Genesis Owusu | Feature Artist

3 for 3.

The big man does it again. The generational prodigy delivers another incredible concept record loaded with colourful instrumentals, crisp production with more personality to boot.

Five years after ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ and three after ‘Struggler’, Genesis Owusu has morphed this time into a guerrilla radio freedom fighter detailing the social decline in place of the ‘Worldwide Scourge’. It’s rebellious, it’s fresh, and it’s a new classic.

The use of the red star and the revolutionary aesthetic at play ties into a series of subtle nods to the freedom fighter tradition (similar to Damon Albarn / Gorillaz SNL ‘Dirty Harry’ appearance). For an Australian artist to approach these concepts with such a mature, fully-formed vision is something to behold, especially when there are very few international contemporaries taking it to this level with this much style or skill.

And the tracklist I’d argue is his strongest yet, loaded with features and genre-fusions. The sporadic momentum of ‘Stampede’ or the mania of ‘Most Normal American Voter’ is beautifully contrasted against ‘Running Out of Time’ or ‘Situations’. There’s post-punk, funk, soul and everything outside and in between. The radio concept just further enables Owusu to blend and experiment far beyond the rational genre boundaries, and it’s absolutely brilliant.

It’s criminal to call him just a rapper/singer/songwriter. We’re dealing with a full-blown multi-faceted artist that is deserving of all the hype.

It’s bound to be a year-end highlight, if not AOTY itself.

Available now in an incredible 2xLP gatefold translucent yellow pressing.

#vinyl #genesisowusu #redstarwuandtheworldwidescourge