Michael Uzowuru (born November 10, 1991) is an American record producer and songwriter. He has produced and written for SZA, Frank Ocean, FKA Twigs, Beyoncé, Donald Glover, Vince Staples, Earl Sweatshirt, and Rosalía, among others.
Life and career Michael Uzowuru was born on November 10, 1991, in Los Angeles and raised in both Cypress, California and Rancho Cucamonga, California. He went to Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga. Uzowuru is of Igbo descent through his mother, who immigrated to the United States from Nigeria.
2010–2015: Career beginnings Uzowuru began his music career by making independent beat tapes and working with a number of collaborators. His early projects include works with Vince Staples and Odd Future's Domo Genesis, Matt Martians from the Jet Age of Tomorrow, and Hodgy Beats.
In 2012, Uzowuru released a mixtape with the title Winter in Prague with longtime friend and collaborator Vince Staples. In 2013, Uzowuru produced the opening track "Pre" for Earl Sweatshirt's debut album Doris. Later that year, he produced "Tweakin" and "Yap Yap" for Chicago rapper Vic Mensa's second mixtape Innanetape.
In addition to producing for other artists, Uzowuru released a number of instrumental and solo projects in 2014, notably Paisley Palm Trees, which was premiered by The Fader magazine and Pink Orchids, released in August 2014.
2016–present Uzowuru was named in the production credits for Frank Ocean's 2016 visual album Endless and Ocean's long-awaited second studio album Blonde. Uzowuru was credited as both a writer and a producer on the track "Nights". About Uzowuru's collaborations, Frank Ocean stated, "...his appetite has grown; his vocabulary, musically, has grown so much over the time that I’ve known him."
He also executive produced rapper Kevin Abstract's second album American Boyfriend, which debuted in the fall of 2016.
In 2017, he appeared as co-producer on Frank Ocean's single "Chanel" released on Ocean's Beats1 radio show. Scott Vener and Pharrell Williams premiered a remix done by Uzowuru and collaborator Jeff Kleinman of Little Dragon's "High" featuring Denzel Curry and Twelve'len
In 2018, Uzowuru's work appeared on Anderson .Paak's "Til It's Over", which was used in Apple's "Welcome Home" commercial directed by Spike Jonze.
In the spring of 2019, Uzowuru composed the score for the short film Guava Island, starred and produced by Donald Glover and released by Amazon Studios. The following summer, Uzowuru was credited for writing and production on Beyoncé's compilation album The Lion King: The Gift, having worked on the tracks "Mood 4 Eva" and "Brown Skin Girl". He also wrote and produced for artists FKA Twigs and GoldLink. Later in the year, Uzowuru appeared on the production and writing credits of the Frank Ocean single "In My Room".
Uzowuru collaborated with Spanish singer Rosalía through 2020 and 2021 and co-produced her album Motomami, which ended up winning the Digital Album of the Year Award in the Latin Grammy Awards of 2022.
In 2022, Uzowuru executive-produced Vince Staples album Ramona Park Broke My Heart. The album received widespread critical acclaim and appeared on several best album year-end lists. After collaborating with him for the same year, SZA added, "...he’s an omen, a sign I’m doing something different, special and necessary."
In 2023, Uzowuru composed the score and co-produced the soundtrack for the Amazon TV series Swarm created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, which was also released as an EP. He contributed to 10 out of 18 tracks on The Great Impersonator by Halsey (singer)
Influence In a 2015 MSNBC interview, Uzowuru mentioned a number of musicians across a wide range of genre as his inspiration, including Elliott Smith, Nirvana, Kanye West, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Afrobeat, Fela Kuti and Björk.
