Luther Campbell
No Respect
2007-12-18
Increase Font Size
Decrease Font Size
You can love him or hate him, but Luther Campbell’s contributions to hip-hop — from the sex lore to the entrepreneurial spirit — have proven throughout the years to be just as permanent as they are open to criticism. Two decades strong in an industry that is quick to borrow and even quicker to forget where they borrowed from, the man known as Uncle Luke has been a pariah of sorts, with a résumé that contradicts the amount of recognition he receives. “I watched VH1’s 25 Years of Hip-Hop and the people that changed music or whatever, but there was no mention of Luke and 2 Live Crew, and that is fucked up. From a record company standpoint, you can’t tell me that. We [Luke Skywalker Records] were the first black-owned and -operated record company in the South, manufacturing and distributing our own shit. You can’t throw all that history in the garbage like that,” Luke states.
“It took me a long time to come out and say it, but right now I’m just hot about it. I’m the type of person who doesn’t really beef about anything, but now I’m like ‘fuck it.’ A lot of guys in the South tell me, ‘Luke you’re too quiet, man, let these motherfuckers know.’ Like some people think Lil Jon is the one who started it all for the South, but Jon would let you know in a minute. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lil Jon got his lifetime achievement award before me,” he says turning from serious to comical. “Everyone would be out there clapping, and I would be looking at them like they lost their fucking mind.”
Even more so than his contributions to hip-hop, one of Luke’s most notable achievements is his victory over the US Government in a case defending the First Amendment, where the state of Florida deemed his album, As Nasty As They Want to Be, obscene under state law. He was arrested for performing the songs, but later acquitted. Campbell put his career on the line for the freedom of the entertainment world, and in turn — again, like it or not — gave way to the television, radio and movies we see today. “If I had lost, we would have been really fucked up. Back then I think most artists would have been scared of the government, and the government would have been doing a lot more regulations on entertainment, as well as things on a retail level. I think the comedy industry would have been affected also. Really, it would have affected everything, and really fucked it up,” he adds.
Still, for one reason or another, like the late Rodney Dangerfield, Luke can’t get any respect, which is why he is declaring his retirement from the music industry with his final album My Life and Freaky Times; a three-disc set including an album, and accompanying two-disc narrative audio book covering the sexual exploits of your favorite celebs, as well as his experiences in the shark-like recording industry, all for the price of one disc. Fret not about his retirement, though, as Luke will now venture into the adult industry, starting a new publication as well as a string of gentlemen’s clubs. Home sweet home.
“It took me a long time to come out and say it, but right now I’m just hot about it. I’m the type of person who doesn’t really beef about anything, but now I’m like ‘fuck it.’ A lot of guys in the South tell me, ‘Luke you’re too quiet, man, let these motherfuckers know.’ Like some people think Lil Jon is the one who started it all for the South, but Jon would let you know in a minute. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lil Jon got his lifetime achievement award before me,” he says turning from serious to comical. “Everyone would be out there clapping, and I would be looking at them like they lost their fucking mind.”
Even more so than his contributions to hip-hop, one of Luke’s most notable achievements is his victory over the US Government in a case defending the First Amendment, where the state of Florida deemed his album, As Nasty As They Want to Be, obscene under state law. He was arrested for performing the songs, but later acquitted. Campbell put his career on the line for the freedom of the entertainment world, and in turn — again, like it or not — gave way to the television, radio and movies we see today. “If I had lost, we would have been really fucked up. Back then I think most artists would have been scared of the government, and the government would have been doing a lot more regulations on entertainment, as well as things on a retail level. I think the comedy industry would have been affected also. Really, it would have affected everything, and really fucked it up,” he adds.
Still, for one reason or another, like the late Rodney Dangerfield, Luke can’t get any respect, which is why he is declaring his retirement from the music industry with his final album My Life and Freaky Times; a three-disc set including an album, and accompanying two-disc narrative audio book covering the sexual exploits of your favorite celebs, as well as his experiences in the shark-like recording industry, all for the price of one disc. Fret not about his retirement, though, as Luke will now venture into the adult industry, starting a new publication as well as a string of gentlemen’s clubs. Home sweet home.
Bookmark: 
