How Uche Develops Vision, Sound, and Artistic Purpose

Hometown: Chicago, IL / Lagos, Nigeria
Currently Based In: NY 
Favorite Hobby:  Basketball, Go-Karting & watching Formula 1
Favorite Artist(s): JMSN, Michael Jackson, Kanye West & Amy Winehouse

Uche is the kind of artist other artists can learn from. His path from Lagos to Chicago to New York has shaped a perspective that is both grounded and fearless, and you hear it in the way he blends sound, emotion, and vision with no rules attached. He creates by feel, evolves on purpose, and approaches his art with a level of honesty that is rare. In this interview, he opens up about process, identity, risk-taking, and what it really means to build yourself from the ground up. If you’re an artist looking for clarity or inspiration, this conversation is one worth paying attention to.

Your story moves between Nigeria, Chicago, and now the UK creative scene. How has living in such different cultural worlds shaped your approach to building a unique sonic identity?

My world has always been very dynamic in its nature. I believe that has entirely shaped my perspective. So I believe in re-telling both mine & the world’s truth in the barest form. Everyday you open your eyes as an artist you should tell the world what you see through your art.

You talk a lot about vision being your greatest asset. Can you walk us through how you translate a vision into a finished song, video, or concept?

Chasing & creating feelings. Evoking emotion or a tone/perspective from the world around me. Then understanding those feelings, allowing them to take me places and might even manipulate them to become more extreme. At the end, I tell the most compelling version of the truth.

You move fluidly between Hip Hop, RnB, and Afrobeat; how do you explore new sounds while maintaining a sense of “Uche” in your music?

Being completely honest, I just create. It’s not until after that I realize what worlds I’m bridging or pulling together. Whatever world I create I look for “Uche” in that world and follow whatever that is.

Your projects “HOW TO DIE” and “HOW TO LIVE” revolve around evolution and shedding versions of yourself. What advice do you have for artists who feel stuck in an old season of their life or artistry?

Let go. I have that tattoo’d on my neck as a reminder. We are owners of nothing, simply vessels for the experience. Appreciate your place in the puzzle and maximize it. 

What have you learned about maintaining your mental and artistic balance while working in such a demanding industry?

Working on yourself as person is how you become a better artist. Personal growth & artistic growth are synonymous. Take care of yourself first & foremost and then look for ways to elevate that through your art. 

You’ve had major milestones—from Charlie Sloth’s Fire in the Booth to a Nike campaign to festival performances. Which opportunity taught you the most about navigating the industry, and what should other artists know before stepping into bigger rooms?

Be extremely humble. Give yourself every opportunity to learn. The industry moves so fast, what was true yesterday can be obsolete & forgotten tomorrow. My relationships in the industry with higher positioned figures has really shown what’s considered currency to people behind desks & decisions while ultimately revealing what’s most important to me. I then figure out how I want to exist in said spaces and create a much more favorable outcome for both myself and potential partners. Reverse engineering the industry this way has been huge in my career so far. 

What’s a risk you took early on that felt dangerous at the time but fundamentally changed your career?

Being willing to fail. Publicly, personally, sonically… whatever it looked like. Whether that was not having a place to sleep or spending my last on music expenses. I’ve fallen so many times. Limiting the space that fear & negativity have to operate I believe I give the things attempting to work in my favor a bit more of a chance to succeed.

If you could outline a “development plan” for indie artists—things they must go through or practice in their first few years—what would it include?

Everyone’s journey is different so this is tough. But things & practices that helped me a ton were;

• Having to source or be the source of all the resources I needed to create a complete idea, i.e editing my own visuals, mixing, mastering & producing my music, understanding & creating my brand identity.
• I think shows are a huge step. Hearing your music live, seeing what people react to as well as building that confidence & presence.
• Studying the game to a T.
• Recording everyday. 
• Isolating yourself and seeing how good your ideas feel when no one is hating or loving your creations. 
• Be outside

How has Playlist Push contributed to your growth as an artist?

Being able to be playlisted on global playlists and have listeners from so many countries reach out to me explaining how they discovered me and how my music has impacted their world is huge. It’s allowed me to pull people in from all walks of life that truly feel like they share in my success and that’s really cool.

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