Genesis Owusu

Genesis Owusu brings his shape‑shifting blend of hip‑hop, funk, post‑punk, soul and experimental pop to ICA Bookstore, London, on 23 June 2026. Born in Ghana as Kofi Owusu‑Ansah and raised in Canberra, he first stood out on the Australian scene with rhythm‑driven singles that balanced rapped and sung vocals, rock‑leaning tension, wiry grooves and melodic hooks. His debut album, Smiling with No Teeth (2021), explored identity, isolation and social dynamics, shifting between frontal rap, tight funk, dance‑minded passages and punk accents. With STRUGGLER (2023), he pushed further into angular guitars, kinetic rhythms and spoken word, keeping a band‑forward physicality at the core.

On stage, he channels that hybrid approach with sharp phrasing, elastic vocals and arrangements that pivot from skeletal beats to guitar‑driven surges. The set typically ranges across his catalogue, folding in abrupt turns without losing flow: clipped funk next to post‑punk edges, bursts of rap against melodic refrains, and moments that open into danceable release. It’s a live format where rap writing, group energy and pop structures intersect, carried by grooves that keep the momentum taut from track to track.