Sammus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sammus
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Sammus at the Haunt in Ithaca, New York, in 2015
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo |
| Born | March 20, 1986 Rhinebeck, New York |
| Origin | Ithaca, New York, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop, nerdcore |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, songwriter, record producer, teacher |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Nu-Black Music Group, Don Giovanni Records |
| Associated acts | Mega Ran, Open Mike Eagle, Xenia Rubinos, Latasha Alcindor, The NPC Collective, Sadie Dupuis, Izzy True, Chance Fisher, Gym Class Heroes |
Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo, born on March 20, 1986, is better known by her stage name, Sammus (sometimes written as SΔMMUS). She is an American rapper, a former teacher, and a music producer. Sammus is known for her unique style of hip hop music, which often includes themes from video games and science fiction.
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Early Life and Music Beginnings
Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo was born in Rhinebeck, NY. Her mother was from Ivory Coast and her father was from Congo. Her great-uncle was Patrice Lumumba, who was a former Prime Minister of Congo. Both of her parents were professors. They moved the family to Ithaca, New York, when Sammus was young. Her mother taught at Cornell University, and her father taught at Wells College.
Sammus started making music in high school. She used the name DJ Eno. She first used a PlayStation program called MTV Music Generator. Later, she used a music software called Reason to create her beats. When she needed a new stage name, a friend suggested "Samus." This name comes from the main character of the Metroid video game series, Samus Aran. Her friend thought it was a good fit because both Sammus and the character Samus are women in fields often dominated by men.
Education and Teaching Career
Sammus went to Cornell University and earned a bachelor's degree in 2008. She studied both Science and Technology Studies and Sociology. After college, she worked full-time as a teacher in Houston, Texas, through a program called Teach for America.
Sammus then returned to Cornell in 2011 to continue her studies. She earned a master's degree in 2015 and a doctorate in Science and Technology Studies in 2019. In 2019, she received a special fellowship at Brown University to study music. She focused on the styles and methods of music from the African diaspora. Today, she works as a professor in the Music Department at Brown University.
Sammus's Music Style
Sammus's older brother, Disashi, had a big influence on her. He is now a member of the band Gym Class Heroes. He introduced her to video games and alternative rock bands like Weezer and Nirvana.
Sammus has also said that the rapper Kanye West greatly influenced her, especially his first album, The College Dropout. She explained that this album came out at the perfect time for her, just before she started college. Before hearing it, she felt like she didn't have a voice in hip hop. She saw two main types of hip hop: music about having a lot of money, or very serious, political music. Sammus felt her own problems were simpler, like not wanting to go to school. Kanye West's album talked about exactly that, which made her feel like she could contribute to hip hop.
Sammus released her first music, an EP called Fly Nerd, in 2010. An EP is a shorter music album. She then released her album M'Other Brain in 2012. Another rapper, Mega Ran, heard Sammus's music, and they started working together.
In 2013, her second album, Prime, became the bestselling rap album on Bandcamp just hours after it was released. In December 2013, Sammus started a Kickstarter campaign to fund her fourth album. This album, Another M, was a concept album based on the Metroid video game series. It helped her gain fans in the nerdcore music style. Nerdcore is a type of hip hop music that often focuses on "nerdy" topics like video games, science fiction, and comics.
Sammus has said in interviews that she doesn't fully identify as a "nerdcore" rapper. She prefers the term "Afrofuturism" for her video-game themed music. This term connects her music to her Black identity and future-focused ideas.
Live Performances
Sammus has toured across the U.S. She went on the Rappers with Arm Cannons tour with Mega Ran in 2015. She has performed at many big festivals, including:
- The SXSW Music Festival since 2015.
- The Penny Arcade Expo (PAX East) in 2015.
- Geek Girl Con in 2014 and 2015.
- MAGFest, a music and gaming festival, in 2015, 2016, and 2024.
In June 2017, she also performed at the Northside Festival in Brooklyn, New York.
Discography
- 2010 - Fly Nerd (EP, self-released)
- 2012 - M'Other Brain (NuBlack Music Group)
- 2012 - Reset: Instrumentals (self-released)
- 2013 - Prime (NuBlack Music Group)
- 2013 - Nerdcore Instrumentals: Castlevania Edition (with DJ Cutman)
- 2013 - Castlevania: The Nocturnal Cantata (Joypad Records)
- 2014 - Another M (NuBlack Music Group)
- 2014 - Nerdcore Instrumentals 2 (with DJ Cutman)
- 2016 - InFusion (EP, NuBlack Music Group)
- 2016 - Pieces in Space (Don Giovanni Records)
