Sampa The Great - The Return

The Return is the debut studio album by Zambian-Australian hip hop artist Sampa The Great, released in September 2019 via Ninja Tune.

Sampa the Great’s debut album ‘The Return’ creates a sense of home. A characterful record, its reference points range from classic hip hop to ancient Southern African traditions.

Built on four years of personal and musical soul-searching, it’s the product of meaningful musical connections and of Sampa having to redefine her self-identity away from the comforts of family and old friends.

‘The Return’ - mixed predominantly by Jonwayne, Skepta / BBK’s go-to engineer MsM and Andrei Eremin (Grammy-nominated engineer for Hiatus Kaiyote and Chet Faker) - blends hip hop, neo-soul, gospel, afrobeat and jazz and features collabs with Silentjay, Kwes Darko (Slowthai) Perrin Moss (Hiatus Kaiyote), London Jazz collective Steam Down and many more.

Lead track ‘OMG’ was Zane Lowe’s World First and ‘Final Form’ his 'World Record' on Beats 1 - “new classic.”

Performing worldwide, Sampa has supported Kendrick Lamar, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Thundercat, Joey Bada$$, Hiatus Kaiyote, Noname, Ibeyi and Little Simz.

During 2019 Sampa has performed worldwide, including her first headline shows on African soil, sold out US shows in NYC and LA as well as Glastonbury, supported BET Best International Act winner Burna Boy (BRIC Festival, Brooklyn), appeared with Sons of Kemet, D Double E and Kojey Radical (Somerset House, London) and Love Supreme Jazz Festival (Lewes), with UK headline shows at Belgrave Music Hall Leeds, XOYO London and YES Manchester.

The album was released to universal acclaim with music critics and reached #12 on the Australian ARIA albums chart.

This double album 2LP record set is on 140 gram black vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve with a printed booklet and download code, pressed in Europe via Ninja Tune.