Zambian Rapper, Poet & Singer Sampa The Great's Debut Mixtape

Zambian-born, Botswana-raised rapper, poet and singer-songwriter Sampa The Great is sharing her 12-track debut mixtape on the Melbourne-based label Wondercore Island (home of Hiatus Kaiyote, Oscar Key Sung, and several others). The Great mixtape, produced entirely by Australia's Godriguez, flows through a collection of experimental beats and left-field rhymes shaped by Sampa's wide-spanning influences of Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, Thandiswa Mazwai, Asa, Nneka, and Yasiin Bey.

Sampa, who mentions that she first fell in love with hip-hop after listening to 2Pac's "Changes" in her cousin's room, credits her youth in Africa for influencing her tracks' political consciousness, "humanity, spirituality.. and highly increased... belief in self." Highlights on the debut tape include the relentless, piano-backed bars of "Jamal," the sample-heavy beatwork in "Revolution" and girl anthem "F E M A L E." Stream The Great Mixtape below, co-premiering here and on Okayplayer today, and grab yourself a free download on Bandcamp.