Uncle Luke, the man whose booty-shaking madness once made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech, gets as nasty as he wants to be for Miami New Times. This week, Luke expounds on the greatness of Lady Gaga.
In this age of digital media, when you can download any new album or movie for free on the Internet, it is damn impressive that Lady Gaga sold more than a million copies of her most recent release, Born This Way, the week after it came out. She is a beast who will be around for many years. Lady Gaga is not just an artist. She is a movement.
Teenage girls love her. Gay people love her. You can play a Lady Gaga track at an all-black nightclub or at an all-transvestite bar and everybody will dance. Her style of dress and her music videos are absolutely genius. That is why she can sell millions of records and have a fan base like no other.
She is only going to get bigger.
Lady Gaga truly has a style and talent all her own. When you see Beyoncé perform, it's clear she is trying to be like Tina Turner. You can easily see the similarities between Nicki Minaj and Lil' Kim. You can find a thousand Britney Spearses. Dancing R&B singers such as Chris Brown are a dime a dozen.
In the early '90s, I met Madonna at a party that Island Records founder Chris Blackwell was throwing in the Bahamas. You could feel her star power when she stepped into the room. Lady Gaga has that special aura too. When you see her on the red carpet in a meat dress, you know she doesn't care about being a mainstream celebrity. Lady Gaga has no problem pushing the envelope.
Many people think Lady Gaga is like Madonna, and there is some truth to that. Both ladies are once-in-a-lifetime performers. Madonna and Lady Gaga have changed people's lives the same way the Beatles and the Rolling Stones did in their heyday. When you can change a fan's life, that person will stay loyal to you no matter what. Lady Gaga's fans are like Dead Heads, following her on tour and dressing up all crazy to be a part of her Little Monster nation. That's why I respect Lady Gaga's art form and her music.
I just hope she doesn't go crazy and end up like Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and all the other great artists who died too young. Hopefully, she is surrounded by the right people to keep her grounded.
