Sampa The Great will release her new full-length album, As Above, So Below, on September 9 via Loma Vista Recordings. Accompanying the news is the release of the poet/rapper’s new single and video, “Never Forget” featuring Chef 187, Tio Nason, and Mwanjé.

After returning home to Zambia during the pandemic, Sampa reconnected with a different side of herself, a side that expresses more purely the nourishment & influence she received from her upbringing in Zambia and represents a return to her younger artistry. From collaborations with South African-based creatives Rochelle Nembhard and Imraan Christian to time spent recording with a long-established network of close friends and family.

Sampa’s newest single arrives as a brandishing ode to the golden era of Zambia’s socially prolific genre, Zamrock. Offering recognition to the music coming out of the African diaspora today while also honoring the stories of those who tread previously, “Never Forget” is the stamp uniting both center-points in history. A choral harmony from Sampa’s own sister Mwanjé heralds the track’s opening, before a low-slung bassline booms out punctuating hooks from Zambian songwriter, Tio Nason. An array of percussion adds a Zambian richness, from traditional Ngoma drums by band Nomakanjani, to hand claps, to marimba to the signature 808’s from Mag 44, one of Zambian’s pioneering hip hop producers.

Accompanying “Never Forget” is today’s official music video, directed by Imraan Christian along with creative direction and on-set direction from Rharna Nembard and Furmaan Ahmed respectively. Starring Sampa The Great, MC Chef 187, Tio Nason, and Mwanjé, the video showcases a darkly lit performance space along with artful choreography and the guilefully costumed personas of Sampa. Interspersed throughout the clip is archival footage of Zambian life in the 70s, including performances from some of the Zamrock acts that have paved the path since.

Sampa says on the single & video: “Never Forget” is an ode to Zamrock music, a genre born in the ’70s combining traditional Zambian music and psychedelic rock. In particular, the song focuses on kalindula music. This tribute was inspired by the band WITCH and their lead singer Mr. Jagari Chanda, who has become one of my musical mentors. I discovered Zamrock later in my life and was surprised that this music was known globally, yet not fully celebrated and acknowledged in Zambia today. It hit home for me as I felt similarities in my own journey, having had my career take off outside my birth country. I thought it was fitting to pay homage to those who came before me and merge past, present, and future through music and imagery; passing the baton from one generation to the next. The archival footage in the clip includes the late great Paul Ngozi, the late president Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia’s first president), and the legendary WITCH.

Director Rharha Nembard says: “Never Forget” pays homage to the past, present and future. Acknowledging the ones that have come before, in order for us to be here today. When I first heard the song, the notion of time came up so strongly. African time has always been nonlinear and cyclical. The vision for this video was to explore that notion of time, merging past, present and future simultaneously in a harmonious symphony that honors and pays respect to those that have passed the baton and paved the way for the next generation of Zambian artists. Sampa carries the past, present and future of Zambian music. She stands on the shoulders of giants and this is our offering to them.

Sampa returned earlier this year, with As Above So Below’s first single, “Lane” featuring US rapper Denzel Curry. Ushering in a new era, “Lane” was the first taste of new music from the Zambian artist since 2019’s ARIA Award and Australian Music Prize-winning debut album, The Return. A defiant call out to being shoved in a box, “Lane” was accompanied by a long-form video that book-ended and balanced a spoken word piece, “Origin”, wherein fans were introduced to Sampa’s ideal persona, Eve. The new chapter of music from Sampa The Great accompanied live performances from Sampa in An Afro Future across Sydney and Melbourne throughout May and June. After the postponement of last year’s inaugural and highly anticipated An Afro Future tour, Sampa delivered a spectacular run of rescheduled live performances. The tour marked the first opportunity for fans to see Sampa in a live format with her full band from Zambia, performing from her debut award-winning album, The Return, alongside previewing new music to the energetic crowds.

Pre Order As Above So Below by Sampa The Great HERE