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Sampa The Great

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SAMPA THE GREAT
unveils music video
“LET ME BE GREAT”
feat. ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO

WATCH HERE

+ Announces support acts for
Hamer Hall show

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
HAMER HALL, NAARM VIC
TICKETS HERE

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW IS OUT NOW VIA LOMA VISTA
BUY/STREAM HERE

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Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez (@shervinfoto)

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Following the release of her acclaimed sophomore album, As Above, So Below, Zambian poet and rapper, Sampa The Great today unveils the music video to “Let Me Be Great” – out via Loma Vista Recordings.

Set in an animated CGI world, the hyperreal clip sees Sampa backdropped by towering metallic sculptures, intertwined and rising from expansive natural landscapes. Directed by Pvssykrew, scenes of mutating chromatic tendrils fusing with blossoming vines and mountain peaks serve as a reflection of Sampa’s prismatic musical universe – a vision of Afro-futurism that pays homage to Africa, whilst heralding its future. Featuring African musical legend Angélique Kidjo, the anthemic “Let Me Be Great” captures Sampa The Great’s journey to authenticity and self-empowerment, and simultaneously serves as an outlet for Sampa to celebrate Kidjo’s trailblazing influence in the musical output of the African diaspora today.

Speaking to the clip, Sampa The Great shares: “The ‘Let Me Be Great’ visual was such a huge step into an amazing new direction. My creative director, ‘Rharha Nembhard’, and I had mapped out the journey our visuals would take on my new album and we were excited to step into a more cinematic realm with all of my visuals!

One new experience that I had never dived into was 3D, visual mapping and green screen. We sought out the help of the amazing Pvssykrew to help us achieve this visual and step into a whole new digital world. Inspired by the ethereal ‘Agolo’ music video created by Angelique in the 70’s, we chose to pay homage to the Legendary Queen by recreating the visual into a modern take of traditional and sci-fi visuals: incorporating the theme of As Above, So Below through the use of yin and yang, infinity and tree figures. One of my most experimental visuals to date with the exception of ‘Bona’!”

Today’s video serves as a visual taster of Sampa The Great’s forthcoming live experience: As Above, So Below – Front to Back. Taking place at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on December 9, the night will see the ARIA-Award winning artist perform her eponymously titled new sophomore album in its entirety. Bringing the sounds of Africa to Naarm, Sampa will be joined by newly announced support acts, Cool Out Sun and Temgazi. Comprising creatives Sensible J, N’fa Jones, Lamine Sonko and Nui Moon, Afro-soul outfit Cool Out Sun fuse world music, roots and hip-hop to create a blissful blend of grooves. Drawing upon her Swazi South-African upbringing, Sydney-based singer-songwriter Temgazi is set to bring to the night her multifaceted brand of R&B – simultaneously bold and soulful.

As a career-eclipsing record, As Above, So Below traverses Sampa’s memories of Africa while looking to the future of Africa’s relationship to the world and its global communities. As Above, So Below arrived to praise in features by Wonderland, The Gentlewoman, Harper’s Bazaar, Instyle, Rolling Stone Australia, NME, The Guardian, Refinery29 AU and more, plus, was named Feature Album by Double J, FBi Radio, SYN, Triple R, RTR FM and 2SER. Most recently, acclaimed single “Never Forget”soundtracked the trailer for Marvel’s forthcoming blockbuster ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’.

After the postponement of 2021’s inaugural and highly anticipated An Afro Future tour, Sampa delivered a spectacular run of rescheduled live performances across Eora/Sydney and Naarm/Melbourne, and travelled the globe to perform at Glastonbury, Primavera Sound and Lollapalooza Festivals, plus make her debut at Coachella 2022. Sampa’s forthcoming Hamer Hall shows follow her recent support of Billie Eilish on her Happier Than Ever tour, and Sampa’s headline show at Eora/Sydney’s Phoenix Central Park.

This year’s shows mark the first opportunity for fans to see Sampa in live format with her full band from Zambia; enter Sampa’s ambitious artistic universe on “Let Me Be Great”, and watch as she brings it to life onstage this December.

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AS ABOVE, SO BELOW IS OUT NOW VIA LOMA VISTA
BUY/STREAM AS ABOVE, SO BELOW HERE

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
Track List

1. Shadows 
2. Lane feat. Denzel Curry 
3. Never Forget feat. Chef 187, Tio Nason, Mwanjé
4. Mask On feat. Joey Bada$$ 
5. Bona 
6. Can I Live feat. W.I.T.C.H 
7. Imposter Syndrome feat. James Sakala
8. Tilibobo 
9. Lo Rain feat. Mwanjé 
10. IDGAF feat. Kojey Radical 
11. Let Me Be Great feat. Angélique Kidjo

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Follow SAMPA THE GREAT
FACEBOOK – INSTAGRAM
TWITTER – YOUTUBE

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AMNPLIFY – DB