Sampa the Great’s songs that made her great

This year, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. On August 11, 1973, a party went down in New York City. DJ Kool Herc was there, and he’d been playing around with a technique where he’d play the break from one record, then another, looping them and creating something new. On this night in the Bronx, b-boys and girls danced, then Herc and his friend Coke La Rock started speaking, rhyming over the music. Hip-hop was born.

The foundations of a sound and scene that would change the world are being celebrated throughout this year, including right here on the Take 5. Across many years I’ve had the great pleasure in chatting with lots of hip-hop legends and hear them chat about their fandom too.

It was back in 2016 when I first met Sampa the Great, and asked her to Take 5. And given this auspicious anniversary, I thought it’d be fun to dig into the archives, and house it here on the podcast for the first time.

A lot can happen in 7 years. When I met Sampa, she’d just released her first mixtape. She’d gotten a heap of attention when handpicked by Kendrick Lamar to support his arena shows in Australia. And her future as a multi award winning artist who would not mince words, who would enliven Zamrock for a new generation, and become one of the most talked about artists of our time… it was all yet to come.

• Thandiswa Mazwai - Ndiyahamba (I’m Leaving)
• Lauryn Hill – To Zion
• Nina Simone – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood 
• 2pac – Changes 
• Chance The Rapper – Wonderful Everyday