Description
After The Return became Sampa the Great’s second release to win the Australian Music Prize, she was set to embark on a major international tour when the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily put a stop to live events throughout the world. She moved from Australia back to Zambia, where she was born, and spent time reconnecting with her family as well as the music of her youth.
A much more concise record than the sprawling, jazzy The Return, As Above similarly celebrates heritage and culture while looking inward and discussing personal issues. Stirring highlight “Never Forget” pays tribute to Zamrock (a ’70s psychedelic rock movement) and kalindula music, acknowledging Sampa’s roots while affirming her place in history. The gritty, bluesy “Can I Live” is a collaboration with Zamrock legends WITCH, which counted one of Sampa’s uncles among its early members. “Tilibobo” incorporates amapiano-style log drums, and “Bona” has heavier, more forceful bass matching Sampa’s rapid, defiant rhymes. Denzel Curry, Joey Bada$$, and Kojey Radical assist Sampa on some of the album’s most aggressive, trap-influenced cuts, with the beat switch-ups during Bada$$’s “Mask On” verse being a particularly riveting moment. “Lo Rain,” one of two tracks featuring Sampa’s sister Mwanj, counters hard rhyming with lush harmonies. Afro-pop trailblazer Anglique Kidjo guests on the triumphant closer “Let Me Be Great,” one of several songs about affirming one’s legacy. Source All Music
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