Sampa the Great experienced her breakthrough while she was living in Australia: she was welcomed there as the new rap talent around the time of her debut album The Return in 2019. Her recent years have been spent in Zambia, where she is originally from, hence the title. The influences of her homeland be heard on her 2022 effort As Above, So Below, a phenomenal, mind-blowing record jammed with direct raps and enormous musical diversity. At times she can sound kind of languid, but other times she delivers sheer fire. There’s a lot of space in her music for voicing her tribute to Africa and African achievements. The variety should come as no surprise to those who know that Sampa the Great is much more than just a rapper: she is also a visual artist and poet, and seeks to stimulate social change through her music. On stage, Sampa is totally charismatic and expressive, so be sure not to miss her show.
