Uncle Luke: My Life and Freaky Times Date: May 5, 2006
By Brent "Blackjack" Gellineau
Luke Campbell is an icon in rap music and in case y’all forgot, he is also an originator of bass music, a predecessor to today’s krunk movement. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last 15 years, you already know Luke is known for his controversial music and wild onstage antics with a gang of the freakiest female freaks you can find. Some of them notoriously known such as the video vixen Gloria Velez. Luke’s shows are unpredictable because you never know what kind of freakfest might break out at any time. What is predictable is that you’re gonna leave with an experience like none other to tell all your homeboys about, guaranteed!
Uncle Luke knows this very well, that’s why he has been gracious enough to put together a collection of all of the freakiest tales, celebrity sex scandals and unbelievable exploits into a 3-cd set called “Uncle Luke: My Life and Freaky Times”. This set also includes a brand new CD of music from Luke himself featuring some of the hottest artists in hip-hop like Pitbull, Jacki-O, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross and Petey Pablo. I sat down with Luke to get the full story on his new project and how he feels the public will receive it.
RawReport.com: So what inspired you to release this project LUKE: Well every time I do interviews people ask me about all of these different freaky stories, so I said, “Hey, why not do a book?” RawReport.com: And if anyone’s seen it, you have definitely seen it all! LUKE: I’ve seen it all man, been there, done that, so I’m gonna put it all in the book. It’s gonna be crazy! RawReport.com: Also you have some stuff about everyone’s favorite video vixen, Gloria Velez. What’s that talking about? LUKE: I mean it’s stories in there about her and Keith Sweat. How I met her when she first started out... then how she got turned out! How she hooked up with Aaron Hall and all that. RawReport.com: You even cover Biggie and Tupac and your personal relationships with both of the rap legends LUKE: I cover a lot of that in there. Me and Tupac started hanging out when he was in Digital Underground. And talking to Pac and Biggie during all the East/West controversy. I was one of the first to interview Pac after he got out of jail, about the beef and messing with one of Biggie’s girlfriends and all that. Me and Biggie hung out a bit when I came up to New York and when he came down to Miami. RawReport.com: Now Luke, I know you get asked this all the time but what is one of the things you saw that made you step back and say, ”I’m Uncle Luke, but damn this is freaky!”?
LUKE: One of the stories in the book. I was in Detroit at a hotel party. We had one of the floors of the hotel; the whole floor was a party. It was me and a whole bunch of NBA and NFL players and it was just a big orgy. Girls getting [banged] everywhere, doing bottle tricks, people running down the hotel hallways butt-necked. It was crazy! RawReport.com: Do you expect to get any backlash from celebrities for being exposed on here?
LUKE: No...I think probably some of their girlfriends might get mad and say “I didn’t know you could get that freaky! You don’t get that freaky with me!” Gloria might get mad about me telling the real truth about her. But everybody will be very entertained by the book… definitely. RawReport.com: So what do you think about the video girl and professional groupie Supahead’s book and how it compares to yours? LUKE: I didn’t even read her book. My book ain’t nothing like that. That’s more like a.... mad bitch book. She allowed herself to get fucked over and now she mad and she gonna fuck over everyone else. My book is not similar; it’s a fun and freaky educational book about the music industry up and down. Some people are gonna get offended but then at the same time it’s not an angry book. RawReport.com: Now you got a hot soundtrack with a bunch of new artists. Some people don’t know but you are credited with discovering Trick Daddy back in 1995 and Pitbull in 1999. Why aren’t they still signed with you and your U.B.O. project? LUKE: It didn’t work out like that. I was going through some rebuilding phases with my company. Slip-N-Slide put a whole bunch of money in Trick’s pocket and signed him up. Trick called me and told me about it saying he signed a one year deal and I asked him, “Does it say anything about an option?” he said “Yeah, but I thought I signed a one year deal.” But no he didn’t and that’s why Trick ain’t with me. Pit just wanted to do some different things. He wanted to do mixtapes and things like that that I think will eventually come back to haunt you. I figured he was a young guy who needed to get out and do what he needed to do. We had done a lot of records so I let him go. I always will be there for him, whenever he has issues or questions he gets on the phone and calls me up. He’s the only artist that I’ve had that’s given me credit where credit is due and I respect him for that. RawReport.com: Look out for Luke’s CD and audiobook cause you know you wanna check it out! LUKE: And hit up my website at www.lukerecords.net
Tupac Statue Unveiled Date: September 13, 2005
By Brent "Blackjack" Gellineau
On September 13th, the 9th anniversary of the death of Tupac Shakur, (Yes it has really been 9 years!) the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Atlanta unveiled its centerpiece. A 9 foot bronze statue of the entertainment icon was the focal point of the day. The beautiful statue was designed by renowned sculptor,Tina Allen. Gazing upon the statue of one of hip-hop's greatest invokes a sense of pride in his fans, who were cut deep by the untimely demise of the young star.
Hundreds of fans and celebrities alike packed the center to pay tribute and meet with Ms. Shakur, Tupac's mother. Disturbing the Peace CEO and cousin to Tupac Chaka Zulu was present as well as DTP artists, Free of BET fame,"Pac's Kids" and of course The Outlaws.
Ms. Afeni Shakur stirred emotions with a powerful speech saying that this September 13th was the first day she awoke without pain or sadness. The feelings in the crowd twisted back and forth between grief and remorse for losing such an extraordinary talent so soon, to happiness and pride for finally paying homage to one of the most influential entertainers of our time. Pac fans everywhere can finally sigh a breath of relief. The thug life legacy will live on for generations to come...