Luke James
Two-time Grammy-nominated R&B musician, Luke James, has a creative spirit as dynamic as his voice. When he sings, one unknowingly enters into a trance-like state; only to snap wide awake when his performance manifests into a sharp turn with his endless vocal range. Like a magician pulling scarves out of their mouth one after another, Luke can reach into the innermost depths of his soul and pull out genuine emotions with power-packed performances seemingly out of nowhere at a moment’s notice- making him a musical magician in his own right. Luke took some time out of his schedule to speak with us about the sound of R&B, how music naturally comes to him, and gives his insight on the evolution of music.
James wears a leather moto jacket, Balenciaga, black pants, Gucci, shirt, Venia.
In the midst of a crazy world, I found great solace in the cool, calm, and collected demeanor of the dynamic, soulful, and sultry Luke James. Donning underwear as his quarantine outfit of choice while jamming Miles Davis throughout his home sets the mood for what I envisioned was the vibe on the other side of the phone line during our pandemic style interview. For nearly an hour I was able to pick his Gemini brain about a number of topics from the state of the world, new music, points of inspiration, and, of course, love. Not many artists remain as open and humble, but Luke is definitely one to express what it is he is feeling no holds barred.
Many people were first introduced to the soulful sound of Luke James during a time when he was one-half of the duo “Luke and Q”. Luke and Quinton remain friends to this day, giving us a glimpse of the loyalty the star maintains on his journey to success in the cutthroat music business. “We’re family. That’s my brother. We went to high school and all that, we’re family. The business shit is just the business shit, and that’s that. At the core, we are family.”
Since his days in Luke and Q, Luke has encountered some awesome success from topping the charts to opening up for Beyoncé! It’s safe to say the “I Want You” singer is making the dreams of his childhood a reality. It seems that he is finally manifesting his visions back in New Orleans as a child growing up. Black Boy Joy at it’s finest! Such success makes him a part of the R&B landscape at some of the highest levels, which comes with a certain expectation. R&B has a sound that has been typically uniformed for the past few decades, but the sound of the genre today seems to integrate many elements of Hip Hop.
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Photography: Anthony Giovanni
Fashion: Edwin J. Ortega
Grooming: Muamera Pulic
Words: Kris Welcome
double-breasted red suit blazer, Marcell Von Berlin, Leather boots, Cos
Luke James wears a floral print double-breasted suit, Roberto Cavalli, white tank top, Amiri.