The Incredible Mind of Luke Gawne

Luke Gawne is a rapper/songwriter from Chicago, IL. At twenty years old Luke has been working hard on perfecting his craft. He has a particular style of rapping that takes not only a lot of talent but also takes practice and dedication. His flow and wordplay are phenomenal. Luke Gawne found music as a coping mechanism to deal with past struggles. Here at Do Yo Thang, we had the very special opportunity to interview Luke to get a better chance at finding out just who he was. Through this conversation, we learned a lot about this young musician. His story is different from others and shows the struggles and adversity that he had to go through to get to where he is.

Luke was born in Oak Park, IL a suburb bordering the west side of Chicago.

Growing up in Oak Park Luke always had a fascination with music. Having a range of different artists and genres of music that he listened to. When asked when he started listening to music Luke answer was “I’ve been listening to music for as long as I can remember” As a kid, Luke listened to metal and rock. His favorite band was System of a Down. Which probably explains the dynamic flow that Gawne uses to attack the beats that are fed to him. A lot of people don’t realize that there are a lot of similarities between the genres.

At fifteen years of age, Luke had suffered a brain injury that put him back tremendously.

Luke ended up being in severe pain suffering from all types of symptoms like light sensitivity, dizziness, vertigo, confusion, and migraines. As a high school student, these are the most crucial years of one’s life to grow and develop. Luke had to suffer being in the hospital and not wasn’t able to enjoy those young developing years.

As one could imagine being in pain as a fifteen-year-old kid there are many downsides.

During treatment, Luke had to take medication to treat his injury. Which ended up being a burden on Luke and affected his life.

Prescription pills and addiction go hand in hand especially when one is suffering from an injury such as Luke’s. Luke talks about his struggles with addiction and the pain he suffered in his music video Rock Bottom.

To get through these adversities, Luke started rapping. He chose music to take over as a therapeutic measure and help him get through these tough times.

He immersed himself into music when he wasn’t in the hospital or dealing with his medical treatments.

This eventually turned from a therapeutic measure into a music based following. However, this wasn’t the first time Luke started rapping. When he was a freshman in high school, he first started dabbling with wordplay. ““I was whack as fuck lol. My first rhyme ever was “I’m radioactive made of plutonium, the definition or your raps is baloney-ium””” It wasn’t until Luke was in and out of the hospital that he started to get motivated about rapping.

Choosing to go through music doesn’t just come easy. It takes time, patience and hard work. This process for Luke was the same way “It took me six years to get to the point where I’m at right now as a rapper.” Which is a process that takes time and doesn’t just happen overnight. As long as you stay focused and dedicate yourself to the craft, you can accomplish anything.

Having this mentality is crucial for success. The ability to comprehend when plans can break apart at any time. When asked about dealing with adversity Luke answered with “In music, you deal with adversity every single day. Nothing ever goes to plan, and the industry is set up for new artists to fail, rather than succeed. You need to be creative, ADAPTIVE, and most of all motivated.” Motivation is key, and honestly, these words apply to anyone doing anything in their lives. If you stay motivated, you are more likely to accomplish your goals and finish what you started.

All this hard work eventually paid off for Luke as he begun to gain attention to his music.

Luke did a few interviews in high school and had some features in the newspaper. He even placed in the John Lennon songwriting contest. But in the past few months, Luke started to get noticed.

Big moves are being made here as these numbers are phenomenal especially for a local startup artist.

It has been this attention that Luke has been able to connect the most with his fans and followers. Starting his movement and getting his music out there has led to people coming up to him and telling them how inspiring he is.

His raps have resonated with people in a way that allows people to open up and share themselves with him.

This message fits in similarly to how Luke used music as a therapeutic tool now his fans are using his music as therapeutic tools to help deal with their situations. “I’ve had a mother who lost her son tell me that my music brings her peace during this difficult time.”

Luke has even started his movement Epidemic Records. Not only that, but Luke is also studying business at the University of Illinois. Further pushing the bar and showing that setbacks will not hold him back. What we learned from Luke is a story that comes from hard work and overcoming negativity. Life will always have its ups and downs. As human beings, we can’t control certain moments in life. However, being motivated and investing in yourself can help you better deal with these tragic situations and improve yourself overall. Luke is a real inspiration to anybody whether that be musicians, artists, or everyday people. We can’t wait to catch up with Luke in the future and see his new music and accomplishments.

Check out the full interview below as well as where to find Luke Gawne’s music and social media.

+Follow and Support Luke Gawne+

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+Check Out The Full Interview Below +

DoYoThang: At what age did you start listening to music and what artists did you listen to?

Luke Gawne: I've been listening to music for as long as I can remember. However, it wasn't until my freshman year of high school that I really got hooked on hip-hop. Before that, I was really into alternative metal and rock. My favorite band was System of a Down.

DoYoThang: When did you start rapping and do you remember your first rap?

Luke Gawne: The first time I ever wrote a rap was freshman year of high school. I was wack as fuck lol. My first rhyme ever was "I'm radioactive made of plutonium, the definition or your raps is baloney-ium." I didn't get motivated with music until my sophomore year of high school (age 15/16ish).

