FSD: I attended a panel you were a speaker at a few months back, and a young woman said you inspire her as a woman in a male-dominated field. How does that feel, and do you think about it often?
Ambi: Wow, I remember that. That was Dj Franchise actually. But yes, I consider that whenever I approach my art because I want that to be noticed and respected. I love women, I love being a woman (a black woman). It’s one of the things I pride myself on. Matter of fact, Jean Deaux is one of my best friends and I also Dj for her but I remember I did this sofarsound set and the host kept saying, I was “one of his favorite female producer and Dj” and then he introduced me as such and Jean immediately was like, “aw nah, she’s the best Dj and producer…we all know she’s a woman so respect that and focus on the work.” And I’ve carried her words with me everyday. As women I feel as though our work doesn’t get respected on the same level as certain male artists. And honestly, I can relate it to the playground of some men, being afraid of being “beat by a girl/woman.” So with that being said, they would rather duplicate our work (as in copy & paste) the same way white people do other cultures. Or only use the woman’s vocals without giving her credit or the proper pay out. But then you have men like Saba, Smino, Mick Jenkins, Namesake, Monte, Chance etc who don’t see their world fitting without women and the proper push or representation of the black woman because they’re surrounded by them daily and you can see it in their work. I don’t really even surround myself with men who think negative about this topic. I pay attention to who I work with and what I put out because I know that it represents me and I don’t wanna disappoint women/myself or my race, family friends, fans etc. so I study everything and pay attention so I can apply what best fits me. But I have a bunch of ppl around me to keep me on my toes so I should be good lol
FSD: Does DJing affect how you approach producing?
Ambi: Absolutely. I can literally see the crowd pleasers and drops in certain parts of a song just mainly because I Dj as well. I try to study that.
FSD: What was your favorite moment working on Study Hall?
Ambi: My Favorite moments of working on Study Hall would be the sessions with Saba & Jean for Dream a Genie. They wrote letters to Walt. But you literally could feel what they were saying. Walt was a brother and friend to many of the artists that we listen to today especially in Chicago. He powered our dreams, always reminding us to put our best foot forward. He was always asking what’s next, “Whatchu working on”….one of the most supportive people I know. And it literally exudes from Saba and Jean as well. So listening to their verses you feel that. You hear their truth, shit you hear my truth as well. It’s been really hard focusing without Walt because he played such a major part in everything.
FSD: How was crafting your debut different from sending vocalists beats?
Ambi: you actually get the work done. You also get to bounce ideas off of each other and actually really create the record together. I really hate sending vocalists beats.
FSD: What’s next?
Ambi: The release show at SubT. I’m really excited to hear what we worked on live and with a band and with a solid creative plan. More compilation tapes for sure. New singles, videos, merch. More studying. Just focusing on the next step of improvement really.
FSD: Dream vocalist to get on your production?
Ambi: Xavier Omär. I feel like we could make some really cool music together. So, now I’m just waiting to cross it off my bucket list. Hopefully one day we’ll cross paths.
Just a few days after releasing Study Hall, Ambi is set to gather some pals for an After School Special at Subterranean. After the project has been properly bumped, tickets for that event can be copped here.