The last thing Luke Wiemer wants to be known as is an ordinary high school senior with a vanilla outlook on life.
In truth, he'd prefer labels more along the lines of extraordinary with maybe a little Vanilla Ice mixed in.
Fueled by a creative fire to create original music, the White Lake rapper/singer is forgoing the typical pursuit of a post-high school college degree — at least in the short run — for a shot at stardom.
Already a well-respected artist on recording platforms iTunes and SoundCloud, Wiemer is serious about following in the footsteps of of his idols Russ, JCole and Drake.
Going by the name of BigLuke, Wiemer has already posted several self-produced songs on various platforms that routinely pile up thousands of plays.
Confident and savvy, the music-loving free spirit believes the risk of his future endeavor is worth the potential reward.
And if it doesn't work out, he admitted, he'll take the old-fashioned route of getting a degree.
"My parents (Joe and Roxanne) are cool with what I'm doing, as long as I have a Plan B and a Plan C," said Wiemer, who is set to graduate from Lakeland High School in the coming days. "I'm following my heart, my dream. It's not even about the money, it's just trying to make a name for myself, then see what happens.
"I have a job and I'm going to work after graduation; I'm not just going to sit around and be a bum and they realize this."
Wiemer lives in a perfect time for do-it-yourself musicians, thanks to the free online platforms that can turn basements and bedrooms into workable recording studios.
His most-liked single so far is the hip-hop tune "AmIGood," which as of May 24 had piled up more than 52,000 plays.
"Honestly, I hadn't checked my SoundCloud account in a few months, so I decided to see how some of my songs were doing," he said. "When I saw one of my songs had been played over 50,000 times, it gave me a boost of momentum to keep going.
"It was defintiely an adrenaline rush."
Wiemer's passion, patience and commitment to his craft has resulted in his soon-to-be-released first album, "Life In Color," which he wrote, mixed, produced and promoted.
Included in the tracks on the 14-song collection are "MRL," which focuses on breaking up with a girlfriend, and "For You," which explains how he has proved his doubters wrong.
"I like all the songs that are on the album," he said. "There's one called 'Make Mama Proud,' which I like a lot because it comes from the heart."
Wiemer's success hasn't come overnight.
He caught the singing bug in elementary school, when he'd sing with his family in church.
Once he moved into middle school, he started to acquire a taste for rap, hip-hop and R&B-flavored tunes.
"When I was about 13, I got my first recording set, then when I was 14, I got a mic and that's when I really started to find out what I could do," he said. "I haven't signed a contract yet; I prefer working by myself for now.
"The money I make when someone downloads one of my songs on iTunes isn't much at all, but I'm doing this because I love it, not to get rich."
He credits the support of his family and friends for the confidence he has built in himself, while still staying humble.
"If my friends weren't behind me, supporting me, I don't know if I'd be where I am," he said. "Once they've seen some of my songs have done (on social media), some of them are going to try it themselves."
Wiemer asserted that he will put everything he has into music for the next several months before deciding how the future chapters of his life will be written.
"Next spring, I'll see what kind of a fan base I have, then decide whether to keep going or switch gears and check out college," he said.
"Life In Color" will be available June 25 on Google Play and Amazon.