*Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell believes nearly four decades of hip-hop, activism and community work have prepared him for a new role in Washington.
The 2 Live Crew pioneer is running for Florida’s 20th Congressional District, arguing that voters need a representative willing to challenge misplaced spending and confront problems affecting families at home. Campbell left his coaching position at Miami Edison High School in January to focus on the race.
“My platform is real simple. In these times we need fighters, we need leaders, we need people to go to Congress to represent us,” Campbell told AllHipHop.
He also pushed back against assumptions that his campaign will appeal mainly to younger music fans.
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“Our Hip-Hop culture is the leaders right now. The biggest misconception is, ‘Oh, he’s a rapper, young people will vote for him,’” he said. “But our generation — we just celebrated 50 years of Hip-Hop, I’m about to hit my 40th year — we are the consumers, we own homes, we pay taxes, we’re the workers, we’re the grandparents.”
Campbell said his priorities include homelessness, declining benefits for seniors and the limited path to homeownership. He also criticized federal spending abroad.
“Too much of our money is being spent overseas in unjustifiable wars,” he said. “Those are the things I’m going to Washington to fight for.”
His campaign message leans heavily on work he has already completed in South Florida. Campbell said his youth initiatives have helped thousands of students reach college and supported athletes who later entered the NFL. He also pointed to partnerships that funded park renovations and new stadiums.
“It’s about being creative…the same vision I had starting my record label, being one of the first to build hip-hop in the South,” he said.
Campbell does not expect his history with 2 Live Crew or the group’s controvrisal legal battles to alienate longtime voters. Instead, he believes those experiences have made him familiar to the district.
“This generation of voters grew up with me,” he said. “They know what I stand for and what I’ve built.”
Campbell is positioning the race as a grassroots effort funded without special-interest support. He described it as “a $5 campaign” and encouraged supporters to contribute through donations, phone banking, canvassing and online promotion.
“That’s sweat equity, and it goes a long way,” he said.
Supporters can donate at luthercampbellforcongress.com.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Former 2 Live Crew Rapper Luther ‘Uncle Luke’ Campbell Enters Race for Florida’s 20th Congressional District
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