Uncle Luke Bio

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Simoun fell in love with Hip Hop when he first heard Eminem's single Lose Yourself in 2002. By the time he was an adult, he tends to listen to exclusively Hip Hop, a trend that continues to this day. As an English teacher, he loves Hip Hop for what it is underneath, beautiful poetry that blends sound, imagery, and wordplay. What's not to love!

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On October 20, 1990, Luther Campbell picked up a huge win for hip hop.

Actually, “huge” doesn’t even cut it. Had Campbell and his crew lost, the trajectory of the entire hip hop industry would have been very, very different. I’m not just talking about record sales, either; on a deeper level, Campbell’s team was fighting for every emcee’s freedom of expression.

They weren’t exactly the betting favorites in this legal case. Just four months earlier, a federal judge had ruled their platinum-certified album to be obscene, thereby compromising the kind of content that rappers could articulate in their future songs and live performances. With the federal judge having issued this ruling, Campbell could only hope against hope that the odds would be in his favor as he sat quietly in Broward County Court.

If the six-person jury found Campbell and his crew guilty of violating obscenity laws, Snoop Dogg’s albums might have been devoid of references to pot; Tupac Shakur would not have mentioned any sexual tryst in his songs; and Eminem…well, he might have shut the door on Slim Shady right from the very start.

Hip hop’s past, present, and future were all on the line in that Florida courtroom. And at the forefront of this momentous battle was a defiant dude from—wait for it—Liberty City.

The legal papers rendered his name as Luther Campbell, but to hip hop heads, he will forever be known as Uncle Luke.

Quick Facts

Birth Date	December 22, 1960
Birth Place	Miami, Florida
Nick Name	Luke Skyywalker, Luke
Nationality	American
Zodiac Sign	Capricorn
Partner/Spouse	Kristin Thompson (m. 2008, div. 2020)
Most Successful Songs	“Me So Horny” (with 2 Live Crew) “Banned in the U.S.A.” (with 2 Live Crew)
Net Worth	Estimated value of $7 million (as of 2022)
Social Media	twitter.com/unclelukereal1 instagram.com/unclelukereal1 facebook.com/UncleLukeReal1
Major Awards	I Am Hip Hop Icon Award (2017 BET Hip Hop Awards)
Last updated	November 6, 2022

Early Years

He was born on December 22, 1960 in Miami, Florida. Luther is of Caribbean heritage, as his father was Jamaican and his mother hailed from the Bahamas.

Long before Trick Daddy roamed the streets of Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, this locale was the stomping grounds of young Luther. School never quite piqued his interest, as he played hooky quite frequently and resorted to bribing teachers to get good grades. As such, competence in reading and writing eluded him till the 11th grade.

Academics hardly caught Luther’s attention, but music sure did. Towards the tail-end of his high school years, Luther started to work the turntables as a DJ. Before he even got hold of his diploma, he was already organizing local festivities as the leader of the Ghetto Style D.J.’s.

In a 2018 episode of HBO Canada’s Hip-Hop Evolution, one particularly thrilling episode of Luther’s DJing days came to light. The story goes that, on the night of March 12, 1983, Luther and his group were playing records for a group gathered in African Square Park. After the party went past the closing time of 10:00 PM, police were brought in to send the crowd home.

In no uncertain terms, Luther informed the police that the party wasn’t about to close. What followed was, in Luther’s words, “a nice, good old-fashioned Liberty City riot.” Guns were fired, rocks were hurled, and more than two dozen arrests were made.

Though the party thrown by the Ghetto Style D.J.’s came to an unceremonious end that night, Luther began to see the bigger picture of the social backdrop surrounding his musical endeavors. Wanting to provide better conditions for the African-American community that he was playing music for, Luther pooled his funds to open his own facility called the Pac Jam Teen Disco.

“You’ve got to have something to take the people’s mind off of going out and doing something wrong,” Luther said at the time. I admire the advocacy that Luther fought for, but I wonder if he knew at the time that the African Square Park episode wouldn’t be the last dust-up that he’d have with authority figures.

