Former 2 Live Crew front man Uncle Luke has been away from the Rap game for quite some time, but he recently stepped back into the spotlight with the announcement that he was running for Mayor of Miami Dade, so he sat down with HHW to discuss his reasons in an exclusive interview.
What inspired you to become involved in politics?
I’ve always been into politics. My father and my great uncle always talked to me about politics when I was a kid. They would tell me to turn off the cartoons and look at the news, read the newspaper and make sure I understood what was goin’ on and what was hip to the world.
Does being an active part of the community for so long give you an insight into what the people of Miami need to help the city move forward?
That’s one of the main reasons why I’m runnin’. Being a kid from Liberty City – the crime, no jobs, poverty – Liberty City and places like Cutler Ridge look the same as they did when I was a kid. That bothers me, ‘cause every year I’ve gone to city hall and had these politicians talk to me about improving the quality of life in these neighborhoods, creating new jobs and putting money into developing these neighborhoods, but nothing ever happened. So, right now I feel I can run for office and straighten some of these things out, especially right now. Look at Miami; I’ve been a big part of bringing entertainment down here from day one; there was Art Deco and then me. I was the only one shooting music videos in Miami, and when people saw it on MTV, or saw me on the cover of the Source sitting under a palm tree sippin’ a drink, that’s when the face and perception about Miami changed.
Do you think your political opponents will play up your controversial past in music?
I’m pretty sure as the race gets heated they’ll try to use any and everything in my past against me, and I welcome that. My thing is, the difference between me and these other politicians is that they’re all squeaky clean guys with nothing in their pasts who’ve never gone through anything. People here know me. I’ve been on TV for positive and negative things, but they know I represent Miami to the fullest, and while I’ve had many opportunities to leave here I never have. I’ve done more good than bad for my community, so when you match me up against a guy who’s never done wrong, who’s a career politician, that’s the kind of person that you’ve been putting in office all these years, and that’s someone who hasn’t gotten it done. They’ve kept the hood looking like a hood, and taken federal money from the lower income communities and given it to the rich. That’s what’s been going on in Dade County.
For more of our exclusive interview with Uncle Luke, be sure to pick up the latest issue of Hip-Hop Weekly featuring split covers on newsstands now.
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