Ludacris Biography

The hip hop recording artist and actor known as Ludacris was born Christopher Brian Bridges in 1977 in Champaign, Illinois. Ludacris spent his formative years growing up in the Chicago area before moving to Atlanta for his last year of high school, graduating in 1995. At first, Ludacris entered Georgia State University to study music management, but while serving as a DJ for a local radio station, he became inspired to write and record his own music.

Ludacris’s debut, Back for the First Time, arrived in 2000 and rose to the top of the mainstream charts, spawning the hit singles “Southern Hospitality” and “What’s Your Fantasy.” The album featured contributions from some of the biggest names in the business, including Timbaland, and launched a career which has made Ludacris one of the era’s most successful hip hop artists. Additional albums from Ludacris include: Chicken’n’Beer (2003), The Red Light District (2004), Released Therapy (2006), theater of the Mind (2008), and Battle of the Sexes (2010.) Notable singles include: “Stand Up” (featuring Shawnna), “Splash Waterfalls,” “Get Back,” “Nubmer One Spot,” “Money Maker” (featuring Pharrell), “Runaway Love” (featuring Mary J. Blige), and “My Chick Bad” (featuring Nicki Minaj.) Ludacris also scored a number one hit with Usher’s song “Yeah,” released in 2004 and which includes Ludacris as a featured performer.

In the early 2000’s, Ludacris also launched an acting career in which he has appeared in a number of films and on television shows. Notable film roles include: Skinny Black in Hustle & Flow (2005), Anthony in Crash (2005), Jim Bravura in Max Payne (2008), Brendon in New Year’s Eve (2011), and Tej in the Fast & Furious franchise films. On television, Ludacris is best known for his role as Darius Parker on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Ludacris continues to perform and record. He most recently released the chart-topping album Ludaversal in 2015.