'I'll Pay Your Way': Genesis Owusu Offers $500 To Fans

Mary Varvaris

Any fans who have—or plan to—pre-order Genesis Owusu's forthcoming album will enter the running to win $500 from Owusu himself.

Genesis Owusu(Credit: Isaac Brown)

Genesis Owusu

Are you struggling with the cost of living? Genesis Owusu is here to help, offering to pay your way.

Any fans who have—or plan to—pre-order his forthcoming album, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, will enter the running to win $500, on Owusu himself.

“I’ll pay your way,” the Get Inspired rapper and singer revealed in a social media post he shared today (7 May). “I’m paying for someone’s petrol/commute costs. Go enjoy the outside, I beg you. Every album preorder before May 21 goes into the running. Love ya.”

Captioning the post, Owusu added, “$500, go live!! On me.

“AU preorders only, all current preorders are in the draw, as well as new preorders before May 21.”

You can pre-order/pre-save REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE here.

Genesis Owusu’s new album drops next Friday, 15 May, via OURNESS. The 15-track record finds the rapper and singer pouring emotion into his words throughout while pushing his sound forward with an experimental, unflinching, cohesive album.

Before the announcement of his new album in March, Owusu had unveiled energetic cuts such as PIRATE RADIO, DEATH CULT ZOMBIE, and STAMPEDE. He’s since dropped the new single, LIFE KEEPS GOING.

He said of the track, “The world hasn’t ended yet. We’re still moving, we’re still jumping, we’re still living, and so we shall continue. Through rain, shine, exploitation and warfare. We, the people, will always stubbornly persist, and hopefully persist hand in hand.”

“I started writing this album because I was seeing so much of the world and watching what was happening,” Owusu explained of the album.

“I felt like I had something important to say. I was writing this almost out of necessity because there were so many people not saying what needed to be said. I feel like I’m a student of Nina Simone, and she said, ‘the purpose of an artist is to reflect the times they live in’.”

Genesis Owusu is celebrating the album by embarking on a huge national tour this month.

The tour begins at Newcastle’s Bar On The Hill on Thursday, 14 May. Owusu will then celebrate the album’s release day in his hometown of Canberra at the UC Refectory on Friday, 15 May.

He’ll continue the shows at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on Sunday, 17 May, Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Monday, 18 May, Melbourne’s Forum on Thursday, 21 May, Adelaide’s Thebarton Theatre on Saturday, 23 May, and concludes the run at Perth’s Ice Cream Factory on Tuesday, 26 May.

Tickets are available here.