Bootsy Collins and Uche. Courtesy of Bootzilla Productions
On a Sunday night in April 2019, the singers competing on season 17 of American Idol were performing songs for Disney Week. They were gathered in the green room located just off the main stage when Houston-born Uche let out a scream. The other contestants were alarmed and rushed over to make sure the 6'4" singer was alright. Turned out, he was more than OK. He had just received a Twitter alert, and when he clicked on it, the link took him to this message:
The Funk is always Glad to be on somebodies Mind! Like @UcheSings coming up in the Ranks & @StBeautyband 'bout to Activate the Airwaves with some Funky Sheet! 1977 Takin' Funk to not 10 but Eleven! Bootsy baby!!! pic.twitter.com/hxXEQ0lGS5
Uche wasn't sure the tweet was really from Bootsy Collins. "They have these oversized cameras and they're always shoving them in our faces for reaction shots but I wanted to keep this to myself until after the show so I could do some investigating and see if it was authentic," Uche tells Billboard. "I thought it might not be real or maybe someone trolling. Then Bootsy DM'd me. He was excited to see someone my age keeping the funk alive and doing it well. He said he had heard how during my first audition I said he was one of my influences and that when he saw me perform 'Play That Funky Music' he was blown away and wanted to reach out. I was so honored that he took the time to show me some love. I mean, this guy played for James Brown and is one of the baddest, funkiest bassists in music."
A telephone call was arranged quickly. "We clicked over the phone and were literally working on new music the very next day. He has such good vibes and our personalities are harmonious, so when we hang out, we stay laughing. He's like my cool uncle. When we decided what my single would be, Uncle Bootsy heard it and loved it and wanted to jump on it. For me, it was a no-brainer. Bootsy Collins wants to get on my record? Heck yeah, let's do it!"
The song chosen for Uche's first post-Idol single, "Whatever," is officially out Tuesday (Jan 21). "The song was first presented to my manager by a close friend and colleague, Ben Franklin, who is now the main producer on my new project and this new single. He initially sent two songs for me to consider. I immediately connected with both because at that point, we had been trying to find a producer who could understand the musical direction I was going in. My frustration was that most producers I had considered up to that point were sending me music that sounded like everybody else but me. I was driving back from a gig in Austin and heard 'Whatever.' I called my manager, screamin' and yellin' some bad words of happiness. Finally, the music I was hearing sounded like what I had been hearing in my head but wasn't able to communicate effectively in words that this is me, this sound is me. It may not sound like what you hear on the radio right now but if I have my way it will sound like what you hear on the radio tomorrow. What I want to do with my music is fuse the traditional, raw, aggressive instrumentation of funk and R&B with the modern sounds of today's music."
In the studio, Uche and Franklin worked to make the song even more "Uchefied." "We created four different versions before we got to the song you hear today. I changed up some of the lyrics that ultimately changed the meaning of the song, to align more with my real life. I needed it to feel right for me. There was a point when we thought we had finished the song and then my manager arranged for my producer and me to fly to Cincinnati for a recording session with Bootsy Collins and played him the song. We held our breaths! He heard it, got excited and wanted to jump on it right then and that took it to the next level."
After the release of "Whatever," Uche will hit the road in March. "Bootsy and I are planning a series of dope parties together across the U.S. and abroad. I will be performing my new music and the catalog from Bootsy's band, the Rubber Band. He will be hosting it and a whole lot of funk is going down. We will have other musical guests joining us - rappers, comedians and other legendary funk artists. My first full length album, After Party, comes out March 26. I have a documentary coming out in April entitled Uche: Mr. Entertainment. It chronicles my musical journey from my last day on American Idol through the release of After Party. You will see a taste of what it is like for an independent artist after leaving a show like Idol and all of the ups and downs that you experience trying to carve out a successful career in music."
Since the Idol season finale in May 2019, people know Uche wherever he goes. "People definitely recognize my 6'4" frame with blonde dreads swinging. Since Idol, when I do shows, people come out and pay money to watch. It has been wild. Before it would just be my auntie, my mama and a couple who saw my flyer in the street and the bartender. Now, I have done shows and people have flown in from across the country from hundreds of miles away just to see me live in concert. I feel Idol was like a God thing. It opened some huge doors. I headlined Pride Houston this year, like my name at the top of the flyer in a visible font size. That was crazy. Before Idol, I had unsuccessfully tried for years to play that festival."
As great as 2019 was for Uche, starring on American Idol and recording his first single and album, he tells Billboard, "I am excited about the future. I feel so blessed to be lifted up by legends in music. The quote, 'I stand on the shoulders of giants,' comes to mind. I don't think I'm something the industry hasn't seen before, but I'm the type of artist and entertainer that the industry hasn't seen in my generation of artists in a really long time. It feels like I'm having to carve out my own path. There isn't really a blueprint to follow but I am grateful for my team that is supporting and guiding me, including my manager, Tracy Matthews, who honed his artist management skills working for one of the biggest artists in the business today, Beyonce, and my producer, Ben Franklin, who has poured his gifts tirelessly into my project because of his belief in my talent. It's overwhelming sometimes, because I feel like I'm always trying to get someone to 'get it.' Though, when I look back and see those giants in my corner it gives me the encouragement to continue. I'm bringing something that may be considered old school but brand new to my generation - the funk."
