Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, rapper Lute (born Luther Nicholson) first burst onto the underground hip-hop scene as a member of the rap collective Forever FC, alongside Jimmy Kelso, High I’m Ry, and SchylerChaise. Lute delivered his first solo mixtape, West 1996, in 2012 while still a member of Forever FC, but took a backseat after the birth of his daughter. With the group and Lute receiving plaudits from the likes of Rick Ross and Pete Rock, it wasn’t long before he was snapped up by J. Cole in 2015, signing to his then burgeoning label Dreamville. His first effort for the label dropped at the end of that year on the compilation Revenge of the Dreamers, Vol. 2, with his track “Still Slummin'” a posthumous production by J. Dilla. Two years later, the single “Juggin'” appeared and signaled Lute’s return. His proper debut album, West 1996, Vol. 2 followed. ~ Rich Wilson