Discography
Music for TV and film +List of scores composed for Film/TelevisionYearFilmStudio / CompanyDirector2020BecomingNetflixNadira Hallgren2019Guava IslandAmazon Hiro Murai2018Welcome Home (commercial)AppleSpike Jonze5 Reasons iPad Pro Can Be Your Next Computer (commercial)2023Swarm (TV series)AmazonMultiple
Writing and production credits +List of songs produced, showing year released, artist and album nameYearArtistAlbumSong2024NemahsisSingle"Chemical Mark"Sofia ValdesSilvia (EP)"Un Momento"The Kid LaroiSingle"CALL ME INSTEAD" (feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Robert Glasper)Vince StaplesDark Times"Nothing Matters""Children’s Song""Black&Blue""Shame On The Devil""Freeman"Childish GambinoBando Stone and The New World"No Excuses" (feat. Ludwig Göransson & Kamasi Washington" "Steps Beach""Dadvocate""Survive" (feat. Chlöe)"Happy Survival" (feat. Khruangbin)"H3@RT$ W3RE M3@NT T0 F7Y""A Place Where Love Goes""Talk My Shit" (feat. Amaarae & Flo Milli)"We Are God" "Real Love""Cruisin’" (feat. Yeat)"Can You Feel Me" (feat. Legend)"Running Around" (feat. Fousheé)"Yoshinoya""In the Night" (feat. Jorja Smith & Amaarae)"Lithonia"SZALana"No More Hiding""Diamond Boy (DTM)""Scorsese Baby Daddy""Get Behind Me (Interlude)""Another Life"HalseyThe Great Impersonator "Only Living Girl in LA" "Ego" "The End" "Hometown" "I Believe in Magic" "Hurt Feelings" "Dog Years" "The Great Impersonator" "Arsonist" "Lucky" 2023Ni'JahSwarm (EP)"Big World""Agatha""Sticky"Snoh AlegraSingle“Be My Summer"Dominic FikeSunburn"4X4"Sofia ValdesSilvia (EP)"Midnight Freak-Out" "Easy""Wild""Silvia""Barbed Wire"thxsomuchSleez (EP)"Screws"Ryan BeattyCalico"White Teeth""Bright Red"BakarSingle"Good News"Lous and The Yakuza IOTA"Lubie"2022SZASOS"Notice Me""Open Arms" (featuring Travis Scott)Ctrl (Deluxe)"Awkward"Burna BoyLove, Damini"Love, Damini"RosalíaMotomami"Saoko""Candy""Chicken Teriyaki""Hentai""Bizcochito""G3 N15""Motomami""Delirio de Grandeza""La Combi Versace""Diablo""LA KILIÉ ""LAX"2021Kenny MasonAngelic Hoodrat: Supercut"4ever"2020Omar ApolloApolonio"Bi Fren""I'm Amazing"2019Frank OceanSingle"Little Demon"Frank OceanSingle"In My Room"SiRChasing Summer"Hair Down" (featuring Kendrick Lamar)BeyoncéThe Lion King: The Gift"Brown Skin Girl" (with Saint Jhn & Wizkid, featuring Blue Ivy Carter)"Mood 4 Eva" (with Jay-Z & Childish Gambino)GoldLinkDiaspora"Days Like This" (featuring Khalid)FKA TwigsMagdalene"Cellophane"2018Kelsey LuSingle"Due West"Anderson .PaakSingle"Til It's Over"Jorja SmithLost & Found"February 3rd"Ludwig GöranssonBlack Panther: Wakanda Remixed"Ancestral Plane"ChokerHoneybloom"Drift" "Starfruit NYC"
"Jet Stereo"
"Daisy"Troye SivanBloom"Running Shoes"2017A$AP MobCozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Crazy"RAF"Jesse Boykins III & NonameBartholomew"Into You"Little DragonSingle"High (Michael Uzowuru & Jeff Kleinman Remix)"Rex Orange CountyApricot Princess"Waiting Room"Frank OceanSingle"Chanel"2016Blonde"Nights"Endless"Rushes To"Kevin AbstractAmerican Boyfriend "Empty" "Seventeen"
"Blink"
"Tattoo"
"Yellow"
"Kin"
"Runner"
"Papercut"
"June 29th"
"Miserable America"
"Echo"
"I Do"2014Vic MensaSingle"Major Payne"2013Innanetape"Tweakin" (featuring Chance the Rapper) "Yap Yap"Earl SweatshirtDoris"Pre"2012Domo GenesisSingle"Crushed Velvet"Vince StaplesWinter in Prague"Winter in Prague" "Lord"
"SK La Sermon"
"Twitch"
"Waterpark"
"Matlock"
"Traffic"
"SK Climactic"
"Mattress"
"Black Oprah"Single"Champagne Wishlist"2011Generic"Martin Ruger King" "Barreta Scott King"
"Gold Chain Ricky"
"Vicoden"Shyne Goldchain Vol. 1"Versace Rap"Domo GenesisSingle"Cashmere"Under the Influence"Mind Games"Hodgy BeatsSingle"April 27th"2010The Jet Age of TomorrowJourney to the 5th Echelon"Want You Still" (featuring Kilo Kish)
Mixtapes and EPs +YearTitleNotes2014Pink Orchids2012Winter in Praguewith Vince Staples2011Paisley Palm Trees2010Space is the PlaceThe Mellowest TripNo Need for Sense
Singles +YearTitle2015"Without You" (featuring Anderson .Paak)2014"April 13th" (featuring Vic Mensa)
References
External links
25 New Producers To Watch Out For The FADER - Michael Uzowuru Download Vince Staples and Michael Uzowuru’s Winter In Prague Mixtape