Ludacris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ludacris
Ludacris performing in 2024
Born	Christopher Brian Bridges (1977-09-11) September 11, 1977 (age 47) Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
Other names	Chris Lova Lova Luda Velvet Jones Bronze Bridges
Occupation	Rapper songwriter record producer record executive actor
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Eudoxie Mbouguiengue ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	4
Relatives	Richard Pryor (second cousin once removed) Rain Pryor (third cousin) Monica (cousin)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Southern hip hop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Disturbing tha Peace Def Jam Universal
Signature

Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris, is an American rapper, songwriter, and actor. He was born in Champaign, Illinois, and later moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he started his music journey.

Ludacris began his career as a DJ and then created his own record label, Disturbing tha Peace, in the late 1990s. He released his first album, Incognegro, in 1999. After one of his songs, "What's Your Fantasy", became popular, his album was re-released by Def Jam Recordings as Back for the First Time in 2000. This album reached number four on the Billboard 200 music chart.

..... Ludacris has had two number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist: "Stand Up" and "Money Maker". He also appeared as a guest on three other number-one hits, including Usher's "Yeah!" in 2004.

Ludacris is known as one of the first Dirty South rappers to become widely popular in the early 2000s. He has won many awards, including three Grammy Awards. Besides music, he is famous for playing Tej Parker in the Fast & Furious movies, starting with 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003. He also created and starred in the children's animated series Karma's World for Netflix in 2021.

Early Life and Beginnings

Christopher Brian Bridges was born in Champaign, Illinois. As a teenager, he moved to Oak Park, Illinois. He attended Oak Park River Forest High School for one year. Then, he moved to Centreville, Virginia and went to Centreville High School. He graduated from Banneker High School in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1995.

From 1998 to 1999, he studied music management at Georgia State University. Ludacris' parents are both African American. He is also a distant cousin of the famous comedian Richard Pryor. Ludacris wrote his first rap song when he was nine years old. Three years later, he joined an amateur rap group.

Music Career Highlights

Early Albums and Success

Before becoming a rapper, Ludacris worked as an intern and then a DJ at Atlanta's Hot 97.5 radio station (now Hot 107.9). He was known as "Chris Lova Lova" on the radio. During this time, he met music producer Timbaland, and Ludacris was featured on Timbaland's album Tim's Bio: Life from da Bassment on a song called "Phat Rabbit."

In 1999, Ludacris released his first album, Incognegro, through his own label, Disturbing tha Peace. Later, Def Jam South re-released this album with new songs as Back for the First Time in 2000. This album reached number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It included popular songs like "What's Your Fantasy" and "Southern Hospitality".

Continued Hits and Movie Roles

In 2001, Ludacris contributed the song "Area Codes" to the movie Rush Hour 2. This song was also on his next album, Word of Mouf, released later that year. The song "Rollout (My Business)" from Word of Mouf was nominated for a Grammy Award. Other popular songs from this album included "Saturday (Oooh! Ooooh!)".

Ludacris also appeared on other artists' hit songs, such as Jermaine Dupri's "Welcome to Atlanta" and Missy Elliott's "Gossip Folks".

In April 2003, Ludacris released the song "Act a Fool" from the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious, where he played the character Tej Parker. In the fall of 2003, he released his album Chicken-n-Beer. The song "Stand Up" from this album became one of his biggest hits, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Ludacris also won his first Grammy Award for the hit song "Yeah!" with Usher and Lil Jon.

Evolving Sound and New Directions

..... The album featured the popular song "Get Back" and "Number One Spot". This album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts.

His album Release Therapy came out in September 2006. Ludacris designed this album with two sides: a "Release" side and a "Therapy" side. The first song, "Money Maker", featuring Pharrell Williams, became his second number-one single. His third song, "Runaway Love", won Best Collaboration at the 2007 BET Awards. Release Therapy won the Best Rap Album award at the 2007 Grammy Awards.

