2009 Commencement Address

Happy New Year to all! Thank you for your continued support of my mission and music! 2008 proved to be one of the most successful and turbulent years of my life. The good outweighed the bad on every hand, however. The most turmoil was learning, still, that people are people and they may not always be there for you as they promise to be. I also was reminded how important it is to have faith in God.

This year I resolved to re-establish myself and complete my book this year. Since I have recorded my first album, there is still work to do as far as promoting my music.

For all who still endeavor to do something, there is nothing like making it happen, utilizing whatever resources you have. It’s not always money, but you may be able to help someone as they help you. I am a firm believer in helping others and have become more comfortable in asking for help when I know I need it. We may, at times, feel like a superhero, but just wearing the cape isn’t enough. There’s always someone to be accountable to or to hold you accountable for your actions or lack thereof.

To all of my producers, from OPM Music Werx, to Put It Down Productions to Project 360 Studios, I am ETERNALLY grateful for having your support and your encouragement as I went through the process for the first time. JCole was always patient and kind in the recording process, Bay and Lapala were always coaching and pruning the sound, and Barry was always encouraging me to be creative and to just go for it!!! You all have taught me a lot and I think on it frequently.  I look forward to getting back into the studio and doing something new this year. Patience yet, is a virtue, so as I have acknowledged there is still much to do with the first work, I am excited that there is an opportunity for a second work.

To Imani Lateef, husband and manager, thank you for continuing to believe in me. What made this whole endeavor possible was your committment to helping me believe that I actually could when others said I could but watched from afar, hoping that I wouldn’t.

I am forever grateful for the opportunity to share with listeners and fans everywhere! God Bless and Keep you this New Year and always!

Peace and Sound,

YASU

Season’s Greetings!

I hope all is well with you and yours this Holiday Season. Life is well for me as our family prepares for  a new arrival in just a few more months. 2008 has been a blissful year and a challenging year.

YASU’s Autumn Update

Summer has gone, Autumn is here. Even this season seems to be breezing by with the dips in temperature as of late. Over the summer, I took time off to vacation with my family. At summer’s end we learned we are expecting a baby in the Spring! This is an exciting time for us.

In the coming months, I will not be doing shows, but may make appearances at special events, including the holidays. This week I will be at Friendship Baptist Church for their “Holy”ween Family Night. It is a time for the community to come together and have a safe, fun-filled night as an alternative to Trick or Treating. Friendship is located at 5301 Nebraska Ave. Toledo, OH 43615 and the festivities begin at 6:30pm. On November 14th, I will be at Crusaders for Christ 908 Woodville Rd. Toledo, OH 43605. This is a youth service, free and open to the public and begins at 8pm.

As you know, I write in different genres, but my main focus is on life situations. Recently, I began working on an idependent project with a few local artists, Elevated Thinkin’, ReediusMaximus and Sid Deluxx. Together we four are called Indie Sol Rey. The root of our collaboration is a combination of sounds, hip hop and neo soul; and lyrics that are relatable, realistic. New music may be released soon so stay tuned. If that weren’t enough, I am outlining a book that will be published in the near future.

The Yasu Embassy is the umbrella for all of my endeavors. YASU is a Japanese nickname, the actual name means Peace and Sound. And embassy is housed with ambassadors (people on missions). It provides a home for me to explore my ideas and passions and gives me a vehicle to share them with you. My mission is to write and sing about my life in as many ways I possibly can, and I am always endeavoring to live in peace with a sound mind.  The Yasu Embassy is the ink that illustrates this for me.

If you haven’t heard my album yet, you can hear samples here. As always, I am grateful for the support from near and far I have received this year. There is still a lot that can be done with the album, so I will continue promoting it. I have also been writing, lately the tunes have been leaning more to Worship Music, which is most dear to my heart. I also have written about more life situations, some of which will be recorded with Indie Sol Rey and some as a solo project. I am also accepting track submissions. Please e-mail me for further information: yasuembassy@gmail.com.

Finally, if you are in the Toledo, Ohio area and are looking for a recording studio or producers, check out Project360studios and OPM Music Werx. And if you love fine art and/or need an artist to custom design a logo or website, please visit Lateef In Stereo.

Photos from my Summer Shoot are courtesy of Brooks Photography. You can see them here.

Thank you stopping by The Yasu Embassy. Please check back for more updates!

Peace and Sound,

YASU