Lute

North Carolina rapper Lute planned to quit music after his second mixtape, but a last-minute phone call from J. Cole repositioned him for a successful career with Dreamville Records. • Lute started his career as a member of Charlotte rap collective Forever FC, but he eventually branched out to release his 2012 debut mixtape, West1996. • After losing his job and apartment in 2014, Lute decided to issue one final body of work before retiring from rap to find a steady job and provide for his daughter. The night before the release, J. Cole called, pleading with the struggling artist to postpone the project so that he could help. • In 2015, Lute joined Cole’s Dreamville Records imprint and made his debut on the label’s compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers II. He appears on the J Dilla–produced “Still Slummin’.” • Three years after the original release date, Lute delivered his long-awaited debut album, West1996, Pt. 2, in 2017. • Lute earned a platinum certification for “Under the Sun,” a collaboration with J. Cole and DaBaby from Dreamville’s Grammy-nominated 2019 compilation Revenge of the Dreamers III. The LP earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.