Though it's been three years since Sampa The Great released The Return, she hasn't left fans empty handed. Over the past few years, she's dished out several solid guest appearances to hold fans over until kicking off the campaign for her second studio album earlier this year.
Today, she shared As Above, So Below in its entirety. The dense 11-song effort boasts appearances from Denzel Curry, Joey Bada$$, Powers Pleasant, Chef 187, Kojey Radical, Angelique Kidjo, and more. On the production side, Mag44 holds down a significant portion of the record with Sampa also serving as a co-producer on several tracks.
In an interview wth Spin, she explained how this project came from a place of comfort in her career and artistry. "[The album is] more of the focus on why I’m making music and why I love expressing myself through music, versus defending [why I’m] making music and defending who I am," she explained.
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years.
Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021.
Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
...
