Uncle Luke (Luther Campbell) of 2 Live Crew is a key defender of free speech in modern music, known for legal battles that redefined obscenity and parody under the First Amendment.

The controversy began with 2 Live Crew's 1989 album, As Nasty As They Wanna Be, which conservative groups targeted as legally obscene. In 1990, a Florida U.S. District Court ruled the album obscene—a historic first—leading to arrests of a record store owner and band members.

Campbell successfully defended the music, arguing it was protected speech. In 1992, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the obscenity ruling (Luke Records, Inc. v. A.S.S. Enterprises, Inc.), finding the court incorrectly applied the Miller Test by dismissing the music's artistic value. This was a major victory against government censorship of musical content.

Separately, Campbell's case over the parody "Pretty Woman" reached the Supreme Court. In 1994, the Court unanimously ruled in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. that commercial parody can qualify as Fair Use under copyright law, significantly expanding protections for creators of satire.

Uncle Luke's landmark victories protected artists' rights to controversial expression and laid the groundwork for future generations of musicians.

@quincymurdock