Sampa The Great ft: Chef 187, Tio Nason + Mwanjé - Never Forget (Official Video)

Photo Credit: Constantine Spence

ARIA-Award winning, Zambian-born Botswana-raised poet and rapper, Sampa The Great announces the impending arrival of her sophomore full-length album, As Above, So Below out worldwide on September 9 via Loma Vista. Adjoining the news, is the release of Sampa’s new single and video, “Never Forget” featuring Chef 187, Tio Nason and Mwanjé, available to stream now.

Sampa’s newest single arrives a brandishing ode to the golden era of Zambia’s socially prolific genre, Zamrock. Throwing recognition to the music coming out of the African diaspora today, to honouring the stories of those who tread previously, “Never Forget”is the stamp uniting both centre-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 bongos, to hand claps, xylophones and timpanis colouring the song’s DNA (via Zambians Legendary producer Mag44, executive producer of the album) Triumphant verses from Sampa and Zambian MC Chef 187 weave throughout with a punchy finesse.

Accompanying “Never Forget” is today’s official music video, starring Sampa The Great, MC Chef 187, Tio Nason and Mwanjé. A darkly lit performance space featuring choreography and the artfully costumed personas of Sampa, translates to a highly cinematic and enthralling vision. 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.