Sampa The Great – Never Forget Lyrics

Sampa The Great – Never Forget Lyrics

Never Forget Lyrics by Sampa The Great

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 Australian-based rapper herself, the song pays tribute to Zambia’s culture and history, as the instrumental incorporates elements of Zamrock and kalindula, while the artists sing in local languages such as Bemba and Chewa. The official music video follows suit, alternating visual performances with archival footage of Zambian life in the 1970s and several national icons, such as former President Kenneth Kaunda, musician Paul Ngozi and rock band WITCH – whose original lead singer, Jagari Chanda, is featured on another song from the same album, “Can I Live?”.

This last group was Sampa’s main source of inspiration for the song’s creative process, as she explained during an October 2022 interview with Vulture:

At the time, I had just discovered Zamrock, which is wild, because people outside of my country [already] knew about Zamrock. What stuck out to me is these young kids from Zambia were dabbling with psychedelic rock and traditional Zambian sounds and creating this new genre, and the world loved and appreciated it.
[…]
[Only after I made “Never Forget,” I found out that one of my uncles, George “Groovy Joe” Kunda, was part of an early line-up of WITCH.] That little spill of encouragement was all I needed, [since I once thought no one in my family had pursued music.] I still wish I had that [revelation] in the beginning of my career! But to just know that gave me more of a bond and connection with WITCH.

In October 2022, the song was notably featured in the official trailer for the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

[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