If you’ve ever scrolled through the deeper, muddier side of YouTube or found yourself in a rabbit hole of "Hick-Hop" music, you’ve hit Ryan Upchurch. He’s the guy who basically turned a camouflage hat and a cell phone camera into a multi-million dollar independent empire. But honestly, even his biggest fans get into arguments about his roots. Is he a Nashville city boy playing a character, or is he actually from the sticks?
Let’s clear the air.
Where is Upchurch from? The short answer: He was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but he "grew up" in the literal sense—and still lives in—Cheatham County.
It’s a distinction that matters to people in Tennessee. If you tell someone from the South you're from Nashville, they might think of Broadway, neon lights, and bachelorette parties in pedal taverns. But Ryan Upchurch is from the outskirts. We’re talking about Pegram, specifically. It’s a small town where the woods are thick and the cell service is spotty. It’s the kind of place that defines his entire brand, from his first EP title to the way he talks.
The Cheatham County Legend
You can't really talk about Ryan Edward Upchurch without mentioning Cheatham County. It’s not just a location on a map for him; it’s his identity. His debut 2015 EP was literally titled Cheatham County. That wasn't some marketing ploy cooked up in a boardroom by a guy in a suit. He was just a kid filming videos in his truck with his friend Shade Glover.
They started "Upchurch the Redneck" as a joke. Basically, they were poking fun at the very stereotypes they lived every day. It was self-aware. It was funny. And because it felt real, it exploded.
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A lot of people think he’s a "new" artist because he’s so active on social media, but he’s been at this since 2014. He’s 34 years old now (born May 24, 1991), and he has remained fiercely loyal to his home turf. While other artists move to the posh parts of Brentwood or Franklin once they get a little bit of money, Upchurch stayed put. He actually lives in the same neighborhood as country superstar Kane Brown.
Funny story about that—Kane Brown once got lost on his own 30-acre property and had to call Upchurch to come find him. Upchurch, being the friend he is, showed up to help and promptly got lost himself. You can't make this stuff up. It’s that kind of small-town, "neighbor-helping-neighbor" vibe that he brings to his music.
Why the "Nashville" Label is Kinda Misleading
Google will tell you he's from Nashville. Technically, yeah, he was born in a Nashville hospital. But calling Upchurch a "Nashville artist" is like calling a deep-sea fisherman a "beach goer." It’s technically true, but it misses the entire point of what he does.
He’s the antithesis of the Music Row machine. Nashville is the capital of "polished." It’s where songs are written by committees and singers are dressed by stylists. Upchurch? He’s the guy who buys a homeless man a van filled with supplies because he felt like it, then gets into a heated argument with his own fans on Instagram because they criticized the man’s character. He's raw.
The RHEC Movement
If you see someone wearing a hat that says RHEC, that's Upchurch. It stands for "Raise Hell and Eat Cornbread." It’s his lifestyle brand, and it’s deeply rooted in the Middle Tennessee culture he grew up in. This wasn't some corporate clothing line; it started because of a single he dropped in 2014.
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Redneck Nation eventually stepped in to sponsor it, but the soul of it is pure Cheatham County. It represents a specific demographic that feels ignored by mainstream media—people who like trucks, metal detecting, old-school country, and maybe a little bit of rap.
Breaking Down the Genres
Most people want to put him in a box. Is he a rapper? A country singer? A rockstar?
He’s all of them. And he’s none of them.
- The Comedian Phase: He started with "Upchurch Talks" videos. He was a comedian first.
- The Country Rap Pioneer: He basically helped invent the modern "Hick-Hop" sound with albums like Heart of America and Chicken Willie.
- The Southern Rocker: Check out his album Creeker. It’s heavy. It’s rock. It’s far from a rap beat.
- The Traditionalist: He’s famously a huge fan of George Jones, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley.
Honestly, he’s a musical chameleon. He’s released albums that are purely country, like Summer Love, and then followed them up with aggressive rap projects. He doesn't care about the Billboard charts, even though he ends up on them constantly. He once sold 48,000 copies of Son of the South and debuted at No. 29 on the charts without a major label backing him. That’s insane in the modern streaming era.
What Most People Get Wrong
There's this weird misconception that he's an "industry plant." People see his 3 million+ YouTube subscribers and his fancy cars and assume he had a leg up.
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He didn't.
He’s been very open about never having a handout. He’s "self-made" in the truest sense of the word. He spent years building his fan base one video at a time. He’s also been incredibly vocal about "fake" country rap. He famously called out the "Country Rap Money Grab," where artists from other genres try to fake a southern twang just to cash in on the trend. For Upchurch, being "from" somewhere isn't just about your zip code; it’s about whether you actually live the life you're singing about.
Practical Takeaways for Fans
If you're trying to understand the man behind the music, you have to look past the "Redneck" character. Here’s what we actually know:
- He’s a collector: Beyond the trucks and guns, he’s a massive Pokémon card collector. He’s been doing it for years and has some of the rarest cards in existence.
- He’s a metal detector enthusiast: He spends his free time on his property looking for historical artifacts.
- He’s philanthropic but private: Whether it's tipping McDonald's workers $500 each or helping out a neighbor, he does it on his own terms.
- He’s independent: He runs his own labels, like Luce-N-Up Records and Mud to Gold Entertainment.
If you want to experience where Upchurch is from without actually driving to Tennessee, start with his earlier work. Listen to the Cheatham County EP. Watch the original "Upchurch Talks" videos from 2014. You’ll see a kid who was just trying to entertain his friends and accidentally changed the landscape of independent music.
To really get the full picture of his roots, go back and watch the music video for "Cheatham County." It’s filmed right there in the "hollows" he talks about. No flashy sets, no Hollywood lighting—just a guy from Middle Tennessee showing exactly where he came from.
Your Next Steps:
- Listen to "Creeker" if you want to hear his rock side, or "Holler Boy" for his classic country-rap roots.
- Check his YouTube channel for his older vlog-style content to see the "Upchurch the Redneck" character in its original form.
- Look for the RHEC logo in your local town; you’ll be surprised how deep his fan base actually goes.