Sampa The Great was born in Zambia and mostly raised in Botswana, but she started her music career in Australia. That’s where Sampa was living when she released her debut album The Return in 2019. Since then, though, Sampa has moved back to Zambia, and she’s announced plans to follow The Return with her new LP As Above, So Below. She’s also shared a new single that pays tribute to her homeland.

A couple of months ago, Sampa The Great shared her Denzel Curry collaboration “Lane.” That song is on As Above, So Below, and the album also has collaborations with people like Joey Bada$$, Angélique Kidjo, and Kojey Radical. Today, Sampa has released the single “Never Forget.” It’s a collaboration with two of Sampa’s relatives, sister Mwanjé and cousin Tio Nason, as well as the Zambian rapper Chef 187.

In a video statement, Sampa says that “Never Forget is “an ode to Zamrock music,” the fusion of African music and psychedelic rock that came out of Zambia in the ’70s. She notes that Zamrock is known around the world but not necessarily in Zambia itself, and that she has that in common with it: “I started my professional career outside of Zambia, and bringing it back home has been a huge thing for my journey. And so I’d like to pay homage to those who came before me, who paved the way for me and who don’t necessarily get to see their flowers now.” The song has a striking, richly styled video that credits three different auteurs — director Imraan Christian, creative director Rharha Nembhard, and on-set director Furmaan Ahmed. The video is full of clips of the Zamrock artists of the past. Below, check out the “Never Forget” video and the As Above, So Below tracklist.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Shadows”
02 “Lane” (Feat. Denzel Curry)
03 “Never Forget” (Feat. Chef 187, Tio Nason, & Mwanjé)
04 “Mask On” (Feat. Joey Bada$$)
05 “BONA”
06 “Can I Live” (Feat. W.I.T.C.H)
07 “Imposter Syndrome” (Feat. James Sakala)
08 “Tilibobo”
09 “Lo Rain (Feat. Mwanjé)
10 “IDGAF” (Feat. Kojey Radical)
11 “Let Me Be Great” (Feat Angélique Kidjo)

As Above, So Below is out 9/9 on Loma Vista.

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