The entrepreneur behind
2 Live Crew, owner of Luke Records, and former concert promoter
Luther Campbell was at one time arguably the nation's most controversial hip-hop figure.
Campbell formed the Miami-based quartet in 1987 and they were the centerpiece of a national campaign against allegedly obscene lyrics. He was embroiled in a volatile trial pitting him against then-Florida attorney general
Jack Thompson.
Campbell later became a solo artist, issuing his own discs as Luke Featuring 2 Live Crew. He released Banned in the U.S.A., a parody of
Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.," and I've Got Shit on My Mind.
Campbell also published an autobiography and revamped
2 Live Crew, adding some fresh members. They issued
Back at Your Ass for the Nine-4, which peaked at number nine on the R&B chart in 1994.
Campbell also won a Supreme Court decision that ruled that his parody of
Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" didn't violate the copyright held by
Acuff Rose.
Campbell launched the career of R&B vocalists
H-Town, issuing their debut LP on Luke Records.
–
Ron Wynn, Rovi