Ludacris

Ludacris rode the early-2000s Dirty South explosion to widespread popularity, as his songs enjoyed an enormous embrace, mainly by urban media outlets but also MTV and pop radio. The Atlanta-based rapper went from local sensation to household name after Def Jam signed him to its Def Jam South subsidiary in 2000. In addition to connecting him with producers such as Timbaland, Def Jam gave Ludacris remarkable marketing push. Ludacris thus quickly became one of the rap industry's most in-demand rappers.

Before he became the “Dirty South's” most successful rapper, Ludacris worked as a DJ at a local Atlanta radio station. He used the opportunity to hone his craft on the mic, learn about the industry, and make a name for himself throughout the Atlanta area. Eventually, he began aspiring toward a career as a rapper rather than as a radio jock, and after working with Timbaland, Ludacris began taking his rap career seriously. In 2000 he recorded an album, Incognegro, and released it on his independent label Disturbing Tha Peace with the help of his producer Shondre. Incognegro sold impressively in Atlanta, where Ludacris had made a name for himself on the radio.

The song, “What's Your Fantasy?” became a regional hit. Scarface, veteran rapper and talent scout for Def Jam Records new subsidiary Def Jam South, made Ludacris his first signing to the label. Def Jam re-packaged the tracks from Incognegro, along with a few new productions such as “Stick 'Em Up”, “Southern Hospitality”, and “Phat Rabbit” remix. Def Jam then gave the resulting album, Back for the First Time (2000), substantial marketing push, heavily promoting the album’s first single “What's Your Fantasy?” Though some radio stations were hesitant to air such a provocative song, "What's Your Fantasy?" became an enormous success, opening the door for countless other truly "dirty" Dirty South songs that would soon become the norm rather than the exception.

Following his initial breakthrough with “What's Your Fantasy?,” Ludacris’s popularity exploded. He toured the States with the likes of OutKast and released a flurry of successful singles: “Southern Hospitality” (The Nuptunes feat.), “Phat Rabbit” (Timbaland feat.), “Area Codes” (Nate-Dogg collaboration), “Rollout,” “Saturday (Oooh Oooh!),” and “Move Bitch.” His second major record release, Word of Mouf, peaked at number three on the Billboard album chart in October of 2001. His next release Golden Grain (featuring his Desturbin tha Peace posse) in 2002, was extremely successful, as were the previous two, going platinum shortly after its release. In proper Ludacris fashion, he continued to crank out the hits for his fourth and fifth albums from Def Jams, Chicken -N- Beer and The Red Light District, released late in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Ludacris also blossomed in Hollywood with a few movie appearances, most notably 2 Fast 2 Furious(2003) and A Time To Kill(2005).

With five incredibly popular, platinum albums and a budding acting career, Ludacris is not curbing his ambitions or his goals, specifically his goal to one day own his own record label. “I have artists that I want to build up - Fate Wilson, 4IZ, and Infamous 20. My ultimate goal is to have a successful record company, and this recording career is helping me take things to the next level.” Ludacris, with talent, hardwork, and ambition, is proving that the sky is the limit for his recording and producing career.


For Free Ludacris Downloads Check out MPFree.com