UT Impact was in the house!!! Whoop whoop! Old fiends from school and church; and from growing up were all there. Family, friends and co laborers in the ministry all came out to support an awesome night in the Lord!

We laughed and joked, went old school and were all the way live!! Many thanks to the <3 Musik band. Cam, Gav, Keem and Dev!!!! Yall were HOTTTTT!!! Check them out on MYSPACE!!!!
GP and True Religion, Win So Cal, Project P Hood, Beatmaster

A devoted husband,father and business partner (project360studios) Brotha Al hyped it up with 2 Holy Hip Hop Joints, The Race (my fave, and On the Move (pardon if I got the title wrong). His CD, plow the dirt is available at www.cdbaby.com/brothaal.

Eternal Fiyah spit “His Eye is on the Sparrow” an original poem that reflected on what we take for granted that even the birds appreciate and give God praise for. He also held it down with an original track (Jesus on my heart) That’s a hot track! There was some finger snapping and toe tapping. E.F. tells the truth in a common sense way that people can understand. He is deep but not so far away that people can’t be reached. I like that.

Apphia and Heart Musik, Lord, her writing is amazing! Not only was the music a perfect blend of acoustic soul, and an occasional jazz chord (lol)), she still took us to church with her lyrics and the delivery of a message so powerful! Released is THE song, every time I fall in love with one of her songs, she comes with something new that inspires me all over again. She has a soul winning ministry and it is a true testament to who God is to her. The crowd was on their feet singing “…anoint my head with oil”…hands uplifted…Thanks Apphia <3

Tymara!!!!! She is a powerhouse with a message and a sound that commands attention! It will certainly destroy yolks, her voice is an authority! You must listen to the way she executes each lyric, you know they come from her heart and soul. She sang “Infatuated” and it was great! Everyone felt it as she sang about the way she feels toward God. She is working on an album and it is sure to top Gospel charts the moment it is released! You can download her single, “My Prayer” at www.cdbaby.com/tymara

We also had open mic and that was filled with surprises! Brittony came forth with an original tune, “Plan for Me”. Now her voice is like that of a hummingbird, sweet and airy. She has this Debra Killings meets Lisa McClendon sound…

Armonn followed up with a song that went into a “Yes” mode, and we worshipped! I like this guy He had a raspy voice that made each note sound like it was an instrument-a tenor sax. You can tell from the way he sang, that he was sincere and yes, the whole coffee house joined in to sing with him!

Andrea took us to a place of worship with her rendition of “I Love you Jesus”. We all joined in to share the worship experience. She has a nice full voice with those velvety tones that we love to hear with India Arie and nem Thanks, Andrea for sharing your gift with us and you looked lovely, too.

Clarence came and danced to “Yesterday”. While Coko was playing in the background, the peeps cleared the floor for him to dance. When he took his shoes off, they said “It’sserious when the shoes come off” LOL We had a few LOL moments ya know? But he ministered in his own unique way, that young man can dance!!! Everyone watched attentively as he went forth, and of course sang along. (How can you not) He was excellent.

Our last open mic performer was Bruce Kelley. He sang an original song called “As we go”. He reminds me of the crooner Aaron Neville who has a southern feel to his vocals. He is an honest singer/songwriter who conveys a message of encouragement as we walk with the Lord. I’ve known he and his wife Rachel for years now. They are a couple who honors the Lord in their marriage and with their lives. Thank you for coming to support and lend your gifts as well.

Yours truly sang a few tunes (Yall don’t hear me, Never Say Never and Made It Thru-you can iLike my music on FB:)) I was the host and DJ ( ima need some equipment-lol) and I want to thank everyone for coming out and supporting this event. It could not have happened without you. The only thing I forgot was my camera, but I saw video cams, tripods, cell phones and digitals, so if you have footage and pics, PLEASE post them and tag them or email them to me yasuembassy@gmail.com

So Toledo, you cannot say there isn’t a place for you to enjoy good coffee, good company and good music! Many thanks to Jesse Lipman and family and Imani Lateef who lent the space, and served the best in locally roasted coffee, fruit smoothies, and foods.

Visit www.groundleveltoledo.com for upcoming events, the coffee/smoothie/food menu and to print coupons.

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

They are local producers with world wide ambition! U.G.E. Toledo’s own, Mercury Rising and Adonis are a team of producers that are surely rising to the top. Locally, U.G.E is noted for artists, Aye Dee and Darron Scott.

They are known for meticulous production, sending out industry quality music into the atmosphere. When Imani “The Hype” caught a “falling star” (YASU), he carried her to the U.G.E enterprise where the colliding of sound music and soulful lyrics occurred. As we anticipate the arrival of Starship: The Imitation of Life, an implosion is taking place in the studio where YASU is workin’ it out.

Can you hear the music in the air?