In 2008, Ludacris released Theater of the Mind. This album featured collaborations with artists like Chris Brown and T-Pain. The album's first song, "What Them Girls Like", was a hit.

In 2010, Ludacris was featured on Justin Bieber's popular song "Baby", which became one of the most successful songs in the United States. His eighth album, Battle of the Sexes, was released in March 2010. It included the songs "How Low" and "My Chick Bad". Battle of the Sexes reached number one on the charts and was certified gold.

Recent Music and Projects

After some delays, Ludacris released his album Ludaversal on March 31, 2015. The album received positive reviews and reached number three on the Billboard 200.

In March 2017, Ludacris confirmed he was working on his tenth studio album. He released a new song called "Vitamin D" featuring Ty Dolla $ign that same month. In 2018, he was featured on country singer Carrie Underwood's song "The Champion", which was used as the opening song for Super Bowl LII and the 2018 Winter Olympics.

On October 14, 2020, Netflix announced a new animated musical children's television series called Karma's World, created by Ludacris. The show is inspired by his oldest daughter, Karma Bridges. The series premiered on Netflix on October 15, 2021, along with its official soundtrack. Karma's World was nominated for three NAACP Image Awards, and Ludacris was nominated for his voice acting in the show. A second season of Karma's World premiered on March 10, 2022.

In August 2021, Ludacris released the song "Butter.ATL". In December 2022, it was announced that Ludacris would perform with Janet Jackson on her "Together Again Tour." In February 2024, Ludacris made a special appearance during Usher's Super Bowl LVIII halftime show, performing his part of the song "Yeah."

Personal Life

Ludacris married model Eudoxie Mbouguiengue on December 26, 2014. They have two daughters together. Ludacris also has two other daughters from previous relationships.

Ludacris officially receiving his Gabonese citizenship in Libreville, Gabon in 2020

In January 2020, Ludacris, his mother, and his two daughters became citizens of Gabon, a country in Central Africa.

Business Ventures

The heel of the Clyde x Luda Puma Clyde sneaker, showing the Disturbing tha Peace logo

Ludacris is the founder of his own record label, Disturbing tha Peace, which works with Def Jam Recordings. He also co-owns a brand of Cognac called Conjure. In 2011, Ludacris launched his own line of headphones called "Soul By Ludacris." He also owns various properties.

In 2006, Ludacris appeared in advertisements for Puma, which released special "Clyde x Luda" Puma Clyde sneakers featuring his image and his label's logo.

In November 2016, Ludacris opened a restaurant called "Chicken N Beer" at the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta. In December 2023, he became a producer for the Broadway musical How to Dance in Ohio.

Helping Others

In 2011, Ludacris worked with Do Something and Better World Books to collect books for libraries in New Orleans. He made a public service announcement to support this book drive.

Ludacris also started the Ludacris Foundation in 2002. This foundation aims to inspire young people through education, special experiences, and by helping them help themselves. The foundation focuses on what Ludacris calls the "3Ls": Leadership and Education, Living Healthy Lifestyles, and LudaCares.

Awards and Recognition

Ludacris has won many awards during his career. These include three Grammy Awards for his music and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his acting in the 2004 movie Crash.

In October 2019, Ludacris was named the artist-in-residence at Georgia State University, where he mentors students in the Creative Media Industries Institute. On April 13, 2022, Georgia State University announced that Ludacris would receive an honorary Bachelor of Science degree in Music Management. He received this degree on May 4, 2022, at the graduation ceremony, where he also gave a speech.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Incognegro (1999)
• Back for the First Time (2000)
• Word of Mouf (2001)
• Chicken-n-Beer (2003)
• Release Therapy (2006)
• Theater of the Mind (2008)
• Battle of the Sexes (2010)
• Ludaversal (2015)

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

Documentaries

Theme Park Rides

Theater Productions

See also

In Spanish: Ludacris para niños

• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of awards and nominations received by Ludacris