Yet singing was far from being his first choice. In his early days, this shy Londoner was destined for production, a field that has always fascinated him. From the age of 3, Sampha Sisay (his real name) began to play the piano, almost instinctively. He composed his first beats at the age of 13. The youngest of five siblings, the artist grew lulled by the musical tastes of his older brothers, mostly turned to American hip-hop and the now-booming UK grime scene.

A question was asked in Sampha :

Have you always wanted to be a musician, where did you dream of other things when you were a child ?

His answer :

I had several phases. In college, I wanted to be an architect and a footballer, both at once [laughs]. But the music has always been there. I started producing my first beats at the age of 13, they were inspired by great American hip-hop producers like Swizz Beatz and Pharrell, and grime producers too. Early on, I had started producing for rappers.