Uncle Luke of 2 Live Crew has revealed that he once got into a physical altercation with Run-D.M.C. and Redman over what he saw as disrespect toward Southern hip-hop.
In a video posted to Instagram, the Miami Bass pioneer reflected on the South’s struggle for respect in the rap industry during the 1980s and 1990s, when East Coast lyricism was widely regarded as superior.
“Do you know how many fights I had to have?” Luke said. “We was in Biloxi, Mississippi, and got into fisticuffs with Run-D.M.C. on stage because we was them n-ggas from Miami, and we were ‘Bama.’ Everybody had disrespect for us. We weren’t supposed to be in hip-hop.”
Luke also recalled confronting Redman after taking offense to a mid-song skit on the New Jersey rapper’s 1992 track I’m a Bad, which mocked 2 Live Crew’s distinct style and slang.
His frustrations extended beyond them. Luke claimed that Salt-N-Pepa and Kid ‘n Play dismissed Miami’s hip-hop scene on BET, saying, “That sh-t that they doing in Miami is not hip-hop.” He made sure to address them in person.
He also recounted an encounter with Eric B. & Rakim in Memphis, where they were only given three minutes to perform. “Back then, I’m converting from being a street dude to this music thing, so I got a lot of street still in me,” he said, making it clear that he wouldn’t tolerate the disrespect.