Uché’s overdone it – taken too much. In his “Mob Luxuries” video, the Texas pop upstart goes from being the life of the party to the death of it. Amid a rager were revelers turn up with booze, coke, and molly, the singer crashes to the floor, liquid leaking from his mouth, eyes rolling back in his head.
“It’s about excessive drug use,” affirms the 22-year-old Texas State University student about the lead single from his My Generation EP, which chronicles his college adventures in Dallas. “[“Mob Luxuries“] is where my friend overdoses, homies are going to rehab, and I wake up the day after going on a bender with all my friends, having done too many lines of coke, hit every bong, did molly, acid, mushrooms – just going off because it’s my first year of college and YOLO.
“That’s when I realized that can’t be my life. It needs to be more. The whole EP’s about the spiritual awakening of learning how to say no, finding myself, and my journey toward moderation.”
The Nigerian-American singer/dancer, full name Uchechukwu Ndubizu-Egwim, ushers in the release with an Austin performance at Scratch House on Thu., June 8.
“I’m excited to put this out because I’m passionate about the message and it’s something my generation can take away,” he says. “I’m not saying don’t have fun anymore. I’m saying let’s have some moderation.”
Despite its sobering message, “Mob Luxuries” throws some kind of dance party with its funk foundation, dance production, and Uché’s agile flow. The San Marcos/Austin-based singer says the My Generation EP – going public this Friday – also incorporates elements of trap and gospel. Contextually, his lyrics address the excessive tendencies of his peers.
“It’s very honest, which is scary, because you’re putting your personal life out there,” says Uché. “But the songs are lit, so the message sneaks up on you.”
Here’s “Mob Luxuries,” directed by Freddy Dang of Dang Films:
This article appears in June 2 • 2017.