Aaliyah — affectionately known around Amp as @blackbarbie — has taken the app by storm. She joined Amp last year to celebrate the launch of Queen Radio and from that moment forward, she has forged her own path as one of Amp’s top creators.
Aaliyah did her first show on March 8, 2022, the first day that the Amp Beta was live for download on the Apple App Store. Since being on Amp, she has built a strong community with whom she shares her love for music doing shows such as her “Music w/ Blackbarbie” series where she highlights her favorite tunes across the R&B, Hip-Hop, Gospel, and Pop genres.
I’ve met so many great people on the app,” she says. “[Amp] is just such a great place to meet and chat with other Barbz.
One of the highlights of her first year on Amp was speaking with the Queen herself. “Towards the end of the year, Nicki [Minaj] actually came into my show and she spoke to me. Then it just started changing.”
As Aaliyah continued her Amp journey, she has expanded her shows to cover themes across trending topics, celebrity news, life and culture, and more. She often shares insight into her personal experiences as a mom and uses her voice on Amp to advocate for topics that are deeply important to her including raising awareness of Autism and promoting positive Mental Health.
Earlier this month, she celebrated her 1-year Amp anniversary by going live, and in true Aaliyah fashion, her charisma, authenticity, and genuine vibe was palpable over the mic.
Having hosted over 250 shows, Aaliyah outlines her Amp keys to success encourage new and fellow creators to stay true to themselves and just keep going.
It’s okay to not be perfect
“I’ve been out here for one year and the first thing I want to talk about is being nervous. You’re always going to want to do a good show, so just keep in mind that it’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to have some shows where they’re not going to be perfect.”
Keep going and be consistent
“Sometimes you’ll have only 10 listeners in the show, even when you’ve planned it out so well. With that, just keep going. Keep being consistent. You want to make sure that people are seeing you. I see some [creators] every single day when I get on the app and they are making themselves known.”
Play the music that you love
“Don’t play your music based off of other people — play the music you love. That’s how you will find people who like the same stuff you do. Sometimes, I found myself playing music because of the type of audience I thought would be on here that day, and that’s not the way to do it, especially if it’s not music that you enjoy. Do the things that you want to do and just be creative.”
Share and return positive energy:
“Make sure that you’re supporting others. I don’t mean just going in their show saying ‘follow me’ and then leaving. But support other people, stay in for a few songs. You want to make yourself known and show other people love and support to help others get to know you. Go into different shows. Like, call-in, and play trivia games — everything. Make sure you’re engaging with each other.”
Beyond sharing her love for music, Aaliyah also provides space for her community to connect and engage with her and one another in her “Getting to know You” series. You can catch her next show by following @blackbarbie on Amp. Don’t forget to enable reminders!