Lute

Charlotte, North Carolina rapper and Dreamville affiliate Lute delivers humble, introspective lyrics, often referencing his life struggles and his parenthood. His thoughtfulness is often paired with mellow, soul-tinged production and his style evolved on records like his 2017 studio debut proper, West 1996, Pt. 2, and its 2021 follow-up, Gold Mouf. Lute was born Luther Nicholson in 1989 and first burst onto the underground hip-hop scene as a member of the rap collective Forever FC, alongside Jimmy Kelso, High I'm Ry, and SchylerChaise. Lute delivered his first solo mixtape, West 1996, in 2012 while still a member of Forever FC, but took a backseat after the birth of his daughter. With the group and Lute receiving plaudits from the likes of Rick Ross and Pete Rock, it wasn't long before he was snapped up by J. Cole in 2015, signing to Cole's then-burgeoning Dreamville imprint. His first effort for the label arrived at the end of that year on the compilation Revenge of the Dreamers II in the form of "Still Slummin'," a posthumous production by J Dilla. Two years later, the single "Juggin'" appeared and signaled Lute's return. His debut album, 2017's West 1996, Pt. 2, followed, with guest appearances from EarthGang and Elevator Jay. Lute next appeared on the chart-topping 2019 compilation Revenge of the Dreamers III, collaborating with J. Cole and DaBaby on the platinum-certified single "Under the Sun." He released several singles in 2020, including "Life" and "Get It and Go," and in October of 2021, his second studio album, Gold Mouf, appeared. The highly collaborative project featured a host of special guests and contributors, including performances from Saba, JID, Ari Lennox, Westside Boogie, and others, with sequencing help from Phonte and executive production from Big Pooh. In 2022, a deluxe version of Gold Mouf was released with six additional tracks. ~ Rich Wilson, Rovi