Struggler

Genesis Owusu Takes You On A Trip With “STRUGGLER”

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Experimental and alternative hip-hop artist Genesis Owusu has returned with another quirky album experience. This new project STRUGGLER details a story that maybe not one other artist would ever think to address. What is that you ask? Well, Owusu details the tale of a cockroach avoiding being squished by God and eventually, he begins to question why he is doing this. The Ghana-born and Australian-raised idiosyncratic artist is no stranger to thinking outside the box, and that is no different on STRUGGLER.

The beats and production choices are vibrant and feature lots of different drum patterns. The tracklist is 11 songs and it has a run time of 38 minutes and change. Owusu has two other projects to his name, those being Smiling with No Teeth and Missing Molars (Swnt Deluxe) which is the expanded version of No Teeth. Both were released in 2021 and it gave an immediate impression that Owusu is not your typical alternative rapper.

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Where Did Owusu Get His Inspiration?

What is more interesting is the inspiration behind this new effort here. Owusu spoke with CD 92.9 FM about the journey to make this story come to life, “I feel like I kind of came to it almost as if like a like I was writing a fiction, like a short story, rather than like me documenting my life.” He continues, “So I kind of feel like it’s a world that lives on its own. I separated myself from it, and in doing that, I can make it as fantastical and as literary and otherworldly as possible.” Genius also says that he discovered this idea from absurdist literature and Franz Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis. This book also tells the tale about a cockroach and information on that is readily available.

What are your thoughts on this new album, STRUGGLER, by Genesis Owusu? Which songs are sticking with you the most? How do you feel about Owusu telling this tale of a cockroach and the inspiration he found for this project? We want to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave all of your thoughts for us in the comments section below. Additionally, keep it locked in with HNHH for all the hottest album releases and breaking news around the music world.

STRUGGLER Tracklist:

  1. Leaving The Light
  2. The Roach
  3. The Old Man
  4. See Ya There
  5. Freak Boy
  6. Tied Up!
  7. That’s Life (A Swamp)
  8. Balthazar
  9. Stay Blessed
  10. What Comes Will Come
  11. Stuck To The Fan

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The post Genesis Owusu Takes You On A Trip With “STRUGGLER” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Genesis Owusu Is ‘Tied Up’ In His ‘Struggler’ Era With His Energetic, Fight-Themed Single

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In late May, Uproxx‘s David Brendan Hall identified Genesis Owusu as “the strongest standout” among diverse acts at the 2023 Boston Calling Music Festival. The musician’s latest single from his forthcoming Struggler album, “Tied Up!,” amplifies his striking artistry.

“The Roach continues to run through an absurd world, trivially trying to make sense of it,” Owusu said in a statement. “Maybe looking internally, focusing inward instead of outward, will provide some guidance? Who knows.”

The accompanying video begins with Owusu in the corner of a boxing ring, but he quickly finds his way to the center. He grabs the microphone and sings, “I’m feeling tied up / Tied up / Tryna be a better man / Caught! / And I’m feeling fired up / Fired up / Hot than a ceiling fan.” Later in the song, Owusu nods toward the video’s imagery, “I’m fighting through life, I have no boxing gloves.”

The three-minute visual was made in collaboration with Lisa Reihana.

“Tied Up!” comes roughly two months after Owusu announced Struggler and released its lead single, “Leaving The Light.” A press release bills “Tied Up!” as Struggler‘s “magnum opus.”

Watch the “Tied Up!” video above, and check out the Ghanaian-Australian artist’s upcoming headlining tour dates below.

