June 13, 2006 @ 5:46 pm

Luke & Q

Clover Hope

Though it’s not quite B2K pandemonium, Luke & Q are stirring up a frenzy on their maiden voyage to R&B stardom. Their current stop is an urban radio station in Chicago, where the guys have the request lines swamped with ecstatic callers. When Power 92 DJs Tone and Shag Nice (aka the Hot Boyz) request an a cappella from the New Orleans greenhorns, Luke Boyd, 23, and Quinten Spears, 22, promptly launch into their plea ballad “My Turn.” Afterward, Tone shouts, “Y’all just sang the panties off some women!” Okay, maybe this isn’t a true Pendergrass party, but the enthusiasm comes in all forms: from the text message Beyoncé sends their manager, Frank Gatson Jr. (calling them “the total package”), to the frenzied clubgoers at Chi-Town’s The Lick, where one forward female requests their number. “We got a heavy weight on our shoulders ’cause we’re really the only young hip hop/R&B dudes from our city,” says Q, the flashier alternative to Luke’s white-tee-and-fresh-kicks style. But these Big Easy homies have harmony in their favor (Q’s silky tenor complements Luke’s husky vocals), not to mention their city’s musical legacy. It was there, in eighth-grade band, that Luke overheard Q singing Ginuwine’s “Same Ol’ G.” “I was, like, You can sing, dog, but you may want to flip it,” says Luke, who then belted his version. “He was, like, ‘That’s fly—but I’m still singing it my way.’ Right then, we had a common bond. They joined another childhood friend and started a trio called Upskale, but the group dissolved almost as quickly as it began. Luke & Q then started performing at local events, eventually earning a gig singing background for Tyrese. Through him, the pair met the Underdogs, Damon Thomas and Harvey Mason Jr. (Mario’s “How Could You,” Omarion’s “O”), and signed to the producers’ infant J imprint in 2004. With their radio-ready single, “My Turn,” already drawing a huge buzz, Luke & Q hope that their as-yet-untitled debut helps them survive beyond the current wave of Gen X crooners and sets a shining example for a city where the healing continues after Hurricane Katrina. “We need to take their minds off the tragedy and bring good spirits,” says Q. “I want people to say, ‘Those boys finally made it, and they’re holding New Orleans down right now.’” Call them a light after the storm.

Do you want VIBE delivered to your home or office? CLICK HERE.

Article tags: Luke & Q, Tyrese, B2K, Vibe Next: Luke & Q 

Page printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/music/next/2006/06/luke_q/

Return to previous page