Imani Coppola Summons the Ghost Of Basquiat In SAMO Out Today

With the summer at our fingertips, eclectic and musically expansive artist, IMANI COPPOLA, is releasing her sweltering new single "SAMO". The track leans into a theatrical bent with strong R&B influences, highlighting not only her incendiary vocal prowess, but also her skillful command of the violin.

"'SAMO' is essentially an imagined friendship with [celebrated graffiti artist Jean-Michel] Basquiat throughout the decades," explains Coppola. "As the world was changing, I imagined how he and his art would've been affected had he thrived in a different time. I also managed to use his tag name 'SAMO', which is a short version of "Same ol' bullsh**", to cynically state that nothing ever really changes in American society, it only gets stupider and we're becoming more accustomed to accepting that as the new normal."

"SAMO" sees Coppola bluntly and unapologetically calling out this "same ol' bullsh**" with lyrics like, "Stop and frisk raised the risk... For mainly Blacks and Latinos," and "And the world was trolling for America to become great again (control, control control) / Guns were polling, Kanye West was running for President."

Listen to "SAMO" here!

Citing her genre-jumping musical palette, Coppola explains, "It's always been difficult for a label to figure out what the hell to do with me." Thus for her - a singer, violinist, songwriter, and producer who scored a Top 40 pop hit with her major label debut "Legend of a Cowgirl", it's a welcome return to the label that helped her cultivate her creativity and launched her career, IPECAC RECORDINGS. Headed by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton (Faith No More, Tomahawk, Dead Cross), Ipecac's roster (which includes releases from Daughters, Eagles of Death Metal, Martina Topley Bird, and Ennio Morricone) is equally as diverse as Coppola's music. "I don't do just one thing. I do everything. That's no exaggeration," she continues. "If anyone could understand and appreciate that approach it would be Mike Patton who has been 'in every band on the planet' and maybe a few from Jupiter."

Gearing up to release more music this Summer, Coppola intends to wake everyone up - both conscientiously and musically. "I want them to feel shaken, moved, rattled, I want them to feel their own importance in life, I want them to hear their own voice more clearly in their hearts. I want them to be more in touch with their truth, I want them to be kinder to others, I want them to be kinder to themselves. I want them to know they are not alone. And if they think they're crazy, they're in a good place. It's the ones who don't think they're crazy you gotta worry about."

Photo credit: Alex Elena

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