How Lukah Plans To Put On For Memphis

Lukah has been rapping since the age of 16. Memphis made, the artist has received recognition over the years for his southern sound, flawless delivery, and catchy beats. His latest single ‘SHUTTERS’ hit streaming platforms on Black Friday, and with a new album following soon, the rapper talked to ONE37pm’s Mike Boyd about his newest release.

Boyd: What’s the scene being an artist in Memphis right now?

Lukah: Just like with every city we’ve got two scenes. There’s the underground scene and the mainstream scene. Of course the mainstream scene is doing what it’s supposed to do—Memphis is finally getting the love I feel it should have gotten back in the day. As far as the underground scene—the underground is always going to thrive. We’ve got this thing that we like to call ‘Memphop,’ it’s a place where a lot of MC’s gather together. To this day my favorite Memphis MCs are Project Pat and Playa Fly. A little Three Six Mafia too. Juicy J was my favorite out of that.

Boyd: Talk to us about ‘SHUTTERS.’ Tell us about the song and the artwork.

Lukah: The artwork was done by the homie Cities Aviv. He and Drew Ryan do a lot of my artwork. The ‘SHUTTERS’ track was just a song where I wanted to deliver slang lyrics while also having something to say. Like I have a couple of lines in there talking about loyalty. If you listen to that song, I’m really talking about Memphis. It’s actually my wife’s favorite track. It is what it is. I named it ‘SHUTTERS’ because I was looking at shutters while I was writing! 

Boyd: If anybody is new to your music, what track would you say they should listen to for an intro to your music?

Lukah: ‘Master Lu.’ That’s when I get ‘real’ with it. It explains a little more of my aggressive side. This project that I’m working on now is a little more laid back. It’s one of my favorite tracks because I get to do what I love to do—which is be aggressive on the mike. 

Boyd: Talk to me a little bit about sampling, and the samples you like to go in over.

Lukah: I’m a digger. Sometimes I will go to an actual shop, and sometimes I will do some online digging. I have a certain type of sample sound I like. If people were to listen to Chicken Wire, they would know it’s a real dark album. All of my albums are dark—I’m from Memphis. I like the samples that already have the background voices on them because it tells a story and helps me write. Then I like to come on and be an added instrument. It has to be eerie but soulful. ‘SHUTTERS’ is just a teaser of what’s to come.

Boyd: When should we expect the album?

Lukah: It should be January 15th! The album will be up for pre-orders January 1st, and we’re going to have a bunch of merchandise. The ‘SHUTTERS’ video is on the way too! 

January is just a blink of an eye away, which means we’ll be hearing much more of Lukah very soon. You can keep up with the latest info regarding Lukah’s upcoming album on Instagram.