Luke Crowder is a Birmingham native and a prominent member of the music world. If you have ever listened to Drake, 21 Savage, Latto, LaCrae, or recent Grammy winner Killer Mike, then you have probably heard his productions.
Crowder celebrated Killer Mike’s “Michael,” which took home the Best Rap Album trophy, on Instagram on Sunday. “All God,” the producer declared. first in a long line. I’m grateful.
A Grammy winner’s certificate was given to Crowder and the other several contributors to the album, while Killer Mike—who won three that evening—picked up the real trophy. With the song “Scientists & Engineers,” Killer Mike also took up the awards for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Crowder contributed to the song “Something for Junkies,” which features Fabo, as both a producer and songwriter. On the song, Crowder is just one of many collaborators, including No I.D., Lefabian Williams, and numerous others.
Although Crowder was born and raised in Birmingham, he attended Ramsey High School and graduated in 2006 from the Huffman area. He produced one of Birmingham Jay’s hit songs, “Move Back,” when he first began his musical career.
He continued to reside in Birmingham and collaborated with numerous regional artists throughout the years. He collaborated with musicians outside of the city in 2018 after learning how to write songs from other producers he worked with.
“One thing gave rise to another,” stated Crowder. “I worked my way up to working with Big Krit, Masego, and 2Chainz after receiving a few assignments with important individuals. Did Latto’s song “Sunshine,” which features Lil Wayne and Childish Gambino? I reached a position where I could collaborate on the “Her Loss” record with 21 Savage and Drake.
Despite his achievements, Crowder stated that he would rather remain in Birmingham and support the expansion of the city’s music industry.
“You can travel to New York or Los Angeles if all you’re looking for is yourself,” he remarked. “I always thought you had to travel to L.A. or New York and all those other important places for music if you wanted to bring back sounds.” However, if you put in the effort, why can’t you bring it back to your hometown and develop local artists and collaborations? Since nobody returns home, others would like the same opportunities and chances but are unable to do so.
“I wanted to be the shining example of where I could go to L.A. for a short while to work on records and albums, then return home and raise people alongside me.” Instead of a gatekeeper, I would like a gate opener. I genuinely hope to develop Birmingham’s music scene.
RJV Studios, a creative studio space that Crowder recently launched, is available to podcasters, musicians, and other creatives. Additionally, he organizes the monthly Vibe Tribe showcase for fashion designers, painters, and other creative vendors.
Crowder noted that there is a wealth of talented people in the area to work with; they only need the right tools to help mentor them. He asserted, “If you’re good enough in Birmingham, you can be good enough anywhere else too.”