DoYoThang: Where do you come from, what town are you from, how was life growing up there?

Luke Gawne: I was born and raised in Oak Park, a suburb bordering Westside Chicago. Oak Park is a very unique town in the aspect that it contains every race, religion, and economic class imaginable. It was definitely a BIG positive for me to grow up there.

DoYoThang: What are the struggles that you encountered throughout your life whether with music or just in life in general?

Luke Gawne: When I was 15 I sustained a bad brain injury that basically knocked me out of high school for the next 2 1/2 years. I couldn't really do much with my life because of the constant light sensitivity, dizziness/vertigo, confusion, migraines etc... During this time I was basically living in hospitals and medical facilities. I also ended up with a strong dependence on some prescription meds (Xanax, etc.) which I talk about in my music video "Rock Bottom." Anyway, it was during this time that I learned to channel the negatives of my situation into songwriting. Every minute that I wasn't consumed with medical stuff, I was either listening to, or writing lyrics. I ended up getting pretty good at it ;)

Truth is that I haven't been the same since. Health-wise, I still feel shitty pretty much everyday. Fortunately, I aced community college and got into U of I's business school. I'm also doing some MAJOR music moves behind the scenes right now so things are looking up with that.

DoYoThang: What are some of your favorite artists now?

Luke Gawne: Right now? Lmao, myself. Jk, I really like what Kendrick and J Cole are doing in regard to keeping rap real and innovative. I gotta rep my city and throw Chance in there too. Kanye's lost me though haha.

To be honest, every day I'm finding new unknown artists who are much iller than the current mainstream rappers. It's frustrating to see such talent go unnoticed.

DoYoThang: What is your process when writing or creating a song?

Luke Gawne: I write music like a crazy person. During the songwriting process, I'm detailing the lyrics down to each individual syllable and breath (OCD much? Lol). For a verse that contains about 200 words, there's usually a couple thousand more of outtakes. For me, rhyming words feels a little bit like doing math, there's a lot of problem solving.

DoYoThang: When did you start gaining attention from your music?

Luke Gawne: I mean in high school I had a radio interview and a couple newspaper features. I also placed high in some big songwriting contest as well (John Lennon, International) but nothing too major. It wasn't up until the past 6 months that things have really heated up. I've accumulated 20k plus total follower/subscribers on YouTube and social media and a half million views/streams between YouTube and Spotify ($$). We're hoping to 10x these figures within the next few years.

DoYoThang: How do you overcome adversity and what advice can you give to young artists?

Luke Gawne: In music, you deal with adversity every single day. Nothing ever goes to plan, and the industry is set up for new artists to fail, rather than succeed. You need to be creative, ADAPTIVE, and most of all motivated. Without unwavering belief in yourself, you'll quickly learn that the music route isn't for you. If it is, then artists should keep a level head and ALWAYS have their long term vision in sight. If you think too short-term, get ready for an emotional roller coaster ride .

It took me 6 years to get to the point where I'm at right now as a rapper. Frankly, I have a lot bigger expectations and goals for myself but I understand it will take time. Anything worth doing is a process.

DoYoThang: You started your own movement, explain that process.

Luke Gawne: Well for starters I'd like to put some stuff in perspective. Kendrick at 20 years old was still K-Dot and had no idea what his style was going to be. Eminem at 20 hadn't even conceived the concept for Slim Shady yet. Luke Gawne as a brand and movement up to this point has been built solely off heart. I've rapped my heart out and it's resonated with a lot of people. I've had grown ass men tell me that my music is helping them get through probation and drug addictions. I've had a mother who lost her son tell me that my music brings her peace during this difficult time. Within the next few years as I discover more about myself as an artist and as my management team starts hammering out tour dates and promotional campaigns, I think the sky's the limit for the movement. I'm immensely excited about what the future holds.

DoYoThang: Have there been struggles that you have found by being a white rapper

Luke Gawne: Struggles? No, not really. Annoyances, sure. I get compared to many different white rappers all the time but I could care less. Most people don't know that I'm really mostly Mexican (I know I don't look like it lol). In 2017 it feels like a rappers skills are what matter most. Of course, hip-hop will always be black culture and I fully respect that.

DoYoThang In your opinion what are the top 5 rappers of all time?

Luke Gawne: From the standpoint of bars

1. Eminem 2,3,4 (no particular order) Biggie, Pac, Nas 5. Kendrick or Royce Da 5'9

(There's about 20 rappers who could make this list depending on my mood)

DoYoThang: How do you feel about the mumble rap movement?

Luke Gawne: I don't want to be a hater lol but there's REAL rappers more deserving of the attention these mumblers are getting. Not my style at all.

DoYoThang: Hennessey?

Luke Gawne: Lol nah man, I got migraines.

DoYoThang: Chicago hot dogs or Chicago pizza?

Luke Gawne: Deep dish.

DoYoThang: Would you ever sign to a label?

Luke Gawne: Yes, under the PROPER circumstances. Chance is laying a great blueprint though for independence