Sam Lao

Texas musician and visual artist Sam Lao made her debut in 2013. Influenced by late-'90s pop as well as Queen and Prince, the Dallas-based singer/rapper arrived with a full aesthetic vision, focusing on artwork and music videos to accompany her mix of atmospheric electronic, hip-hop, and R&B. Her first EP, West Pantego, was issued in the summer of 2013. A dizzying mix of sounds and ideas similar to work by M.I.A., Noname, SZA, and Iamsu!, West Pantego provided the springboard that landed Lao slots opening for Jessie Ware and performing at SXSW. Afterward, Lao began work on her...