Lukah with Hope Clayburn and the Fire Salamander

Part of the Orion Free Concert Series.

Back from a tour of the UK and Europe in support of Raw Extractions and Permanently Blackface, Lukah continues to channel spiritual and intellectual urgency as he solidifies his status as one of the most treacherous and insightful writers in the South, described by DJ Statik Selektah as “the south’s Black Thought”. Lukah’s sonic world continues to evolve, as his signature, powerfully poetic lyrics meets the inimitable Hope Clayborn and the Fire Salamanders for second Memphis-exclusive engagement.

The band will play Lukah’s latest record, “Temple Needs Water, Village Needs Peace”, a collaboration with Real Bad Man. “Temple…” is a philosophical exploration into the essence of community, spirituality, and transformation, which meditates on themes of unity, leadership, sacrifice, and renewal.”

In the process of pushing himself musically, Lukah explored early talents developed in his family home, particularly voice and piano. He drew inspiration from Jazz greats such as Thelonious Monk. In the initial meetings for his upcoming LP with Real Bad Man, Temple Needs Water, Village Needs Peace, Lukah identified a collaborator who could embrace his vision to infuse his technically proficient rapping with equally proficient instrumentation. The result is his most soulful music yet, a concept album about meditation and peace. The storyline follows a warrior who ascends a mountain, a familiar metaphor that is adapted here to address the issues of self-determination and community uplifting that Lukah has dissected across his discography.