Ludacris: Success That's Far From Ludicrous

If you want to find a rapper who can rival Jay-Z, P. Diddy, or Kanye West for success in the 2000s, you might have to look up this fellow named Ludacris. Born Christopher Brain Bridges, this Dirty South star has probably come the farthest for any hip hop star out of the Atlanta area. Ludacris might beat everybody actually, with more than 13 million records sold and more chart topping hits than any other rapper out there.

Believe it or not, Ludacris got his start as a DJ at a local rap station in Atlanta. There, he tried his hand at breaking into the business from the music side of things by offering up Ludacris lyrics to other artists, such as KP and Envyi. His big break, though, came when Timbaland heard him on the radio and gave him a chance to guest rap on his tunes.

Still, Ludacris had to make his own breaks. Who so? He became his own best traveling salesman, actually selling his first CD out of his car's trunk. No joke? Really, Ludacris produced and distributed the first Ludacris album, the 1999 "Inconegro," on his own. Still, it worked. He sold 50,000 copies supposedly and got the attention of Def Jam.

Get out the Way

With Def Jam South behind him, Ludacris became invincible. They re-released the Ludacris album in 2000, called now "Back for the First Time," then "Word of Mauf" in 2001. He came back to the scene in 2003 with his Ludacris album "Chicken N Beer" that featured such songs as "P-Poppin" and "Act a Fool." But it wasn't until the single "Stand Up" was released that Ludacris really got some play, and a number one spot on the charts.

If you listen to Ludacris on these tracks, you see what could be considered only comedy rap. Ludacris lyrics have such a wit about them, but also a darkness and sexuality to them, that they can be listened to by kids as well as grown adults, and everyone can take something from them.

Ludacris turned a little but more serious-some would say mature-for his next album called "The Red Light District." The top first Ludacris song off the album was "Get Back," which could be looked upon as a reaction to all of the fame and attention he was now getting wherever he went.

Ludacris, Hollywood Star

Ludacris kept producing beats, such as the 2006 album "Release Therapy," and the much anticipated 2008 record that's due out by the end of this year. But Ludacris also expanded his repertoire to include serious acting. All you have to do is watch and listen to Ludacris in the movie "Crash," and you know the guy has cross-platform capabilities.

He would follow that Hollywood performance (for which he won an award) with the movie "Hustle & Flow," "Fred Claus," and "Max Payne," among many others. He got time on TV as well, in "Law and Order" as a bad, bad man, in the "Simpsons" cartoon, and in the "Boondocks."

Let's not forget Ludacris video game appearances either, in such games as "Def Jam Fight for NY" and "Def Jam Icon."

From Ludacris to Hip Hop Music