He probably had an inkling.

luther campbell on a stage — Image source: Instagram

Luther Gets a Crew

I understand that Luther had to make ends meet when he worked as a cook for both Mt. Sinai Hospital and a local hotel. However, I’m pretty sure that his heart was deadset on his ultimate goal of pursuing a career in music. After manning the kitchens in the daytime, he spun records at nightclubs and promoted rap events. Luther also frequented a local radio station to learn the fundamentals of audio editing and production.

Determined to sound fresh night in and night out, Luther began playing records that were flying under the radar. One night in 1984, as Luther worked the turntables at the Pac Jam Teen Disco, he put on an electronic track made by three gentlemen from California. “And when they heard that,” Luther recalled, “People just lost their fuckin’ minds.”

The track was called “Beat Box,” and the three men consisted of Chris “Fresh Kid Ice” Wong Won, Yuri “Amazing V” Vielot, and David “DJ Mr. Mixx” Hobbs. Collectively, they were known as 2 Live Crew. Not long after “Beat Box” became a hit in local nightclubs, Luther decided to fly them out to Florida. This was by no means a short vacation to enjoy sunny Miami; the trio would permanently settle in Florida as they became the first signees to Luther’s new record label Skyywalker Records.

The group’s lineup, though, would undergo key changes over the next two years. Amazing V would depart the group, and the vacancy he left would be filled by Mark “Brother Marquis” Ross. Luther himself would join the group as an active performer; using the wit and sense of humor that he’d honed since his DJing days, he set the mic ablaze while donning the stage name Luke Skyywalker.

As a Star Wars fan, I’d be remiss if I didn’t address the elephant in the room. Was Luther indeed ripping off the beloved protagonist of one of the biggest film franchises ever? He has gone on record to say an emphatic no, insisting that Luke has been a nickname of his since childhood; and that Skyywalker was inspired, not by a Jedi Knight, but by a New York Knickerbocker named Kenny Walker.

Okay, Uncle. Whatever you say.

They Are What They Are

Luke’s decision to become a performer ended up shaping the signature style of 2 Live Crew. While the music of Ice, Marquis, Mixx, and Luke helped popularize the bass-heavy Florida sound, it was their lyrical content that took center stage.

How could it not? The Crew’s lyrics came to be characterized by raunchy humor and a buttload of references to sexual activity. Clearly, Luke and his crewmates believed in the age-old mantra of “Sex sells.” In their case, they harnessed the magnetic power of their bawdy bars to attain commercial success.

The Crew’s opening salvo was, well, highly potent. In 1986, their debut album The 2 Live Crew is What We Are went gold on the strength of hit songs like “We Want Some Pussy,” “Throw the D,” and “Cut it Up.” Those titles alone leave little to the imagination, and anyone who bought the 8-track project must have either blushed or bellowed out in laughter at all the X-rated imagery from beginning to end.

2 Live Crew achieved similar success with their second album Move Somethin’, which hit the shelves on August 17, 1988. This follow-up doubled down on the Miami bass, as well as the sexually explicit punchlines. Personally, I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that “Do Wah Diddy” hook being sampled in variety shows out here in the Philippines. (The quick answer: one too many.)

If Luke and his crew thought that they were gaining a lot of attention with their first two outings, they probably didn’t anticipate the firestorm coming their way after the release of their third album.

As Nasty as They Wanna Be

Let’s get this out of the way first: the album As Nasty as They Wanna Be represents the pinnacle of 2 Live Crew’s commercial success. And yes, I’d also call it the big climax (get it?) of Luke’s career.

Raunchier than ever before, 2 Live Crew went platinum with this project less than a year after its February 7, 1989 release. How can any testosterone-fuelled lad resist an album that opens with a track that incessantly repeats the line “Me So Horny”? Along with audacious cuts like “The Fuck Shop” and “Dirty Nursery Rhymes”, As Nasty as They Wanna Be was bound for impressive sales, conservative sensibilities be damned.

