With a résumé that includes collaborations with Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Drake and both Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, London-based producer and singer-songwriter Sampha has truly established himself as an artist’s artist over the past five years.
But the 28-year-old (full name Sampha Sisay) is finally ready to take his raw blend of R&B and electronica out of the shadow of others, with his new debut solo album “Process” (out Friday). Ahead of his show at Terminal 5 on Thursday on Feb. 5, here are three things you need to know about this rising star.
Sampha’s heart-wrenching new single, “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” (and much of the album), was composed during his mother’s final days. She passed away in September 2015 of cancer. “I like having songs I can really feel,” Sampha tells The Post. “It helps me remember that time, which is good, because I’ve got a bad memory!”
Sampha occasionally suffers from sleep paralysis. “It’s sort of like the film ‘Inception.’ You have to find a way to jolt yourself awake.” The excellent 2016 song “Blood on Me” is partly inspired by these dreams and experiences.
Whether it was being put in a headlock as a naughty kid, or giving brutally honest feedback during the writing of his album, the Sisay siblings aren’t afraid to put Sampha straight. “They don’t hold back with their comments,” he says. “They were like, ‘Where are you going with this song? You need help!’ I listened to some of their advice — but not all of it!”
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