When Zambian-born rapper Sampa Tembo was navigating her early career in Australia, Tupac Shakur’s posthumous hit became a guiding light
– before we even get into the verses or chorus, we’re establishing the chanting and harmonies behind the song.Lyrically, I connect with artists who talk about what’s happening in their lives. On Changes, I resonated with Tupac’s vulnerability. It was unusual for a male hip-hop artist to talk about their doubts and fears. You’re supposed to display bravado and strength.
He opens with “I see no changes”, this hopelessness, and takes us on a journey. When I listened to it in my adolescence, I was starting to really see what adulthood was about and the experiences my parents were having – of having children from a different country being raised in Botswana, not fitting in, and how hard it was on them. There’s a line in the song that goes “Things’ll never be the same” and as a kid you just think “Damn, I guess this is life as we know it.
Tupac wanted to start his own label and put more of his peers forward – and that’s where I am now. He never got to achieve that [Tupac was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in 1996], but luckily I still have that opportunity. This year we’ve been ending all our Sampa the Great concerts by playing Changes. We stay on stage while it plays and experience it with the crowd. It’s important for people to know what inspired the live show they’ve just seen – what inspired me to take on hip-hop. Whenever 2Pac’s Changes comes on, it’s a reminder to stay true to expressing myself.
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