Luther Campbell sets the record straight

AT A GLANCE: Miami rapper Luther Campbell hosts a three night Final Four party featuring No Good and Jiggy and Luther's dancers, Friday through Sunday, starting at 9 p.m., at The Millennium Nite Club, 901 N Franklin St., Tampa. Tickets at the door, starting at $15, package deals available. Call (813) 227-9020.

By MICHAEL PATRICK WELCH

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 26, 1999

Many controversies surround former 2 Live Crew member, Luther Campbell; is he a pornographer? A First Amendment martyr? But, as with the recent Monica Lewinsky interview, what's truly intriguing is what he was feeling -- in his case when he wrote tunes like Me So Horny and Hoochie Mama."

"When I was a kid I was in love with this real beautiful girl," said Campbell, from a New York hotel room this week. "My four older brothers was sayin', "don't fall in love with no girl, you gotta be a player like us.' I'm like, "All girls ain't bad like the ones you guys messin' with'."

He continued the recollection with quiet sentimentality. "I didn't have no money at the time. She was real beautiful. (Guys) with money be checkin' her out . . . After a while, she didn't want no broke boyfriend ridin' a bicycle. . . . That was one of the (things) that inspired me to do records in the early ages talking about women in degrading ways."

"I don't do that no more," he said. "I had a lot of anger in my heart. On the records, I was just thinkin' like, "this is what (women) are'."

Campbell has since found the second love of his life. "Beautiful, decent, loving, wholesome woman," is how Luther describes his fiancee. "People expect me to be with some stripper . . . That's just the kind of woman I work with."

He's talking about the dancers he'll bring to Tampa this weekend for his three-day Final Four party at the Millennium in Tampa. Also on the bill are protegees of Campbell's record label, No Good and Jiggy.

Campbell may have a new appreciation for women, but his shows aren't for the politically correct.

"There will be bikini contests every night," he said. "I'm gonna perform on one of the nights. Good clean fun; we're not going to jail. For the record."

Campbell has seen the inside of a squad car six times for violating obscenity laws with his act.

The rapper/producer/entrepreneur has fond memories of Tampa, where he has performed at Guavaween.

"Tampa's crazy . . . The ladies in Tampa come in all flavors. I felt like I was at Dairy Queen," he cooed.

His video program, The Freak Show, a soft-core pay-per-view flesh party which he directs and hosts, will film throughout the weekend at different Tampa locations.

Since his highly publicized free speech battles and his break-up with the 2 Live Crew, Luther Campbell has managed to make some music.

Between gigs, Campbell is putting the finishing touches on a new album (you can go on the Internet and enter a contest to name it) produced by, among others, YO! MTV raps alum Doug E. Fresh. The album will continue in the hybrid Miami Bass-style hip-hop of his last single, the Taco Bell allusion, Lizard, Lizard.

As with many of today's popular hip-hop records, the selling point will be the album's guest emcees: Big Pun, Cuban Link, members of Quad City DJs ("gotta get that Florida thing in there") Kid Capri and Crazy Bone of Bone, Thugs and Harmony.

But what he really wants is what Barbara Walters got: "The ultimate groupie. I want to do a record with Monica Lewinsky. Seriously, get that on the (news) wire.

"I also want to announce that I'm changing my name. I haven't told anyone. You get the scoop." said the man some have called The Black Hugh Hefner, "I'm changing my name to Caligula."

His friends, he said, will still call him Luke.