Blue Note Records has released a new track from late Afrobeat legend Tony Allen, “Stumbling Down,” featuring Zambian-Australian rapper Sampa the Great. The track will appear on the upcoming posthumous Allen record, There Is No End, out April 30th.
“Stumbling Down” boasts a dense, bass-heavy groove that’s cut through with a frenetic mix of percussion and a dextrous vocal performance from Sampa the Great. “Uncle Tony was involved in changing the way African Music was heard and felt, and he has constantly inspired me to learn and to expand my music,” Sampa said in a statement.
“Stumbling Down” marks the second offering from There Is No End, following “Cosmosis,” which was co-produced by Damon Albarn and featured Skepta and Nigerian poet Ben Okri.
Allen began working on There Is No End in 2019, a year before his death in April 2020 at the age of 79. Allen wrote and produced the album’s beats with drummer Vincent Taeger, a friend and mentee, and Taeger went on to complete the record with the help of co-producer Vincent Taurelle. There Is No End boasts a global cast of guests including Danny Brown, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon, Lava La Rue, Nate Bone, Tsunami, Nah Eeto, and more.
Prior to his death, Allen spoke about his desire to work with younger artists, saying, “I want to take care of youngsters; they have messages and I want to bring them on my beat. The idea is to transmit to the young generation, to mix different universes — the hip hop world to the Afrobeat world.”
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