10/12 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
10/13 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
10/14 — Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch
10/15 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall
10/17 — Toronto, ON @ The Velvet Underground
10/18 — Montreal, QC @ Le Studio TD
10/19 — Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
10/20 — Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
10/21 — Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
10/25 — Washington, DC @ Union Stage
10/27 — Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre
10/28 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
10/29 — Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
10/31 — Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room & Garage
11/01 — Dallas, TX @ The Studio at The Factory
11/03 — Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
11/06 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
11/07 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
11/09 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos
11/10 — Portland, OR @ Star Theatre
11/11 — Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
11/15 — London, UK @ Heaven
11/16 — Paris, FR @ Café de la Danse
11/17 – Berlin, DE @ Hole44
12/01 — Perth, AUS @ Ice Cream Factory
12/08 — Melbourne, AUS @ Festival Hall
12/09 — Canberra, AUS @ UC Refectory
12/14 — Brisbane, AUS @ Fortitude Music Hall
12/15 — Sydney, AUS @ Hordern Pavilion
12/16 – Adelaide, AUS @ Hindley St Music Hall

Struggler is out 8/18 via Ourness/AWAL. Find more information here.

Genesis Owusu Begins Unfolding His ‘Struggler’ Era With His Energetic ‘Leaving The Light’ Single

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Genesis Owusu executed his first US tour in early 2022, and he’ll deepen his stateside imprint with a lengthy North American run this year, beginning as an opener for Paramore on May 23 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

But Owusu’s opening dates for Paramore have taken a backseat to his own headlining world tour in support of his forthcoming album, Struggler, due out on August 18. Both announcements were made on Thursday, May 18, in addition to the release of “Leaving The Light.”

The electronic-inspired, paranoid single’s accompanying video was directed by Lisa Reihana, and it finds Owusu blindfolded and constrained. “Leaving the light,” he sings. “Always thought I was living a lie / Wasn’t feeling it right.”

The beat kicks in, and Owusu’s flow speeds up to match its frenetic energy and textured sonic landscape. He raps of not being intimidated by “chaos” because “they can try and swat me down, boy, I’m the pest.” Roughly one minute in, Owusu is running away from a lava explosion and fittingly chanting, “Better run, there’s a God / And He’s coming for me.”

“Leaving The Light” immediately catapults listeners into the world Owusu hopes to convey with Struggler, as he stated in a press release: “The Struggler runs through an absurd world with no ‘where’ or ‘why’ at hand. Just an instinctual inner rhythm, yelling at them to survive the pestilence and lightning bolts coming from above. A roach just keeps roaching.”

Watch the “Leaving The Light” video above, and check out the Struggler tracklist as well as Owusu’s upcoming 2023 live dates below. Find all ticketing information here.

1. “Leaving The Light”
2. “The Roach”
3. “The Old Man”
4. “See Ya There”
5. “Freak Boy”
6. “Tied Up!”
7. “That’s Life (A Swamp)”
8. “Balthazar”
9. “Stay Blessed”
10. “What Comes Will Come”
11. “Stuck To The Fan”

05/20 — Coffs Harbour, Australia @ Storyland @ Park Beach Reserve
05/23 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center**
05/25 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena**
05/28 – Boston, MA @ Boston Calling
05/30 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden**
05/31 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden**
06/02 — Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena**
06/04 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse**
06/05 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse**
06/07 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena**
06/08 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena**
06/10 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center**
06/11 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena**
06/13 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center**
06/14 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live**
10/12 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
10/13 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
10/14 – Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch
10/15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall
10/17 — Toronto, ON @ The Velvet Underground
10/18 – Montreal, QC @ Le Studio TD
10/19 — Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
10/20 — Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
10/21 — Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
10/25 — Washington, DC @ Union Stage
10/27 — Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre
10/28 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
10/29 — Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
10/31 — Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room & Garage
11/01 – Dallas, TX @ The Studio at The Factory
11/03 — Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
11/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
11/07 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
11/09 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos
11/10 — Portland, OR @ Star Theatre
11/11 — Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
11/15 — London, UK @ Heaven
11/16 — Paris, France @ Café de la Danse
11/17 — Berlin, Germany @ Hole44
12/01 — Perth, Australia @ Ice Cream Factory
12/08 — Melbourne, Australia @ Festival Hall
12/09 — Canberra, Australia @ UC Refectory
12/14 — Brisbane, Australia @ Fortitude Music Hall
12/15 — Sydney, Australia @ Hordern Pavilion
12/16 — Adelaide, Australia @ Hindley St Music Hall

** opening for Paramore and Bloc Party

Struggler is out 8/18 via Ourness/AWAL. Find more information here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.