Genesis of the Canberra artist who just took out four ARIA awards (2024)

Canberra is known as the city of public servants, politicians and roundabouts.

Butthe city has a new feather in its cap — home to another award-winning music star.

Among the city'sstars areSAFIA, Peking Duk and now — Genesis Owusu.

Owusu — or Kofi Owusu Ansah — was nominated for seven ARIA awards this year and last night walked away as the winner of four separate categories, includingalbum of the year — for his album Smiling with No Teeth,best hip-hop release, best independent release and best cover art.

Owusu moved to the ACT as a child from Ghana in 2000, and said he grew up surrounded by music.

"My family was a family of huge music appreciators," he said.

"My mum is still the leader of her church's gospel choir. My dad just kind of loved everything that was interesting, my brother was really into a lot of rock bands when we were younger, so there was a real mish-mash of influences and sounds."

Loading...

Speaking to the ABC, the 23-year-old said, for his own music, he took his inspiration from everything around him, even things he hated.

"Yeah, if you listen to the album,I get inspiration from absolutely everything. Even things I hate, I try and put it into a context that I like," he said.

Some of those hatedtopics that feature inOwusu's music? Racism.

"I've known who I am and what I create and the power in that, and I've just been waiting for everyone else to catch on really," he said.

"I used to get side-eyed a lot when I was younger for the way I dressed and the things I did.

"But all the people I loved and respected always stood firm, immovable, unshakeable. Because we knew the power in who we were and what we created.

"For all those people —goon club worldwide, eccentrics, black people —know it's not up to us to change."

Growing up in Canberra, Owusu said he was expected to fit a cultural stereotype.

"My family were the only black people I knew," he said.

"My brother went to high schooland he was the only black student in a population of like 2,000 students, I think.

"The other kids around me thought that I should be a certain way, because I'm a black person, and that wasn't aligning with who I really was."

'You should have seen me screaming'

Owusu's family movedto Australia to be with their extended family, a move he said involved a lot of hard work.

"My dad got a job stacking shelves at Woolies, because he came to Australia with like $200 in his pocket, and grindedand then we got our first apartment, grinded some more ... now we're here," he said.

"Obviously, immigrant parents, when you come to a country like Australia, are hoping for your kids to becomedoctors and lawyers and things like that,so when my brother and I decided to become musicians I'm sure that's not what they had in mind."

But as Owusu's profile increases, there is one fan louder than the rest.

His father, Elliot Ansah, told ABC Radio Canberra that while hip hop was perhaps not his genre of choice, he was "so proud" of his son.

"You should have seen me screaming. So proud. I'm so excited to see him do so well. You know, to shine on that bright stage, that was just awesome."

Mr Ansah said listening to his son's music made him realise some of the challenges he had faced.

"I remember when Ifirst listened to No Looking Back, it was just very emotional for me because I thought he was speaking from his heart aboutthings that he had gone through, whichI wasn't too sure about or very aware of," he said.

And Owusu's brother, Kojo Ansah — also a performer known as Citizen Kay — said the world was finally seeing what his family had witnessed for years.

"We're all just so proud … he's put absolutely everything he has into this since he was 13 or 14," he said.

"There's been no kind of sense of 'maybe I should do this in case music doesn't work out'.

"I think it's just amazing to finally see the rest of the world start to see what we've been observing since he was so young. It kind of feels like it's all panning out how we thought it would."

As the rest of Australia discovers the Canberra-based star, the ACT is still where Owusu calls home.