gaming

XSET Dabier/Ambussshking is an Entertaining Jack of All Trades

XSET Dabier/Ambussshking

Published Nov 8, 2023

Actor. Musician. Model. Skater. Host. Esports Commentator. Content Creator. Streamer. You'd think all those jobs would apply to a group of mega-talented individuals. But surprisingly, all of these duties are fulfilled by an individual whose levels of hustle and confidence are inspiring. XSET Dabier/Ambussshking, real name Dabir Kalif Snell, has several actor credits that include his roles on Black Lightning (shout out to Will!), House, and iCarly. As a member of the Boston-based esports and entertainment organization XSET, Dabier cooks up all sorts of gaming content and even streams on Twitch. Dabier took some time out of his packed schedule to speak on all things gaming, how he was initially noticed by XSET, his biggest influences, and so much more.

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XSET Dabier/Ambussshking

ONE37pm: Can you remember your earliest memory of getting into video games?

XSET Dabier/Ambussshking: My earliest memory of gaming is probably playing the Nintendo 64. I grew up playing Star Fox 64. I grew up playing GoldenEye 007. I grew up playing Diddy Kong Racing. I would be grinding that out in my room with my sisters and I would be sitting on the small blue plastic chair for hours and enjoying every single moment of it.

ONE37pm: What are your top five dead or alive favorite games of all time?

Dabier: It's WAY too hard to pick five! TimeSplitters 2, the Sly Cooper series, Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition, Star Fox 64, James Bond: 007 Agent Under Fire, 1080° Snowboarding, Need for Speed: Carbon, and an honorable mention for Gran Turismo.

ONE37pm: When did you first consider turning your love for gaming into professional streaming?

Dabier: It was two things - The day that I won my first ever solo game of PUBG & Fortnite and the day I got affiliated when I first got a raid sent to my channel from a friend of mine named TJ. Both of those happened so naturally and it was an incredible feeling on both sides, which led to me seeing myself doing this long-term!

ONE37pm: What would you say are the hardest things that come with being a streamer?

Dabier: The number of hours you put in on not only creating but posting on multiple social media accounts, being consistent on posting, etc. You are your own boss, which means you set your own hours. But that's A LOT of hours to put in! I've streamed for 12 hours daily, sometimes back to back. Depends on what's going on, so those days can be rewarding but draining.

ONE37pm: What would you say are some of the biggest misconceptions that come with being a streamer?

Dabier: That live streaming is easy. It takes so much time to develop a channel with visuals, let alone growth! Do you know how hard it is to set up all of your custom alerts? That takes the majority of the day away, depending on how complex your alerts are! Then with live streaming comes putting yourself out there and letting yourself be vulnerable or be able to do the most.

ONE37pm: How'd you end up getting noticed by XSET and eventually joining their team of streamers?

Dabier: I ended up getting noticed by XSET because of a close friend of mine who used to run an Instagram channel that would show off Fortnite clips, believe it or not. I actually killed him in a game a long time ago, posted the clip, the guy liked it, and he ended up following me back. We ended up getting some games in! He was a really dope dude - he watched me grow and elevate over time! Then he started to tell me that some company bought out his Instagram account.

So the company that bought out his Instagram was the same owner that started at XSET, so he’s telling the owner about me. "Hey, there’s this guy you need to check out - he’s really cool and he’s very versatile. He can host, act, sing, dance, and rap! Great at making content, is very funny, and has an outgoing personality!" He was basically just hyping me up to the guy and a few months passed, and I got a call from him - the CEO. The CEO told me "Hey, I’m working on this big project that I think you would be a great fit for. Don't sign anything until I'm am ready" basically and I was really confused at first. I was like "What does it mean? Don’t sign anything?"

So believe it or not, there was another esports company that actually was interested in picking me up and something told me "Just don't sign anything yet!" It always just went back to him, so I gave him a call and I was like "Hey there’s another brand that’s also willing to work with me, but I want to make sure that it doesn’t overlap with what you want for me. But I have no idea what you want me to do. So if you could please elaborate a little bit more on what you need and what you would like me to do, it would make things easier!" About a month later he called me to say, "We’re about to get ready to get things going. I’m starting an organization called XSET and I would love for you to be one of our first content creators on the team" and that’s basically how that happened!

So a lot of people will tell you hard work is part of it. Absolutely! But it definitely can be who you know is what changes the game!

XSET Dabier/Ambussshking

ONE37pm: What are three essential pieces of advice you have for up-and-coming streamers who want to reach your level of success?

Dabier: I know the first thing I'll say might sound corny because I think everybody’s kind of said it at one point - definitely go into streaming because you enjoy it. Don't do it because of the hype and don't do it because you want to make money out of it. Everybody wants to make money but if you enjoy it, you’re gonna be in everyone's contacts for a very long time!

Another thing I can say, is your numbers don’t equate to the amount of hard work and talent that you create for yourself. A lot of people think that you have to have massive numbers in order to work with big brands or work with big streamers and I want to tell you that that is not the case. I’ve worked with a top 500 company. I have been sent thousands and thousands of dollars worth of product that has literally changed the entirety of my gaming setup. I’ve been flown to different types of events and shows with different budgets all while having 15,000 followers on my Twitch account! Don't let your numbers affect how you approach the gaming scene.

Another thing I would say is to read your contracts! It is so important for you to have somebody look them over. It is also so important for you to have someone on your side legally that can help you make sure that you don't get screwed out of anything, whether it's money or whether it's a product with whatever.

ONE37pm: You've also got your hands in the worlds of acting and music. What would you say are some of your biggest influences across both entertainment mediums?

Dabier: I've had a lot of influences in my life. My biggest influence has to be my dad - the comedian aspect of me is from me and my hard work ethic is because of him. My adapting to many different environments is because of him! Honorable mentions are Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Jeff Goldblum (I'm a huge fan of the Jurrasic Park series!), and Raven Symone. In the gaming space, I was hugely influenced by Dashie Games, Game Grumps, and JD Witherspoon, who introduced me to Cory Kenshin. I was watching a lot of streamers like Myth, Daequan, Hamlinz (THE TWO TIME!), Doc, Ninja, and TimtheTatman. Eventually, It became Kai Cenat as well over time.

ONE37pm: How would you describe your overall experience being a part of the Black Lightning television series?

Dabier: It was a motivating role for me. I've had some small roles being a bully and such. But this guy Will was a delusional, easily agitated, and egotistical man who didn't really have any home training. I had to throw so much of myself away and become this person I wish to never become. Learning from the cast as a whole was such an incredible experience. It really gave me the closest thing to being a series regular on a TV series.

My first time in Atlanta was such a special experience. The people, the food, and the environment were very different from my usual California lifestyle. Working on set led to long hours, but I was used to it at that time! I think trying to keep this hard gangster persona with a chip on his shoulder was something I had to hold on to most of the time. While I was working, it was something I wasn't used to but I got a lot of experience while doing so!

- XSET Dabier/Ambussshking

XSET Dabier/Ambussshking

ONE37pm: Are there any other roles you've done that you're also super proud of?

Dabier: I think the one that will forever stand out, outside of Black Lightning, is Movie Surfers! I was a huge fan of watching that show growing up when I was younger. So when I had the opportunity to audition, I put a lot of effort into it! I had four different auditions for it within a month and each time, there were more producers watching. What certified it for me was mixing up Paris and Italy by mistake - the producers assumed I was joking! Within that next month, I was flying to Canada to interview on the set of Tron: Legacy and Jake Gyllenhaal for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The rest was history afterward. I was officially Disney Channel certified!