Ted Lucas

Black Enterprise reported that Ted Lucas grew up in Miami, hoped to play in the NFLNFLThe NFL (National Football League) is a U.S. professional American football league of 32 clubs. Founded in 1920 as the APFA and renamed in 1922, it is organized into the AFC and NFC, with the season culminating in the Super Bowl.Open the full entry and dropped out of college.⁠[1]

Axios Miami said Lucas was influenced early on by Uncle Luke, Luther Campbell, and his Luke Records; Lucas recalled seeing “a man who owned a record company.” Debbie Bennett, who had worked at Luke Records and whom he later hired, taught him the business.⁠[2]

Axios and Black Enterprise both say Lucas founded the independent hip-hop label Slip-N-Slide Records in Miami in 1994, with Trick Daddy as its first artist; he had planned the label with Trick Daddy’s late brother, Hollywood. An earlier Miami New Times article gives the founding year as 1993.⁠[2][1][3]

Trina, who featured on Trick Daddy’s next album, became the label’s second success. AxiosAxiosAxios is a US digital news media company founded in 2016 by former Politico executives Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz and launched in January 2017. It is known for short news items and industry newsletters in the “Smart Brevity” style, especially for its Washington political coverage, and publishes local news newsletters in cities across the United States through Axios Local. Since 2022 it has been owned by Cox Enterprises.Open the full entry associates Pitbull, Trina, Trick Daddy, Rick RossRick RossRick Ross, born William Leonard Roberts II, is an American rapper, entrepreneur and author. He broke through with Hustlin’ and his debut album Port of Miami, founded Maybach Music Group, and expanded into Wingstop franchising, car shows and publishing. His albums include Teflon Don, God Forgives, I Don’t and Set In Stone.Open the full entry and Plies with the label.⁠[1][2]

Lucas recalled on the Trapital podcast that in its early years the label had to pay major labels for distribution.⁠[4]

Miami New Times reported that Vibe named Lucas a “Major Player in the Game” in 2001 and that The Source listed him in its Power 30 for four consecutive years.⁠[3]

Miami New Times reported that Slip-N-Slide signed a multimillion-dollar distribution deal with Def Jam in February 2006 and that the label had sold more than 15 million records since its founding.⁠[3]

Black Enterprise and Axios mention that Lucas set up the Ted Lucas Foundation to serve young people in underserved communities.⁠[1][2]

Marking the label’s 20th year, Black Enterprise reported that Slip-N-Slide had released R&B singer Sebastian Mikael’s album Speechless and was developing new artists including Teenear and Swazy. “I still get excited when I see raw talent,” Lucas said.⁠[1]

On Dan Runcie’s Trapital podcast Lucas discussed Slip-N-Slide’s history, Miami hip-hop and R&B’s comeback; the episode notes say he also runs Miami’s SuperFest.⁠[4]

AfroTech reported that during the COVID-19 pandemic Lucas discussed Black participation in tech with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and that in January 2023 the Technolij innovation center opened at Florida Memorial University with the aim to “make as many millionaires in the tech space as possible.” Refresh Miami said he launched the workforce program Tech Knowledge with Hilmon Sorey in 2023 and co-founded Miami NFT Week.⁠[5][6]

On December 14, 2023, during the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Miami gave Lucas a key to the city and a proclamation, and Miami Beach declared the day Ted Lucas Day.⁠[2][5]

Lucas and Sorey opened The Source, a Black-owned tech hub connecting entrepreneurs, investors and the community, at 14 NE 1st Ave., Suite 602 in downtown Miami. Lucas said there was “a need for us in South Florida.”⁠[6][7]

Black Enterprise reported Lucas saying the group had invested $500,000 in startup companies over the previous two years.⁠[7]

Lucas announced Slip N Slide Media, a production and distribution company focused on Southern and Caribbean creators; its first release was the docuseries Miami Kingpins, executive produced by Lucas, Josh “Redd” Burke and Rick Ross and scheduled for July 4, 2025 on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and other platforms.⁠[8]

POCIT reported that The Source had launched the SPARC South Florida competition for Southern and Caribbean founders, with the winner advancing to the Startup World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup is FIFA’s men’s national-team football tournament, held every four years.Open the full entry in San Francisco to compete for a $1 million prize.⁠[9]

TechCrunch reported the launch of Vurt, the vertical streaming platform founded by Lucas, inspired by his difficulty distributing Miami Kingpins; he said not every content creator and filmmaker has the resources and that “we’re building something that fits that future.”⁠[10]

WLRN described Lucas as a music and tech executive and quoted him saying Vurt wants creators to “take their talent to the next level, not just stay on social media.”⁠[11]

Vurt: Official website: https://www.myvurt.com/ (opens in a new window)⁠[12]