favorite sampled song? Check the playlist out below on Spotify. Apple Music users click here and Tidal users click here.
The As-I-Amber Podcast & Blog 