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Sampa The Great writes a love letter to her Zambian heritage on “Never Forget,” the second single from her second studio album, As Above, So Below. The song also features Sampa’s sister Mwanjé, as well as fellow Zambian artists Tio Nason – Sampa’s cousin – and Chef 187.
As explained by the formerly...
[Intro: Mwanje]
Eya
Eya
Eya
Eya
Ayy
[Verse 1: Sampa The Great & Mwanje]
Who took fabric, made that shit classic?
That shit ain't average, we did! (Never forget)
Who did music, made that shit language
African branded? We did! (Never forget)
Who took movement, spirit included
Made it a movement? We did! (Never forget)
Who's the origin, straight from the soul and then
Redistributed? Who did? (Never forget)
[Chorus: Mwanje]
Future, ancient answers that were never given
Information passed down for genеration
Future, ancient answers that wеre never given
They will never forget
[Bridge: Mwanje & Tio]
Eya (Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali)
Eya (Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala)
Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali
Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala
Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali
Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala, yeah
[Verse 2: Chef 187]
Yes
Young chef, we all over
Ay, fititi inkanda, umushishi ni nappy, yeah
Konse twanyanta, umushili we mark, yeah
Enginila, dokotela wa first afuma kwesu (Kwesu)
Kubufumu nobukumu fyonse fyatula kwesu
Ubunonshi mucitundu (Then), mufundo mumushili (Then)
Ma values yacimuntu, ubafunde umushili (Hah!)
Battle rapping in form of ifishobo ('fishobo)
Twafyambile kale ifwe (Enh), teti uncaile showboat
Young Chef, we all over
[Chorus: Mwanje]
Future, ancient answers that were never given
Information passed down for generation
Future, ancient answers that were never given
They will never forget
Eya, eya, eh
[Bridge: Tio & Sampa The Great]
Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali
Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala
Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali (Eeeeey, enhe!)
Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala
[Verse 3: Sampa The Great]
Don't ever forget that I said it
If ever they ever had shown you the way then I paved it
Say that I said it
They passed the baton, I pushed on, now we on
Now we made it, now, mama, we made it
The reason they higher (Higher)
Fuck what they told you, my calling is higher
There is no proof I require ('quire)
Begin and end, ain't no way I retire
Please do not come here again
Please do not call me your friend
Please do not rewrite my history, take out my victory, claiming my pen
I will not say it again, you will remember the name
Sampa The Great is the greatest, I will not debate it
I thought that I said it, it's never... forget!
[Chorus: Mwanje]
Future, ancient answers that were never given (Aya, eh!)
Information passed down for generation
Future, ancient answers that were never given
They will never forget
Eya, eya, eh
[Bridge: Mwanje & Tio]
Eya (Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali)
Eya (Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala)
Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali
Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala
Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali
Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala, yeah
[Interlude]
Hai!
Hai, Hai!
Hai!
Hai, Hai!
Hai!
Hai, Hai!
[Outro: Mwanje & Tio]
Eya (Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali)
Eya (Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala)
Iyo nkanda yako ni nyali
Ndiwe mfumu lelo osaibala, yeah
Never Forget was written by Mag44 & Kondwani Kaira & Mwanjé & Sampa The Great.
Never Forget was produced by Ben “Blazer” Kalulu & Mag44.
Sampa The Great released Never Forget on Tue Jun 28 2022.
The “Never Forget” video is an ode to Zamrock music, a genre that was birthed in the 70’s and is a combination of tradional Zambian music and psychedelic rock.
—Sampa The Great, via YouTube
Mwanje and Sampa the Great are mainly singing in English, while Tio is singing in Chewa and Chef 187 is rapping in Bemba.
At the time [I started working with Mag44 on the album in Zambia], I had just discovered Zamrock, which is wild, because people outside of my country knew about Zamrock. What stuck out to me is these young kids from Zambia were dabbling with psychedelic rock and traditional Zambian sounds and creati...