For decades, Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell has been known as a Miami hip hop pioneer, businessman, youth football coach and outspoken defender of free expression. Now, he wants voters to see another side of his legacy: a community builder prepared to represent Florida’s 20th Congressional District in Washington.
During an interview on That Part Podcast, Campbell said his path into politics did not begin with a campaign. Instead, he pointed to years of advocating for young people, investing in neighborhood programs and working to bring resources to underserved communities across South Florida.
“I’m a community builder,” Campbell said. “I’m a person who has always fought for the people of my community.”
Campbell is one of the Democratic candidates seeking the District 20 seat in the Aug. 18 primary. The district includes portions of Broward and Palm Beach counties and has historically elected a Black Democrat to Congress.
Campbell said voters sometimes underestimate how seriously he takes politics because of his entertainment career. Long before entering the race, he said, he learned how government decisions could shape culture, opportunity and everyday life.
As the former leader of 2 Live Crew, Campbell became a central figure in national disputes over censorship and artistic expression. His legal battles included Campbell v. Acuff Rose Music Inc., the 1994 U.S. Supreme Court case that established that a commercial parody may qualify as fair use under copyright law.
“I’m a fighter,” Campbell said. “I had to understand the laws and the laws of the land.”
He also connected his political outlook to his Caribbean family roots and the Black political thinkers he studied while growing up. Campbell said those early lessons prepared him to defend his community and use his platform with intention.
That community focus sits at the center of his campaign. Campbell said his priorities include affordable housing, insurance relief, small business support, jobs in film and entertainment, and greater federal investment in local infrastructure.
On housing, Campbell said development should create opportunities for residents and local contractors instead of displacing the people already living in the district. He described his approach as “built by us, for us” and said federal investments should help working families remain in their communities.
Campbell also wants South Florida to compete with states such as Georgia that have attracted film and television productions through entertainment incentives. He said the region has the talent and cultural influence to support more well paying creative industry jobs.
“I’m an entertainment guy,” Campbell said. “We can create good, high paying entertainment jobs right here in my district.”
His platform also calls for support for seniors facing high housing, insurance, food and prescription drug costs. Campbell said congressional service should center on securing federal resources and bringing them back to the communities that need them.
Throughout the interview, Campbell repeatedly returned to the threat of gentrification and the importance of protecting Black political representation in District 20. He said Broward County remains one of South Florida’s strongest centers of Black American, Caribbean and immigrant culture, and he wants economic growth to strengthen that identity rather than erase it.
“I can make this the Black Wall Street of America,” Campbell said. “Every place that I went, I made it better than I found it.”
Campbell has lived in Broward County for about 15 years. While much of his most visible community work began in Miami Dade County, he said his experience building programs and partnerships can translate to the district he now calls home.
He cited his work with youth football, parks and schools as evidence of his ability to organize people and pursue resources. Campbell said public service, for him, is not simply about holding office but creating pathways for residents to succeed.
“I don’t think you’re a real politician unless you make millionaires in your community,” he said. “We build communities. We create successful people.”
Campbell also addressed his music and whether the explicit lyrics that made 2 Live Crew famous could affect how voters view his candidacy. He said the issue has not been a major concern on the campaign trail. Instead, many residents tell him they watched his evolution from a local DJ and music executive into a coach and community advocate.
For Campbell, that history is part of his case to voters. He said South Floridians have seen both his public controversies and his commitment to giving back, making them familiar with the full scope of his story.
Although Campbell is asking voters to send him to Congress, he said his community work will continue regardless of the election’s outcome. He described meeting young residents with dreams of opening businesses and said he intends to help connect them with opportunities whether or not he wins.
“My lifelong dream is not to be a politician,” Campbell said. “My lifelong dream is to help people.”
The Democratic primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 18. Broward County early voting runs through Sunday, Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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