Genesis Owusu talks crisis, community, and new album 'REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE' • Interview • DIY Magazine

“There are some really pressing things that we need to figure out as a community right now,” says a determined Genesis Owusu. The trailblazing rapper might have penned his third album ‘REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE’ way back in 2024, but the themes tackled within feel more pertinent than ever before as he prepares to drop the record this month.

“I feel antsy and very ready to have it out in the world,” he offers during a final bit of downtime from his home in Canberra, Australia. “I would have released it straight away, but unfortunately the topics are still relevant in the here and now. Even if I’m talking about specific occurrences, the core themes of imperialism, greed and hatred are all imbued in the human experience. We’re going to have to wrestle with these issues as a society for a very long time.”

From the get-go, Genesis isn’t pulling any punches as he takes aim at the powers that be. “Elon’s a fuckin’ weirdo / Who gave these incels moolah / Spit out your threats and slurs kid / I’ll show you something crueler,” he thunders on the paranoid, choppy, synth-led opener ‘PIRATE RADIO’. Setting the tone for what’s to come, the track feels like a shot of adrenaline and a battle cry capable of rallying the most casual of listeners.

“I knew I wanted to write about the world around me going into this album,” he says. “I’ve always used music as a therapeutic and cathartic express release and that was the thing that was weighing on me the most because it’s a thing we’re all living through right now. It’s such a fucking weird time to be alive, you see everything, you hear everything but at the same time the most powerful people in the world are telling you the complete opposite. It’s a strange and paranoid age of mass gaslighting.”

Owusu hopes the record will serve as a beacon of hope within individuals and communities. “I wanted to have it be like a battery that puts some energy in you to do something, I want it to be the soundtrack to some disruption. I feel like when people live through these world events and are bombarded with it day to day, it breeds apathy and indifference. I want the music to inspire people, look at the world but don’t be beaten down by it. Know that other people are feeling what you’re feeling, find those people and figure out the first steps towards change.”

“The core themes of imperialism, greed, and hatred are all imbued in the human experience.”

He is, of course, well-versed in channeling an underlying unease and paranoia. 2022’s ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ put the rapper on the map as he tackled timely themes of racism and depression, where his second ‘STRUGGLER’ is a self-described ‘existential crisis’ in an album. “The themes have always been quite dark and heavy,” he reflects. “Yet sonically, I’ve always played with the contrast of how that comes across with that juxtaposition of light and shade.

“I think artists like Prince and Andre 3000 were big inspirations in that case,” he says. “A song like ‘1999’ is essentially talking about armageddon or a song like ‘Hey Ya’ is talking about the terrible collapse of a relationship but you’re so uplifted at the same time. I’m definitely inspired by that sound and variety. It’s the kind of art in general where there are many layers to pull back and you don’t get the full experience on the first listen.”

You only need to hear the likes of ‘STAMPEDE’ to experience this thrilling duality. The charged anthem feels like a straight-up release with the youthful spirit of indie trailblazers like Bloc Party or King Krule as he spits lines designed to uplift and energise: “Left side to the right side / Front side to the back / Stampede if you’re with me.”

“I’d been playing that song before I’d released it and it was already going crazy which is a really good sign. It’s not even some ‘Kumbayah, we’re all happy and we love each other’ type thing because there are songs on the album where I am voicing my frustration with the people who I really don’t fucking agree with.”

“At the same time we are all in the same boat: we need coalition building and that doesn’t mean we all agree on every single thing and we all have to glaze over our problems. It’s about recognising that there are issues affecting all of us. It’s in our best interests to figure it out together and then we can go about our ways and deal with other individual shit.”

“I want [this album] to be the soundtrack to some disruption.”

‘REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE’ does mark a shift in terms of Owusu’s overall approach, and speaking to the world around him so directly brought its own concerns initially. “I felt like I needed to tackle these themes but I was a bit hesitant because throughout my career, I’ve strove to make timeless music, whereas making music like this which is about contemporary societal problems and politics has got a clear time stamp on it.”

Indeed, there was a point around the pandemic where it felt like every new guitar-wielding band was grabbing the pitchforks and shouting about the state of the world. It was an approach that quickly felt tired and oversaturated through already bleak times. It’s perhaps the directness and his own innovative genre-mashing style that makes Genesis’ own approach feel so timely, fierce and refreshing. In a thematic sense, he attributes that to his community driven values.

“A huge theme is also the community aspect. We can’t do anything about this individually, first of all, we have to come together and regain what it means to have a community in real life. Coming with that aspect, you have to be around people and listening to people from all different walks of life. Through that you get different opinions and perspectives. You keep your own but it’s hard to come from a place of moral superiority or to shout down at people if you’re amongst a community and you’re hearing these voices.”

Genesis also stresses the value in building his own community as his music has resonated around the world. “Travelling the world and meeting people is one of the things that I appreciate the most,” he says. “It gives life and reason to all this shit because no man is an island, we don’t exist in a vacuum. For me to make something that I literally wrote in my bedroom and for it to resonate around the world is a huge privilege that I’ve gotten to live. Having that in the first place has definitely enriched my world view and emphasised the importance of community.”

Through his success, it’s natural that his relationship to home has taken on an altogether different meaning. “It’s recharge time when I’m back in my home city. I don’t really work here anymore, this is boxed off from work and creation mode. This is my stopping and breathing point. I had to learn how to look around and appreciate the things that I’ve done so far. It is natural for me to keep pushing and look at what’s coming next. I’ve been like that since I was a young child and started making any kind of art. The mission I have myself was to always be a boundary-breaker and always be exploring a new field and always be a lifelong student.”

In an industry increasingly concerned with quick wins and viral moments, Owusu says he will never compromise on his art. “I would rather stack shelves at my local supermarket and make the music I want to make than take money and acclaim from something else. It’s that deep for me, I would give up all of those accolades and my career if it meant I had to compromise because this shit too important to me and my actual wellbeing. This started as literal therapy and catharsis for me.”

With community such a central theme on this album, it’s unsurprising that for Owusu, all focus is taking it around the world and seeing these feral songs resonate in the live arena. “I’m so keen for people to hear this album and experience it live now,” he enthuses. “When we talk about community, the live show is the final form of this record where we’re all together in the pit sweating. I’m really excited to just travel the world again and go from city to city and with my offering to the people.”

‘REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE’ is out now via Ourness.

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