Sampa The Great Recruits Denzel Curry For New Song And Video, ‘Lane’
Sampa has also inked a deal with Loma Vista Recordings.
Following last weekend’s inaugural Coachella performances, Zambian-born, Botswana-raised poet and rapper Sampa The Great ushers in a new era with the release of “Lane,” featuring Florida rapper and labelmate, Denzel Curry.
“Lane” is the first single Sampa the Great is releasing with Loma Vista, and the first taste of her own new music since 2019’s ARIA Award and Australian Music Prize-winning debut album, The Return.
After relocating home to Zambia during the pandemic, Sampa reconnected with a different side of herself, one closer to the younger artistry that was nourished growing up in Africa. Now, in an age of authenticity, meet a 360 Sampa, a higher version of herself. With no mask on or role to play, “Lane” is Sampa The Great’s call out to create and explore her own lanes, and go beyond what’s prescribed without judgment.
A vocoded voice leads the track, to the tune of jilted organs and choral harmonies. A trap beat with a rolling bass melody sets the pace for Sampa to rap in defiance of being shoved in a box, calling out for courage to try willingly and freely. Denzel Curry’s verse is a powerful statement of similar essence, further adding to the gravity of “Lane’s” message.
Accompanying the song is a video directed by Rochelle Rhembard and Imraan Christian. Sampa The Great says of “Lane”: “We’re not going to stay in one lane, we’re going to create multiple ones… My truest self encourages me to explore different lanes, and go beyond what I think I know of myself.”
Sampa The Great has spent much of the past two years writing and recording while home in Zambia during the pandemic. In 2020, Sampa The Great took home three ARIA Awards for her 2019 debut album The Return, including Best Independent Release, Best Female Artist, and Best Hip Hop Release before executing a thrilling live performance filmed from a rooftop in Botswana.
