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..
| Birds and the Bee9 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Mixtape by | ||||
| Released | 10 November 2017 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Big Dada | |||
| Sampa the Great chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Birds and the BEE9 | ||||
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In February 2018, the album won the 2017 Australian Music Prize.[3]
Reception
edit| 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
edit| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Healing" | Sensible J | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Flowers" (feat. 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" (feat. Nicole Gumbe) | Kwes Darko | 3:41 |
| 7. | "Casper" (feat. Syreneyiscreamy) | Silentjay | 4:16 |
| 8. | "Karma the Villain" | Silentjay | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Bye River" | Silentjay | 7:42 |
| 10. | "Inner Voice" (feat. Mwanje Tembo) | Silentjay | 5:23 |
| 11. | "The Truth" | Sensible J | 1:20 |
| 12. | "I Am Me" | Kwes Darko | 3:33 |
| 13. | "Healer" (feat. Zaachariaha) | Sensible J | 3:03 |
| Total length: | 55:07 | ||
Release history
edit| 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 |
References
edit- ^ "Birds and the BEE9 by Sampa the Great at AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Bye River – Single by Sampa the Great". Apple Music. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "AMP winner Sampa The Great creates history". Sydney Morning Herald. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Sampa the Great: Birds and the BEE9 review an intriguing appetiser". The Guardian. 12 November 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Sampa The Great Birds and the BEE9". SunGenre. December 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Birds and the BEE9 by Sampa the Great DD". Apple Music. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Birds and the BEE9 by Sampa the Great LP". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 13 April 2020.