25 Artists That Need To Be Heard: Luke James

Singer-songwriter Luke James always wanted to be a star after seeing a man electrify the audience at the Apollo Theater. After grinding behind the scenes, James is finally getting a taste of the limelight he’s wanted for so long.

“I was always in the spotlight. It was just a different kind of light,” The New Orleans native offered. “The idea has always been artist. I am an artist, even when writing, I’m writing someone’s artistic point of view in hoping that the artist I am writing for can relate.”

It’s not hard to relate to Luke James’ music. He pens heartfelt songs dealing with all of the trappings of love and heartbreak. Need proof? Look up Chris Brown’s 2007 hit “Crawl.”

Since writing songs for other artists, Luke has made major moves in his career. Impressed by his talent, Keri Hilson introduced him to Nate “Danjahandz” Hills’ partner who, in turn, introduced him to Danja. When Danja signed Luke to his N.A.R.s record label, keeping Luke’s artistry at the forefront was the main focus. With Danja behind the machine, Luke James has gotten himself an opening spot on Estelle’s tour where he’s learned to relate to the crowd and adjust to their temperament. Besides touring, James also had a knockout performance at this year’s BET Honors. He sang his single, “I Want You” and got massive amounts of love for it. “People have said it was magical. Someone said that was my Michael Jackson Motown Live moment,” James told The Urban Daily.

As Luke James’ star continues to rise, it’s important to him that he remain true to himself and his craft while fueling R&B to inspire other up and coming R&B stars. Luke wants to leave a legacy behind that’s comparable to Smokey Robinson’s. He wants to make music that’s timeless and that will always evoke some sort of emotion just like the greats. And just like those aforementioned music greats, Luke James refuses to fail. “Everybody thinks I’m a pro and it looks like I’ve been doing it for a long time. I think I just want it that bad. I’m petrified to fail.” With that kind of drive and ambition paired with serious musical talent and ability, failing isn’t in the cards for Luke James.