SAMPA THE GREAT RELEASES HEROES ACT 2 FEAT. ESTELLE & PRODUCTION BY RAHKI

Zambian-born, Botswana-raised, singer-songwriter and poet, Sampa The Great, is poised to have a breakout year. Today, the now Sydney-based artist releases her highly anticipated three-track EP HERoes Act 2 with Red Bull Sound Select. Alongside the EP’s lead single, “Everybody’s Hero” are two unheard tracks “The Plug” and “Paved With Gold”, all featuring UK artist Estelle and LA producer Rahki.

HERoes Act 2 EP was the result of a series of collaborative sessions at the Red Bull Paris studios, which saw Sampa partnered with Grammy-award winning songwriter and vocalist Estelle, and LA go-to producer Rahki. Estelle has achieved worldwide success with songs like “American Boy” and “Conqueror” - and worked with the likes of Kanye West and John Legend. Meanwhile, Rahki has provided numerous Grammy-award winning beats for the likes of Kendrick Lamar (good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp A Butterfly), Syd, Mac Miller and Travis Scott.

On working with Estelle and Rahki, Sampa says: “[working with Estelle & Rahki was] at first, very intimidating. Knowing who they are and the amazing work they have done, I felt intimidated. I really had to look back to my journey way before I came to Australia, I had to look at my musical family, being raised by them and convince myself that I am in the space I'm supposed to be. Gaining that confidence in myself as an artist is something that I have taken out of this experience.”

As a follow up to Sampa The Great’s two-part song and spoken word project HERoes, that she released last year, today’s EP release marks a continuation of collaboration and self-exploration. Act 2’s first single, “Everybody’s Hero” is an emotional callout to the inability of being everyone’s hero and instead being your own, while accompanying tracks, the impactful “The Plug” shines value on self confidence and being your own muse, and soul-tinged “Paved With Gold” speaks of clarifying life’s new direction after a derailment. HERoes Act 2’s artwork features a photo of Sampa taken late last year sitting side by side of an image that was taken of her 15 years ago, symbolising her journey from Botswana to present day.

The rise of Sampa The Great has been nothing short of spectacular. In 2015, Sampa received phenomenal success with her debut release, The Great Mixtape. It featured the #1 Hype Machine hit “Blue Boss” that was picked up by BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac and reached one million Spotify plays in two months. Follow-up releases "Black Dignity" and the collaborative HERoes project were received with similar greatness. One of the first artists to be inducted into Red Bull Sound Select’s Australian program, Sampa performed at Sydney’s Chippendale hotel last May alongside Tuka and B-Wise. Elsewhere on stage, Sampa has supported the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat and Hiatus Kaiyote, sold out her own shows and headlined festivals including Golden Plains, Sugar Mountain and WOMAD.

Earlier this year, Sampa also appeared at national touring festival, Laneway. In collaboration with Red Bull Sampa enveloped Melbourne and Sydney crowds within a giant woven cape, before allowing attendees to pull apart their own piece of the cape to wear for the remainder of the festival - Everybody was a hero for the day. Sampa will next visit the UK in May for Brighton's The Great Escape festival, before joining frequent collaborator REMI on a co-headline national Australian tour in June and July.

HERoes Act 2 is the fifth Red Bull Sound Select release this year following Xavier Omar’s “Afraid”, produced by Bizness Boi, Tennyson’s three tracks “Tuesday,” ”Wednesday” and “Thursday” with Mr. Carmack as well as Pell’s “Patience” /“Late At Night” featuring MNEK / produced by London On Da Track. Sampa the Great joins the catalogue of previously released breakout tracks including Gallant's "Skipping Stones" featuring Jhené Aiko, River Tiber's "Illusions" featuring Pusha T (produced by River Tiber, KAYTRANADA & Doc McKinney), and more.