Genesis Owusu took to the Like a Version studio on Friday to celebrate the release of his third studio album, where he took on The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black”.
The Ghanaian-Australian artist transformed the 1966 hit into a smooth funk bop complete with a hard and fast tilt.
“I kind of wanted to hit it on the nose and paint it Black,” Owusu said. “Like, I wanted to add the funk in, the basslines, the gospel and the keys, the soul and the backing vocals, the hip-hop. Really accentuating where the foundation of these sonics came from.
“Initially it started at a deep funk, Bootsy Collins, Funkadelic-style jam. But in true Genesis Owusu fashion, we all started screaming and jumping and playing our instruments really loud.”
Check out his cover below.
His triple j studio session comes with the release of REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, his third studio album, which carves the purest of human emotions into song at a time when they feel most rife.
Rich in lyricism and earnest in its message – bolstered by features from Ladyhawke and Duckwrth – the album confronts a divisive era that is ripping at the seams of humanity and heeds the need for unity.
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To celebrate its release, Owusu is taking his electrifying live show across the nation with a brand new tour, which kicked off last night in Newcastle.
Tonight (May 15th), the tour will continue on to his hometown of Canberra at UC Refectory, before stops at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on May 17th, Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on May 18th, Forum Melbourne on May 21st, Adelaide’s Thebarton Theatre on May 23rd, and Perth’s Ice Cream Factory on May 26th.
REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE follows his 2021 debut Smiling with No Teeth – which came in at No. 1 on our 100 Best Australian Albums of the 2020s So Far list, and 2023’s STRUGGLER.
The 2021 album scooped gongs at the ARIA Awards for Album of the Year, Best Hip Hop Release, Best Independent Release, and Producer of the Year (Andrew Klippel and Dave Hammer), and at our Rolling Stone AU/NZ Awards the following year, it won Best Record.
