The Return is the debut studio album by Zambian singer-songwriter and rapper Sampa the Great. It was released in September 2019 and peaked at number 12 on the ARIA Charts.
At the J Awards of 2019, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.[6]
In February 2020, the album won the Australian Music Prize 2019 and in doing so, Sampa the Great became the first musician to win the award twice.[7]
Paul Simpson from AllMusic said "The Return is the long-awaited debut album by rapper, songwriter, and poet Sampa the Great. The vast, ambitious full-length reflects several years of constant, intense soul-searching, and its songs and interludes revolve around themes of identity, homecoming, and self-empowerment." Simpson added "Though her music incorporates a wide variety of jazz, soul, and African influences, her dedication to hip-hop is never more apparent than on the victorious 'Final Form', a black power anthem with a strong, '9th Wonder'-inspired beat" calling the album "an impressive, powerful work."[1]
Rachel Aroesti from The Guardian said "despite weaving southern African influences into the drumming and multilingual lyrics, Tembo's keen intellect and strong personality isn't always accompanied by the most distinctive sound. Highlight 'Final Form' channels Kanye West's brash take on classic soul and there is much busy but generic R&B on the bloated tracklist. Her vocal, meanwhile, can be offputtingly affected, resembling a parody of Kendrick Lamar's reedy, staccato flow. That said, Tembo is undoubtedly an intriguing addition to rap's increasingly rich tapestry – albeit one yet to land on a sonic palette as fresh and compelling as her perspective."[15]
Madelyn Tait from The Music said "Drawing influence from hip hop, jazz, soul, R&B and southern African sounds, Sampa The Great has created something original, somewhat spiritual, and entirely authentic. She has remained at the forefront of the Australian hip hop scene for numerous years now, but with The Return, is destined for global acclaim."[17]
Jack Doherty from Clash call the album "A bold post-genre record packed with inspired moments" adding "While there are times Sampa The Great leans hard into hip-hop's history – 'Time's Up' and Heaven' in particular, have a real 90s skate shop vibe about them – on the whole this record is overwhelming about [sic] the future, not the past. The beats often break away from standard rap shtick, taking the listener beyond genre and into the unknown."[14]
Scott Hudson from Beat Magazine said "Sampa Tembo is a master of her craft but almost as importantly, she understands the value of collaboration. The Return is stacked with features from artists of African descent, Australian and abroad. Nineteen tracks is a lot to ask of any listener but Sampa's control of cadence paired with well-produced, well-performed instrumentals and choir sections, is enough for you to chronically listen to 'just one more'."[13] Stevie Chick of Mojo wrote "The Return could do with editing, as its unweidly 78 minutes risk losing the audience before its finest songs...but too much of a good thing is nothing to hold a grudge over."[16]
"Made Us Better" (feat. Blue Lab Beats, Boadi & Lori) – 6:20
Sample credits
"Final Form" contains a sample of "Stay Away From Me" performed by the Sylvers and written by Leon Sylvers III.
"Freedom" contains a sample of "Visions" performed by The Brief Encounter and written by Gary Bailey.
"Diamonds In The Ruff" contains an interpolation "Son Of Pin Head" written by Katsunori Ishida
"Heaven" contains a sample of "I'm So Happy" performed by Light of the World and written by Peter Hinds, Ganiyu Bello, Everton McCalla, David John-Baptiste, Neville McKrieth, Canute Wellington, Nathaniel Augustin and Paul Williams.