Speaking of conservative people, there were quite a lot of those that wanted to see the Crew get their comeuppance. Apparently, this album was the final straw.

The plot of this 1990 saga began to unfold in the month of February, when Broward County Sheriff Nicholas Navarro started to take a closer look at the Nasty album in response to complaints from South Florida residents. After ordering a transcription of six songs from the album, he sent a copy of the transcribed lyrics to Judge Mel Grossman of the Broward County Circuit Court. On March 9, Judge Grossman declared that he found probable cause to deem the album obscene.

No doubt irked, Luke and Skywalker Records filed suit against Sheriff Navarro. Three months later, on June 6, 1990, the case would land in federal court. Here, much to the dismay once again of Luke and his crew, Judge Jose Gonzalez ruled the album to be obscene.

Just four days after Judge Gonzalez’s federal ruling, 2 Live Crew were slated to perform at a nightclub in Hollywood, Florida. Undeterred by the legal label of obscenity, they proceeded with their scheduled performance. Luke, for one, suspected that police officers might be in attendance, waiting to go after them once they saw their opening.

His suspicions came to fruition. As soon as they exited the backdoor of the nightclub, police arrested all the members of 2 Live Crew and hauled them off to jail. The four gentlemen were subsequently charged with violating obscenity laws.

The day of reckoning came on October 20, 1990, when Luke and the rest of the crew were tried for the charges stemming from their June performance. The implications were mind-boggling, and in all likelihood, Luke and his associates weren’t the only ones worried about the possibility of censorship in the entire music industry moving forward. Would freedom of expression be forever compromised? Was the First Amendment no longer at play here?

After a two-hour deliberation, the jury finally came up with their answer. With Luke front and center in the courtroom, the decision was read aloud.

“We, the jury, find as follows as to the defendant, Luther Campbell…the defendant is not guilty.”

Luke immediately stood up and pumped his fist. He knew what was won, and what could have been potentially lost. With this legal victory, the future of hip hop—the poetry of the streets, of the underrepresented—was secure.

uncle luke real — Image source: Instagram

The Crew Winds Down

It should be noted that, in the midst of all this tension surrounding their arrest and forthcoming trial, 2 Live Crew stayed busy within the studio. On July 13, 1990, they released their fourth album Banned in the U.S.A., which became the very first album to bear the now-familiar Parental Advisory sticker issued by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Banned in the U.S.A. ended up going gold, a feat that was also accomplished by their fifth album Sports Weekend. Released on October 8, 1991, this project would represent a crossroads for the Crew. Aside from being their last album to receive at least a gold certification, Sports Weekend ended up being the final record from the foursome of Luke, Fresh Kid Ice, Mr. Mixx, and Brother Marquis.

In 1994, a team consisting of Luke, Fresh Kid Ice, and Larry “Verb” Dobson (collectively known as “The New 2 Live Crew”) released the album Back at Your Ass for the Nine-4. Prior to the production of this album, Mr. Mixx and Brother Marquis had left the group, hence the need for Luke to welcome Verb into the fold.

Unfortunately for Luke, the financial woes of his record label (which had since been renamed Luke Records) started to pile up around this time. By 1996, both Luke and Luke Records had to declare bankruptcy; and the recordings, copyrights, and trademarks controlled by the label were acquired by Lil Joe Records (also based in Florida).

That same year, Mr. Mixx and Brother Marquis reunited with Fresh Kid Ice to release the album Shake a Lil’ Somethin’ under the imprint of Lil Joe. For the first time since the mid-’80s, 2 Live Crew released music with virtually no participation from Luke. I’d call this conspicuous, but when I think about the financial problems that Luke was dealing with at the time, I’d say that he had bigger fish to fry in 1996.

The last album ever released by 2 Live Crew was The Real One, which came out on April 7, 1998. Once again, Luke was not involved with this project, and neither was Mr. Mixx who had left the group again. Fresh Kid Ice and Brother Marquis worked with various producers to complete this project, which featured guest appearances from West Coast rappers Ice-T and Luniz.

