Sampa the Great is a Zambia-born, Botswana-raised, and Australia-based rapper and hip-hop singer-songwriter known for her rap skills. Raised in a musical household, she began writing poetry at a very young age—unknowingly laying the foundation for her future in music. After studying music for visual media in the U.S., she relocated to Australia in 2013.

Her debut, The Great Mixtape (2015), introduced her to the world, but it was Birds and the BEE9 in 2017 that brought her first Australian Music Prize (AMP). She made history in 2019 with The Return album, becoming the first artist to win the AMP twice.

She surfaced again in 2022 with a brilliant project titled As Above, So Below. Recorded in Zambia, Sampa’s project drew from a good mix of influences: Zamrock, Africa's polyrhythmic percussion, and rich choral harmonies.

While her earlier work leaned towards more impersonal, introspective raps, her recent work feels light but more grounded. She performs in English and Bemba, tapping into her Zambian roots head-high.

As Above, So Below, her second studio album, was released on 9 September 2022 through Loma Vista Recordings and peaked at number 12 on the ARIA Charts. It was nominated for Australian Album of the Year at the 18th annual J Awards in 2022 and earned another AMP nomination in the same year.

The album is steeped in the sounds of Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. It feels organic, original, and refreshingly soothing. It's a project that confidently takes up the African mantle, and honestly, it's surprising it didn’t receive wider global recognition.

The album opens with the delicate tones of the mbira on Shadows, immediately taking from Southern Africa’s vast musical heritage. Sampa’s vocal performance moves between melodic, throaty, and bass deliveries, backed by subtle bass kicks and guitar synth vamps. This mbira sound recurs throughout the album, notably on Imposter Syndrome featuring James Sakala and the solo track Tilibobo.

Tracks two and three, Lane and Never Forget — reassert Sampa’s place at the top of the game. She comes in with full confidence, singing boastfully, Who took fabric, made that shit classic, that shit ain't average, we did, reminding her listeners, that she is the rightfully good at what she does.

Mask On, featuring Joey Bada$$, begins with a nursery rhyme before moving into a full-bodied rap beat. The hi-hats and slow bass kicks pave the way for a slick hook, with Sampa and Joey bouncing off each other with electrifying energy.

Can I Live is another standout on the project, featuring legendary Zambian Zamrock band W.I.T.C.H. The track fuses rap, R&B, and the psychedelic grooves of the 1970s. It’s a brilliant throwback and a reintroduction of Zamrock to a new generation. It features throaty vocals, choral support, electric-guitar mastery that would blow your mind, you name it!

On Lo Rain, featuring Mwanjé, Sampa leans into a soft R&B mood, showing off her vocal dexterity and refined musical taste. That magic continues with IDGAF, a crisp, genre-defying track fusing rap, R&B, and choral textures. The track features British Ghanaian rapper Kojey Radical.

The closing track, Let Me Be Great, is the album’s crown jewel. Sampa declares herself a lion and a king, demanding her deserving flowers with authority. Featuring legendary Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo, the song blends Southern African music with highlife-esque elements. Kidjo’s graceful vocals complement Sampa’s gritty tone on a crispy beat.

From the psychedelic rock energy of W.I.T.C.H., to Kidjo’s transcendent harmonies, the mbira’s grounding presence, and the recurrent choral harmonies, As Above, So Below is truly rooted in African authenticity. It has an I’m-one-of-the-best aura, and rightfully so. Sampa wears her Zambian identity with pride, pouring soul into every track.

Recently, she joined Josplay Music, an Africa-focused streaming platform dedicated to artists of African heritage.

So, if you’re just discovering Sampa the Great, this is your chance to explore one of the best artists Africa has produced. Dive into her discography, download the Josplay Music app using this link for iOS or this link for Android.

PERFORMERS: Sampa The Great, Denzel Curry, Powers Pleasant, Chef 187, Mwanje, Tio Nason, Joey Bada$$, W.I.T.C.H., James Sakala, Kojey Radical, Angelique Kidjo.

SONGWRITERS: Sampa Tembo, Magnus Mando, Jeff Kleinman, Powers Pleasant, Denzel Curry, Mason Sacks, Kondwani Kaira, Mwanje Tembo, Taonga Nyirongo, Jo-Vaughn Virginie, Solomon Moyo, Emmanuel Jagari Chanda, James Sakala, Samuel Nyambe, Dreamlife, Kwadwo Adu Genfi Amponsah, Angelique Kidjo, Samuel Masta.

PRODUCERS: Magnus ‘Mag44’ Mando, Mason Sacks, Powers Pleasant, Solomon ‘Plate’ Moyo, Jeff Kleinman, Ben ‘Blazer’ Kalulu, Dreamlife.

SOURCE: Loma Vista Recording, Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing.

Sampa The Great's second studio album is deeply rooted in her Southern African heritage, blending Bemba and English.

Sampa the Great - The Hip Hop Queen from Zambia

Sampa The Great's second studio album is deeply rooted in her Southern African heritage, blending Bemba and English.

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