The album marks a major shift from Sampa's earlier work in Australia, where she often felt pressured to be a "multicultural" ambassador. "Tilibobo" fits into a project that Sampa describes as her most personal and transparent work to date.
: By recording in Zambia with a majority African team, Sampa aimed to represent her "younger self," reconnecting with the dreams she had before achieving international fame. Sampa The Great - Tilibobo
: "Tilibobo" features the delicate, recurring tones of the mbira (a traditional thumb piano), a sound steeped in Southern Africa's musical heritage that echoes throughout the album. The album marks a major shift from Sampa's
: The song embodies Sampa's "hybrid music" philosophy—a mixture of the global hip-hop that inspired her and the local sounds she grew up with in Zambia and Botswana. Context within As Above, So Below : "Tilibobo" features the delicate, recurring tones of
The track was written and produced by Sampa alongside the prominent Zambian producer (Magnus Mando). Mag44, whom Sampa admired as a young student, played a pivotal role in the "fastest album-making process" of her career, helping her bridge traditional Zambian sounds with modern hip-hop.
: Alongside tracks like "Never Forget," "Tilibobo" celebrates Zamrock —Zambia's unique 1970s fusion of psychedelia and rock—reasserting her place at the top of the global hip-hop scene while flying her home flag. Live Performances