Following last weekend’s inaugural Coachella performances, Zambian-born Botswana-raised poet and rapper, Sampa The Great today 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. 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 the 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. A long-form piece, book-ended and balanced with the spoken-word piece “Origin” is a fitting reintroduction. From the depths of an underground cave, we are first introduced to Eve: the persona and blueprint of Sampa’s highest version of self. From a juxtaposition of four-walled concrete rooms to Sampa’s younger self, to children in black suits running through nature with automatic weapons in hand, we follow the story of Sampa’s newest journey. Denzel Curry completes the narrative in a virtual reality headset, rapping in time to spell out a dynamic ending. 

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.”