Luther Campbell
| Luther Campbell | |
|---|---|
2009 mugshot of Campbell
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Luther Roderick Campbell |
| Also known as | Luke Skyywalker, Solo Luke, Uncle Luke, Luke |
| Born |
December 22, 1959 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, Miami bass |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, concert promoter, actor |
| Instruments |
Vocals Rapping |
| Years active | 1981–2010 (as rapper) |
| Labels |
Luke Records Atlantic Records Loud Records Island Records Koch Records Virgin Records |
| Associated acts | 2 Live Crew, Fresh Kid Ice, Mr. Mixx, Brother Marquis, Verb, Professor Griff, Mike Fresh, DJ Slice, DJ Spin Felix Sama, DJ Laz |
Luther Roderick Campbell (born December 22, 1959), also known as Luke Skyywalker and simply Luke, is an American record label owner, rap performer, promoter, and actor. He is best known as a one-time member and leader of rap group 2 Live Crew, and star of his own short-lived show on VH1, Luke's Parental Advisory. As a result of one of the group's songs, which used a parody of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman", Campbell was party to Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., which was argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Miami New Times described Campbell as "the man whose booty-shaking madness once made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech".
Born in Miami, Florida, Campbell's work as a performer can be characterized as Southern rap; most of it is part of the Miami bass subgenre. The sexual content of his group's lyrics caused controversy and led to legal cases. Usually, Campbell does not rap but rather shouts or chants—very often in a call and response manner, with him calling and the crowd responding. He was not an original member of the 2 Live Crew, only joining them after their first steps as a California rap crew. Only through Campbell did they become "Southern" rappers.
While working as a cook at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, Campbell was a concert promoter in Miami, bringing popular rap groups of the early 1980s to the city. In 1983, he enrolled in an eight-week study course at public radio station WDNA, learning basic audio editing and production techniques. He ran his own label, Luke Skyywalker Records, which was later shortened to Luke Records after George Lucas filed a legal case against them for infringing on the name of his Star Wars character, Luke Skywalker.
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