Genesis Owusu “STRUGGLER” Album Review

STRUGGLER

Genesis Owusu

• Genre: Alternative Rap
• Date: 18 Aug, 2023
• Content: explicit
• Region: NGA
• Track(s): 11
• ℗ 2023 OURNESS under exclusive license to AWAL Recordings Ltd

After breaking onto the international stage with his critically acclaimed debut album, Smiling with No Teeth, Genesis Owusu returns with STRUGGLER. With this album, the Ghanaian-born Australian singer and rapper is pushing his artistic boundaries. STRUGGLER delves more extensively into resilience in an increasingly chaotic world than his 2021 debut LP ‘Smiling with No Teeth,’ which explored his individual struggles with anxiety and sadness caused by anti-Black racism.

STRUGGLER is a highly existential meditation that draws influence from Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot, Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, and Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. It’s a multi-genre universe that ranges from funk to hip hop to R&B to punk rock.

Album Cover Art

A plain red picture with a faint but visible line that splits the picture in two is used as Owusu’s new album cover. And in place of a silver lining, there’s a black one.

Tracks and Features

The first three tracks are amazing instances of hip hop funk that collide like a pile of space junk heading towards a planet-sized magnet that will undoubtedly implode with the weight of colossal melody hitting your ears. “Leaving The Light” is undoubtedly one of the year’s best album openers. A rolling bass riff right out of a superhero film, vocals reminiscent of early Slowthai, and a gigantic hip hop break that makes your head wobble.

“The Roach” begins with light reverberation and then transitions into a funky hip hop soul beat with some class rhyming from this Ghanaian Australian with genius coursing through his veins. “See Ya There” slows the beat down with some beautiful soul vocals that highlight his singing talent, which is comparable to that of the late Prince. A relaxed touch of class that glides around your ears.

“Freak Boy” begins with a terrific bass riff and a proper funky percussion, followed by a big chorus worthy of Albarn’s Gorillaz. A fantastic track that will have your arse twirling like a funky bird. With another cheeky wink, “Tied Up” is the funkiest piece of hip hop true rap lovers have heard in a while. He has the wordplay to give the big league rappers a run for their money.

“That’s Life (A Swamp)” is another big funk track that takes you to a higher level of dancing insanity. It’s contagious and hits you like a ray of sunshine. It has that spacey vibe that settles down three minutes in, like a Spike Lee soundtrack. Balthazar returns to the hip hop punk sound with swagger and alchemical visions in his songs. “Stay Blessed” is punk as fuck, with a mental bass line and drumming backing his amazing rhyming.

“What Comes Will Come” is a beautiful piece of dub reggae dancehall that bounces along with the milking from the teat of funk. Catchy as heck, especially when it gets all drum and bass for the last minute, along with some incredible vocals. Excellent work. The closing tune is simply a fantastic piece of mellow funk with beautiful lines.

Tracklist

NO	TITLE	TIME
1	Leaving The Light	3:10
2	The Roach	2:38
3	The Old Man	2:24
4	See Ya There	4:39
5	Freak Boy	2:28
6	Tied Up!	3:09
7	That’s Life (A Swamp)	5:26
8	Balthazar	3:00
9	Stay Blessed	2:57
10	What Comes Will Come	3:51
11	Stuck To The Fan	4:16

Album Theme

The theme of STRUGGLER is how to overcome difficulty. The album draws its inspiration from a close friend who was on the verge of losing everything and yet overcame it, as well as from provoked thoughts about life and beauty that Owusu found himself pondering when reading Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.

Production Credits

Henry Was, Jason Evigan, Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, Smile High, Sol Was & Valley Girl worked on the album’s production.

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