Sampha g s s l
3 things to know about the singer
ITH a résumé that includes collaborations with Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Drake and both Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, Londonbased 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 “Pro- cess” (out Friday). Ahead of his show at Terminal 5 on Thursday, here are three things you need to know about this rising star.
1. His songs are as real as they come
Sampha’s heart-wrenching new single, “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano,” and much of the rest of the album, were 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!” 2. He’s not the soundest sleeper Sampha occasionally suffers from sleep paral-
ysis. “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. 3. His four older brothers keep him in check
Whether it was putting him in a headlock for being naughty when they were kids, or, more recently, giving honest feedback during the writing of his album, his siblings have always been straight with him. “They don’t hold back,” 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!”