Though I wouldn’t go so far as to argue that 2 Live Crew defines the entirety of Luke’s legacy, it is undoubtedly a huge slice of the pie. All told, Luke was an indelible part of the group’s identity. I do find it hard to believe that 2 Live Crew would have generated the record sales—not to mention the controversy—in their careers had it not been for their good ol’ Uncle.

Other Projects

At this point, I should emphasize how prolific Luke was as a recording artist. Aside from his work with 2 Live Crew, he was able to put out—get this—eight full-length albums. Among these projects, the best-performing was the very first one: 1990’s The Luke LP, which was basically an alternate version of 2 Live Crew’s Banned in the U.S.A. with a few changes in the tracklist.

Luke’s solo debut peaked at no. 21 on the Billboard 200, while five of his next seven albums cracked the Billboard 200 as well. Luke’s last solo album to date was My Life & Freaky Times, which came out in 2006.

Of course, a character as colorful as Luke’s could not possibly be contained by the music industry. Frankly, I’m surprised that he hasn’t had more films and TV series under his belt. In 1998, he starred in the Ice Cube-directed The Players Club as well as the comedy Ride. Luke also helmed a film of his own (2003’s Don of All Dons, which stars a ton of rappers), and was the centerpiece of a 2011 short entitled Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke.

Luke’s other ventures include a stint as a sports radio show host, the purchase of an oil company, and (surprise, surprise) a run for the position of Miami-Dade County mayor in 2011. That last one might sound ludicrous, but don’t forget that this is the guy who opened a disco in the name of empowerment—the same guy that fought a federal ruling in order to uphold freedom of expression.

One heck of an uncle, don’t you think?

Legacy

Uncle Luke’s legacy is polarizing, to say the least. A certain generation of parents and purists will remember him as a demonizing influence on their children, who might have learned sexual innuendos way too early because of his crew’s music. On the other hand, hip hop heads and other artists will no doubt value his courageous stand to uphold the First Amendment—a battle that he ultimately won for the entire music industry.

Why Is Uncle Luke Influential?

I’m not sure if he intended it, but Luke certainly emboldened future emcees to talk their you-know-what and not be afraid of the consequences. Throughout his career, Luke has always had a huge set of cojones when it comes to talking about sexual exploits. His audacity undoubtedly influenced other rappers to set no boundaries when it comes to their music.

FAQs

Question: Why did Luke give up the Skyywalker name?

Answer: Because none other than George Lucas filed suit against him! In 1990 (a very eventful year for our favorite uncle), the Star Wars creator sued Luke for his use of the Skyywalker moniker. Lucas was concerned about the impact of Luke’s vulgar music on the Star Wars brand, as Skyywalker was just one letter away from the last name of the franchise’s protagonist.
Luke and Lucas reached a $300,000 settlement, which stipulated that Luke would drop the Skyywalker stage name and rename his Skyywalker Records company.

Question: What is up with Luke and his kids?

Answer: Apparently, Luke leaves much to be desired as far as his fatherhood goes. He’s had six or seven kids, each with a different mother.
In 2009, he was arrested for reportedly falling behind in child support payments (a claim that he vehemently denied). Then, in 2010, his daughter Lacresha posted a series of YouTube videos in which she called Luke a deadbeat dad, who also happened to literally beat her mother. (The videos have since been deleted.) Weeks later, Luke disowned all but one of his kids—that being his son Blake, who lived with him and his then-wife Kristin.

Question: Was that Uncle Luke in Grand Theft Auto?

Answer: Yes, he voiced the radio DJ Luke in 2006’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. True to form, DJ Luke had a rebellious attitude, not to mention an affinity for obscenities.

Bottom Line

While hip hop icons like the N.W.A. and Eminem have shocked the world with their violent, vulgar content, a Miami DJ and promoter should be allowed to take his rightful place among the ranks of the most fearless emcees. For better or for worse, Uncle Luke has made hip hop a more colorful place. And no one—not even the United States government, apparently—has ever stopped him from being as nasty as he wants to be.