When it comes to hip-hop music, there aren’t many artists that parents would feel comfortable playing around their young children. Whether it’s the common use of profanity or adult themes, hip hop lyrics don’t often lend themselves to listeners in the single-digit age range. But for local musician Kyle Lucas, it’s all about keeping the sound and quality of contemporary rap music while twisting the lyrics into themes in which children can understand and relate. Also known by his family-friendly alter ego, Uncle Apple, Lucas creates quality beats and rhymes with catchy hooks that teach children important lessons while having fun in the process.
“I didn’t want to make [the music] like a Baby Shark or like Barney rapping,” Lucas said. “I wanted it to be mixed and sonically sound like contemporary hip-hop… I don’t try to make it childish.”
Being well-versed in the genre himself, Lucas began listening to hip-hop music at a young age before writing and rapping his own lyrics by the time he reached third grade. While growing up in East Cobb and attending Pope High School, he quickly realized that hip-hop was his true passion. In college, he began rapping in a band with the intentions of creating music “in the vein of Gym Class Heroes”.
After continuing to perform live in various night venues, they signed their first record deal with members of the iconic rap group, Outkast. Lucas performed his music on shows like The Late Show with David Letterman, The Mo’Nique Show, and The George Lopez Show while also touring globally and playing at major festivals including Bonnaroo, Vans Warped Tour, and Austin City Limits.
After the band quickly broke up and he released a few solo albums while performing on tours of his own, Lucas decided to move back to Marietta from Texas after his father passed away. Unfortunately, he soon reached a point where he felt stuck artistically.
“I hit a wall after I finished,” Lucas said. “I released two solo albums, a bunch of successful tours. I toured all over the world and then I began experiencing writer’s block.”
To help deal with his creative rut, Lucas began com ing up with funny rhymes while completing daily tasks and chores around the house. His girlfriend then suggested the idea of turning these kinds of rhymes into children’s music. Being an uncle with younger nieces and nephews of his own, he created five songs and released them separately under the name, Uncle Apple, as a way deal with his fear of recording himself and releasing new music.
“It was like a perfect storm of realizing I could release the music myself,” Lucas said. “So, I started to learn how to get back into recording myself and running my own sessions and engineering and Uncle Apple was kind of a way that I could come up with funny hooks because I’m always rapping about whatever I’m doing.”
After receiving positive feedback from friends, parents, and their kids, he began working with people he knew to create animated videos to go along with certain tracks. With songs about various topics including lizards, brushing your teeth, and drinking water, they quickly caught on. Having close friends of his own who work in the television industry, Lucas had the idea of collaborating with them and turning Uncle Apple into a children’s cartoon series.
While it did catch the attention of Nickelodeon and he briefly discussed creating the series with them, creative differences kept the show from getting off the ground. As Lucas continues to shop the show around to other media, he anticipates the release of Uncle Apple’s first full-length album later this year in July/August featuring 20 brand new tracks.
“I think listeners can expect fun, wholesome hip hop,” Lucas said. “Music that both parents and their kids would really enjoy…You know, co-listenership for the past and the present.”
Uncle Apple’s music is available on Spotify and other major music streaming platforms. To see his music videos, visit his YouTube channel at www.youtube. com/@UncleAppleRaps. To learn more, visit his Instagram account at www.instagram.com/uncleappleraps.
