Lucas

The offspring of Danish painter Berta Moltke and Paul Sécon, a songwriter who also served as Billboard’s music editor, rapper Lucas entered the recording industry without fanfare through Uptown’s 1990 album To Rap My World Around You. Disappointed by the label’s decision to promote his work as teen-idol material for adolescent girls, and further sidelined once Uptown shifted its focus to teen-oriented R&B, he departed the roster, enrolled in philosophy and creative writing courses at New York University, and spent time traveling across Europe to broaden his cultural horizons. Eventually establishing himself in London, he joined Atlantic’s roster in 1992 and delivered the 1994 album Lucacentric for the company. That project blended jazz and reggae textures—with jazz receiving particular emphasis—and included the single “Lucas With the Lid Off.” Its video, filmed in a single unbroken shot that traversed multiple sets, drew considerable notice first in England and then in America, lifting the track onto the charts.