Sampa The Great is poised to be her highest self. In just a few short years, the Zambian artist (born Sampa Tembo) has established herself as one of global rap’s most compelling and outspoken voices, reaching new levels of recognition and acclaim with the release of 2022’s defining album As Above, So Below. The album was recorded over the course of two weeks while back home in Zambia during the pandemic. As Above represents Sampa’s outside self, while So Below translates the Sampa within, uniting to reveal the highest version of herself—honest, without a mask or role to play. It’s a homecoming back to her roots as well as a mark of her growing beyond her borders. She is expansive—she transcends genres and expectations—as both an artist and as a woman.
At the centre of Sampa The Great’s artistic identity, is an inherent knowledge of and confidence in herself. The vivacity experienced at a Sampa show is a pure extension of the personality and strength of the woman behind the music; an artist unafraid to move between sonic genre and mood, Sampa’s infusion of her own brand of boldness with her art, has made her an in-demand name.
A global artistic visionary in the truest sense of the term, Sampa The Great has brought the essence of her culture together with a powerful and forward thinking blend of sonic influences; creating a contemporary sound that has illuminated one of music’s most unique and exciting creative journeys.