Lute, also known as Luther Nicholson, gained recognition in the underground hip hop scene as a member of the rap collective Forever FC, alongside Jimmy Kelso, High I'm Ry, and SchylerChaise. He released his first solo mixtape, West 1996, in 2012 while still part of Forever FC, but subsequently took a step back following the birth of his daughter.

As both the group and Lute received praise from Rick Ross and Pete Rock, among others, it wasn't long before he was brought in by J. Cole in 2015, who signed him to his then rapidly growing label Dreamville. After West 1996, Pt. 2 and his impressive second album Gold Mouf (2021) – featuring JID, Ari Lennox and Saba, among others – Lute became a fixture at Dreamville.

The North Carolina rapper delivers modest, introspective lyrics, often with references to his life struggles and fatherhood. His sharp pen is often combined with mellow and soul-tinged productions. He will be dropping new material soon, but there's no need to wait to buy a ticket, because we predict it will be a must-see show.