While most rappers only rap about being the mayor of their city, Luther “Luke” Campbell is doing it for real. The former frontman for the raunchy 1980s rap group 2 Live Crew has made a firm decision to run for the mayor of his hometown, Miami-Dade County, and he has the official paperwork to prove it.

The rapper-turned-actor was one of 12 people to file on the April 12 deadline to be considered on the upcoming special election ballot. Former Miami mayor Carlos Alvarez was ousted after a March 15 recall election deemed that he was unfit to serve. Earlier this year Campbell announced that he would consider taking the job if Alvarez was kicked out of office.

The Miami native has already identified what he believes will be his biggest campaign challenge.

“My major hurdle is people taking me seriously, a lot of people think this is a joke,” Campbell told CBS Miami. “I call it a banana republic and I’m serious about it. You look at the commission and they make their own rules as they go, regardless of what the county attorney says, they make their own rules, just do what they want. They have no respect for the people.” 

Although the hip hop legend is most known for garnering national attention for his involvement in a highly debated U.S. Supreme Court case regarding his extremely explicit lyrics and the limits of freedom of speech in America, this is the first time we’ve seen Campbell engage in politics on a major scale. 

To his credit, Luke has cleaned up his image over the years, putting out a family-oriented television show Luke’s Parental Advisory in 2008 and becoming a columnist for the Miami New Times last year.  

The election will take place May 24 and the winner would serve until the end of Alvarez’s term, November 2012. 

(Photo:  Walik Goshorn/Retna Ltd.)