40 years ago today, Miami Hip Hop changed forever when 2 Live Crew released their debut album, 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, through Luther “Luke Skyywalker” Campbell’s independent Luke Skyywalker Records. Released on July 25, 1986, the album became the foundation of the Miami bass movement, introducing a booming, bass-heavy sound that would eventually influence generations of Southern Hip Hop artists and producers. Long before Atlanta became rap’s commercial capital, 2 Live Crew put South Florida on the map with music that was loud, unapologetic and designed to shake car trunks and nightclub speakers alike.
Powered by the fearless trio of Luke Skyywalker, Brother Marquis and the late Fresh Kid Ice, the group’s debut was unlike anything Hip Hop had heard. Tracks like “Throw The D” and “We Want Some Pussy” became underground sensations, while the album’s sexually explicit content made the group a lightning rod for criticism from politicians, broadcasters and censorship advocates.
While the controversy often overshadowed the music, it also helped launch one of Hip Hop’s most significant First Amendment battles. The success of 2 Live Crew Is What We Are paved the way for the group’s landmark follow-up, As Nasty As They Wanna Be, which became the first album in U.S. history to be legally declared obscene before that ruling was overturned on appeal—a victory that strengthened free speech protections for artists across all genres.
Beyond the headlines, 2 Live Crew proved that an independent Southern rap group could build a national audience outside of New York and Los Angeles, opening doors for countless artists who followed. Their influence can still be heard today in everything from Miami bass and crunk to trap music and modern club records.
The Source salutes 2 Live Crew on the 40th anniversary of 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, a pioneering album that forever changed the sound, business and legal landscape of Hip Hop. And as always, we remember Fresh Kid Ice, born Chris Wong Won, whose contributions to the culture continue to resonate nearly a decade after his passing in 2017.
