Ludrcis was born Christopiher Brian Bridges on September 11, 1977, in Champaign, Illinois. Before releasing his albums, he made a name for himself as a DJ, and went on to become one of today’s most prominent rappers.
His rise to the top began in October of 2000, when he released his debut album Back for the First Time. The rapper’s remarkable and original singles "Southern Hospitality" and "What’s Your Fantasy" impressed fans in an industry where originality, particularly in the rap genre, seemed to be a thing of the past. The album reached an impressive #4 on the charts, and provided Ludacris with his first real exposure to music fans.
Word of Mouf was released a short year later, and the lead single was "Rollout (My Business)." The video for the single was boycotted by many American video stations. But in a world where any publicity is good publicity, the controversy probably helped the performer’s career rather than hindered it. The risqué video was nominated for a 2002 Video Music Award, and in the same year Luda toured with Papa Roach.
Luda’s career experienced a brief low in 2003 when his singles "Act A Fool," from the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack, and "P-Poppin," from his upcoming album Chicken & Beer were released. Critics and his usual audiences did not enjoy the singles as much as his previously released tracks. Although the album had a strong opening, it quickly plummeted in the charts.
In 2003, however, the single "Stand Up" was released to incredible popularity. It was also a single from Chicken & Beer, which experienced a resurgence in popularity after the release of "Stand Up." It was featured on the soundtrack for the movie Honey, produced by Kanye West and starring Jessica Alba, Lil Romeo, and female rap icon Missy Elliott. When all was said and done, "Stand Up" would be Luda’s biggest hit to date, hitting the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Other singles from the album experienced only limited popularity.
Since this time, two further albums have been released. The Red Light District featured big names in the rap world like Nas and DMX. Release Therapy was a highly anticipated album released in September of 2006. Also featuring big names like Pharrell, Mary J Blige, and R Kelly, the album topped the charts on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 300,000 copies in its first week.
He also has a growing list of film appearances. His best-known appearances are in the the Oscar winning films Hustle & Flow and Crash. In January of 2006, he was awarded with a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture for his work in the thought-provoking Crash.
As far as his personal life is concerned, it’s not clear whether the talented artist has a special lady in his life, or if the steady stream of girls featured in his videos is enough to keep him satisfied for the time being.
YUDDY
