The Return of Sampa the Great
Sampa Tembo. Photo by Barun Chatterjee
Here in the United States, it’s not uncommon to hear people lament the death of pop music. New York hip hop fans from previous generations say the same thing about hip hop and rap. Queensbridge rapper Nas even declared in 2006 Hip Hop is Dead. I think Americans are slaves to radio, and pretty much biased against any music that isn’t born on U.S. soil. We’re stuck in a cultural ghetto, where (I believe for the most part) creativity has stymied. There’s a lot of “inbreeding”, and it shows in America’s cultural DNA.
You may be familiar with a quote by author Neale Donald Walsch, that reads “life begins outside of your comfort zone”. It’s something I endeavor to do each day, which always results in a pleasant experience for me. It’s how I ‘ve managed to interview some of the most brilliant recording artists, and how I stumbled upon Sampa the Great.
The Zambia-born, Botswana-raised, Sydney-based rapper is proof positive that hip hop is not at all dead. On her latest outing The Return (Ninja Tune), Sampa Tembo has maintained the same style exhibited on previous efforts (2015’s The Great Mixtape, and 2017’s Birds and the BEE9). It’s jazzy soul styled hip hop, reminiscent of the late nineties Jill Scott, Angie B, and The Roots era (not my cup of tea these days, but I know good shit when I hear it). Of the nineteen tracks on the album, only three are upbeat tracks, and one gloriously raucous. Final Form is akin to a storm, lighting up the sky with Sampa’s presence, leaving a thunderous boom in her wake. It has the energy of Rah Digga’s “Tight”, and M.O.P.’S “How About Some Hardcore”. I’ve long since lost count how many times I’ve played the track, oftentimes putting it on repeat. My bias aside, this is more than just a great album, it’s a magnum opus.
Final Form, Taken from the album 'The Return', on Ninja Tune.
From beginning to end, The Return is solid. From Sampa’s singing, rapping, and poetry to the production throughout, and guest appearances, she presents a cohesive effort that shines brilliantly. It’s flawless! What makes this a masterpiece for me, are the last three tracks that rack up almost half an hour combined. The first of the three is the title track (featuring Thando, Jace XL, Alien, and Whosane), a song about the desires and aspirations of immigrants, and the need for cultural and spiritual return. Burn your weed and incense to this album, but make sure you spare some for this song. The rhythm and melody are intoxicating, the lyrics contemplative, the mood hypnotic. The nine minute and eighteen second track weaves blues, spoken word, and jazz into a soulful mélange.
Transitioning behind it, Don’t Give Up (featuring Melbourne based artists Mandarin Dreams) finds Sampa softly rapping to a smoky jazz track. Towards the end, we hear Sampa on a phone call with someone. We’re not privy to who it is, though it could be herself she’s speaking to. From what I gathered, it sounds as if she has regrets about leaving a part of herself behind in Zambia, but has found that part of herself again, and is seeking reconciliation. I think it reminds us of how we can sometimes get caught up in external things, and lose ourselves in the maelstrom. That we all need to make the spiritual journey to reclaim our center of being.
OMG Taken from the album 'The Return', on Ninja Tune.
Make no mistake, despite having only delved into a few songs here, it’s impossible to appreciate the magnificence of The Return without listening to the whole. There is not a song on the album that isn’t worth having a listen to. In fact, I would recommend you check out her previous recordings, so that you can experience Sampa’s growth.
She’s come a long way, in such a short period of time. Just this month, the album in review became BandCamp’s #1 album for the year. In November Sampa won Australia’s ARIA Award for Best Hip Hop Release. There’s no debating that Sampa has rightfully earned these honors. Sampa proves that hip hop not only lives, but lives within her.
