Ambi: A Brief History December 17, 2008

As described by my friend Rhome:

Well, the story is hazy but I think the term originated between me and a few friends. What it IS NOT is a referall to the Ambi skin care products. Some people misunderstand (or hate) and think the term “ambi” applies to any light-skinneded black person. It’s simply shorthand for “ethnically ambiguous”. The term was formally immortalized on “Land of the Ambis” from the 2003 Poem-Cees release Paranoia, produced by me.

Rhome is careful to point out that the concept for “Land of the Ambis” actually originated from his band-mate Patrick.  Rhome says he contributed only to the musical aspects of this unheralded classic, not the lyrical content.  In other words: Don’t shoot the Producer sistahs!!

Not reading all that?

Ambi = Ethnically Ambiguous

Ambiology December 16, 2008

Everything you have ever wanted to know about me:

The Ambi-Fam circa 1991 (that's me in the center)

Ambi Beginnings

I grew up in Atlanta, and I think it was in Joy and Lynn’s first grade classroom where I first hear the fateful phrase “What are you?”

By the 5th grade i was the only sort-of-black girl, and since my hair was cut into a sort-of-boxy afro, I was picked to  star as Liza Lou in the the school play, no contest :/

Name 5 things wrong with this picture.

Middle School

Whelp, I showed up on to the public  school scene in the 7th grade (Yeek!).  So pleased was I to finally be in school with other black kids, only to be known as the “White Girl with a Jherri Curl“.

Ambey High

By the time I reached High School, I had finally found some ambi role models to look up to like

Ladybug Mecca ( of Digable Planets)

and

Mariah Carey (Don’t nobody better say nothing bad about Ms Mariah!)

Moving Forward

I continued my ambi-evolution in college and my fantastic journey through early adulthood is certainly another story for another time.  Let’s just way that somehow, someway I managed to emerge from the cocoon of ambi-awkwardness to become the confident beacon of ambiousity you see before you today!

AmbiJawn 08

Stay Tuned!