Sambal Snake adds authentic, local flavor to the National Day anthem in latest track, “Singapura.” Taking listeners to local history and culture 101, “Singapura” revels in all things Singapore, sans the usual traditional approach.
“Every year on the 9th of August our country celebrates our independence. Around this period we will normally put out a National Day song [which] are normally very family friendly and ultra-sanitized,” Sambal Snake tells HipHopDX Asia. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that approach, I just thought it was pretty lame since we use the same old formula year after year.”
The result is a brooding, trap version that “celebrates our strengths without being too run-of-the-mill and sanitized,” he explains. Due to the nature of the track, the Singaporean rapper “assures” that “the lyrics are still clean and there isn’t anything weird or anti-government inside that will invite controversy,” he laughs.
Lyrically, “Singapura” recounts Singapore’s “rocky beginnings,” its cuisine (described as sedap, the Malay word for “delicious”), “its trillion-dollar reserves and its multicultural identity,” according to a press statement. The production by Fauxe features monastic choir vocals, local soundbites, and field recordings, such as the door-closing alarm from Singapore’s public railway trains, the commands of a drill sergeant, and the familiar chirp of an Asian Koel, which was described as “an infamous bird which has gained local notoriety for rousing many a Singaporean awake on an otherwise peaceful weekend morning.”
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Sambal Snake a.k.a Pedas Python a.k.a Belacan Boa a.k.a Chili Cobra a.k.a Mala Mamba is a Singaporean-Chinese rapper-songwriter. A man of many names and many flavors, Sambal Snake approaches rap through a blend of mischief, satire, and hard-hitting trap beats.
In an interview with Big Duck, he says, “I think the music I make is very in line with who I am as a person.” He explains, “I joke around, and I poke fun at both other rappers and myself.” The rapper made his official debut just this year with “Elephant.” The music video premiered on HipHopDX Asia in May.
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“Singapura” is out now via Where Are The Fruits here. Stream it on Spotify below:
Don’t forget to check out his first single, “Elephant,” via HipHopDX Asia below.
Additional reporting by Anisha Khemlani
