Florida hip hop and Miami bass pioneer Uncle Luke is running for US Congress

Florida hip hop pioneer and 2 Live Crew member Luther 'Uncle Luke' Campbell is running for US Congress. 

While Campbell officially announced his intention to run for Florida's District 20 congressional seat in February, the rapper is now officially on the ballot to run in the democratic primary on August 18, 2026. 

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"I'm not running to be a career politician. I'm running because I've spent my life creating opportunities," a statement posted via Campbell's official election website reads. "Throughout my career, I've invested in young people, supported local communities, and helped bring resources where they were needed most. Those experiences taught me that leadership isn't about titles — it's about results."

Campbell's election manifesto includes pledges to build more affordable housing, loans for small businesses, expanding healthcare access, and increased assistance for "seniors and veterans" via housing and Medicare provisions.

"Long before I considered running for Congress, I was already serving my community," Campbell's statement continues. "From helping young athletes earn college opportunities and mentoring future leaders, to building businesses that created jobs and defending free speech all the way to the Supreme Court, my life's work has been about creating opportunities for others."

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The Miami-born musician is best known as the former leader of 2 Live Crew, helping to pioneer the Miami bass genre alongside the collective's other members Mr. Mixx, Brother Marquiss and Fresh Kid Ice. 

In 1994, Campbell successfully petitioned the US Supreme Court to overturn a copyright complaint from Acuff-Rose Music over 2 Live Crew's use of a sample of Roy Orbison's 'Oh, Pretty Woman' on their track 'Pretty Woman'. The ruling established that commercial parody is an admissible defence in US copyright cases and constitutes far use.

More recently, the US Court of Appeals overturned 2 Live Crew’s 2024 victory in recapturing the copyrights to five of their studio albums. The rights to their music will be handed back to Lil' Joe Records, who acquired 2 Live Crew’s back catalogue after the 1995 bankruptcy of Luke Records.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, get in touch with her here.