Describing himself with the phrases “funnier than a chili dog fart in a space suit” and “crazier than a soup sandwich,” Ryan Upchurch performs under the stage name Upchurch, also styled Upchurch the Redneck. The character serves as a deliberate send-up of Southern rural stereotypes and mannerisms, originating in amateur videos posted online during 2014 before expanding into recordings that blend comedy, rap, and rock elements. By the start of the 2020s the project had shifted toward earnest releases that alternated between hip-hop and country projects.
Born in Pegram, Tennessee, on May 24, 1991, Upchurch first developed the Upchurch the Redneck persona during casual sessions with friends. The resulting YouTube clips gradually attracted listeners well outside his immediate circle. His debut single, “Raise Hell and Eat Cornbread,” appeared in 2014 and paved the way for the independently released 2015 EP Cheatham County, which charted on Billboard’s rap and country album lists. The full-length Heart of America arrived in January 2016 and featured Bubba Sparxxx as a guest on the track “Keep It Country.” Capitalizing on his expanding audience, Upchurch launched the merchandise line RHEC, an acronym drawn from the same single. Later that December he issued his second album of the year, Bad Mutha Fucka.
The year 2017 proved equally active: he released the straight country EP Summer Love under his legal name in May, then followed with the pair of albums Son of the South and King of Dixie under the Upchurch name, both appearing on his own Redneck Nation imprint. Creeker, issued in April 2018, merged his rap approach with hard-rock guitar textures, and River Rat surfaced that December. Parachute followed in digital form the next September. Early 2020 brought Everlasting Country, a move toward conventional country material, yet Upchurch returned to hip-hop with the 2021 projects Hideas: The Album and Mud to Gold.
Also released in 2021, Same Ol Same Ol found him performing country material with a gentler tone. He shifted back toward rap on 2022’s People’s Champ and 2023’s Pioneer.
