Birds and the Bee9
2017 mixtape by Sampa the Great
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Birds and the Bee9 (stylised as Birds and the BEE9) is the second mixtape by Zambian singer-songwriter and rapper Sampa the Great. It was released in November 2017. The album won the 2017 Australian Music Prize.[3]
| Birds and the Bee9 | ||||
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| Mixtape by | ||||
| Released | 10 November 2017 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Label | Big Dada | |||
| Sampa the Great chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Birds and the BEE9 | ||||
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Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |   [4] |
| SunGenre | [5] |
Kitty Empire from The Guardian said "Though swaggeringly up to date in places, her tracks sound far closer to Lauryn Hill than they do to 2017's breakout star Cardi B, nodding to reggae, soul and jazz. The complex question of identity keeps cropping up. 'How you supposed to be black down under?' Tembo wonders on 'Bye River'". Empire called the mixed tape "an intriguing appetiser".[4]
Dan Webb from SunGenre said the album "shows great promise and moments of brilliance" but concluded with "...after repeat listens, we're still not entirely sure what to make of this album."[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Healing" | Sensible J | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Flowers" (featuring Remi) | Sensible J | 3:26 |
| 3. | "Protect Your Queen" | Justin Smith | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Rhymes to the East" | Sensible J | 4:07 |
| 5. | "Can I Get a Key" | Kwes Darko | 3:42 |
| 6. | "Black Girl Magik" (featuring Nicole Gumbe) | Kwes Darko | 3:41 |
| 7. | "Casper" (featuring Syreneyiscreamy) | Silentjay | 4:16 |
| 8. | "Karma the Villain" | Silentjay | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Bye River" | Silentjay | 7:42 |
| 10. | "Inner Voice" (featuring Mwanje Tembo) | Silentjay | 5:23 |
| 11. | "The Truth" | Sensible J | 1:20 |
| 12. | "I Am Me" | Kwes Darko | 3:33 |
| 13. | "Healer" (featuring Zaachariaha) | Sensible J | 3:03 |
| Total length: | 55:07 | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various[6] | 13 September 2019 | CD, digital download, streaming | Big Dada | BD287 |
| Australia[7] | 27 September 2019 | LP | Big Dada/Ninja Tune | BD287C |