Florida Rapper Wants to Unseat Democrat, Warns It Could Get ‘Nasty’

Luther Campbell, the Miami-based rapper, known as Uncle Luke, said he is mulling a challenge to Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

Campbell—known for his work in the musical group 2 Live Crew, whose album As Nasty as They Wanna Be became the first album to be ruled obscene in federal court—revealed his interest in running for Congress in a new interview with news outlet The Bulwark published on Friday.

He told the publication he will make a formal decision about whether he will run by Florida’s April 26 qualifying deadline and that he believes he has “the opportunity to bring something back to the community.”

“And I get to fight these mother*******,” Campbell, 63, told the publication, adding that he was referring to “Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump, and all these crazy-a** Republicans who want to divide us.”

He also quipped that if elected, he would “be as nasty as I wanna be,” according to the report.

Gaetz responded to Campbell’s remarks in a post to X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Oh hey Uncle Luke!”

If he runs, he would be challenging Representative Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat first elected in the 2022 special election to replace late Congressman Alcee Hastings, in Florida’s 20th Congressional District. In Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick has established a left-leaning voting record, joining the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Newsweek reached out to Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign, Trump’s campaign, Gaetz’s office and Campbell’s team for comment via email.

The Congressional district is based around southern Florida, comprised of areas including Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. It is a firmly Democratic seat, as Cherfilus-McCormick won the November general election with more than 72 percent of the vote.

Any Democrat who prevails in the primary would be viewed as the significant favorite to win the general election.

While Campbell may be best known for his musical work, he has established a long career around philanthropy and political activism, as well, reported The Bulwark. In January, he set up a political committee called “Don’t Stop Get It Get It,” which could help fund a potential political campaign.

He has also written columns for the Miami New Times from 2010 to 2022, at times voicing criticisms of both Republicans and Democrats.

In a 2021 column, Campbell wrote that he considered challenging Governor Ron DeSantis in the state’s 2022 gubernatorial race, criticizing him for allegedly being “more concerned with being named heir to Donald Trump’s Republican throne.”

In 2019, he wrote a scathing column criticizing vice president, then-presidential candidate, Kamala Harris over her record as a prosecutor. But in a follow-up article after speaking with Harris in a phone call, he decided she was “the Black Presidential Candidate who deserves our vote” and “the only candidate who can scare Donald Trump in a head-to-head matchup.”