Uncle Luke Claims Founder Status For Southern Hip-Hop

2 Live Crew frontman Uncle Luke is demanding recognition for what he says is his rightful place in Hip-Hop history.

In a fiery Instagram post, the lMiami bass pioneer and producer declared that he founded Southern Hip-Hop in 1985—but he’s frustrated that no one is talking about it.

“Yo, what up? This your boy, Uncle Luke,” Luke said in part. “The question of the day that I have for y’all—I started hip-hop in the South in 1985, right here in Miami. My question is, why ain’t nobody talking about it? 40 years, 40 years. This year is 40 years.”

Luke, whose real name is Luther Campbell, lamented that while Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary was widely celebrated in 2023, his contributions to the genre’s Southern expansion have largely been overlooked.

“You should be having celebrations all over the South, the creation of Southern Hip-Hop—40 years,” he insisted. “People in Miami, they should be talking about it. They’re not even talking about it.”

The 63-year-old rap mogul pointed to his breakout moment with 2 Live Crew’s 1985 hit “Throw the D” released under Luke Records, as the spark that ignited an entire movement.

“Don’t take my word—Google,” he urged. “Google works. 1985, first record, ‘Throw the D,’ 2 Live Crew, Luke Records, 40 years.”

While the debate over the true origins of Southern Hip-Hop continues, there’s no denying Uncle Luke’s commercial impact during the 1980s. With 2 Live Crew, he dominated the Miami bass sound, achieving multiple chart successes and breaking barriers for explicit rap music.

Their controversial 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be became the first album in history to be ruled legally obscene, sparking a nationwide free speech battle. Despite the controversy, the album was certified double platinum by the RIAA and peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200.

Uncle Luke has been extremely vocal on social media throughout the past year, especially when it comes to his feelings about the current state of Hip-Hop. Last November, her ripped into the new generation of rappers while giving Drake a piece of his mind over his recent legal filings in a fiery live stream.

The legendary Miami rapper didn’t hold back in his critique of today’s rap scene while wagging a finger at Drake over the pair of legal complaints he filed against Universal Music Group and Spotify over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track. In addition to blasting the Canadian superstar Luke also took aim at the new generation of artists for what he calls their “soft” behavior.

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