Ansu

»Scheiß‘ auf Status, ich will Einfluss« (»Fuck status / I want influence«), Ansu raps on his current album »Soul Over Ego«. The title says it all, with self-pride put on the back burner. The Hamburg artist dreams both of a house in Gambia and a position of authority in the fast-moving music industry – to shift power relations and change things for the better. Ansu, who uses his reach to promote awareness initiatives and safer spaces in club culture, offers extremely clever, often poetic lyrics about his everyday life over often dark, trap-influenced sounds. This can get political, for example in the song »Bomberjacken« (»Bomber Jackets«), which touches on his experiences with police checks, racism and harassment from officials. Although the topics are serious, the track remains club-ready. And live, Ansu shows he can bring the best of both worlds: the bangers and the ballads.