Career

Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper, entrepreneur and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Ludacris has won a Screen Actors Guild, Critic’s Choice, MTV, and three Grammy Awards during his career. Along with fellow Atlantans Big Boi and Andre 3000 of OutKast, Ludacris was one of the first and most influential Dirty South artists to achieve mainstream success.

Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia at age nine, where he began rapping. After a brief stint as a disc jockey, he released his debut album Back for the First Time in 2000, which contained the singles “Southern Hospitality” and “What’s Your Fantasy”. In 2001, he released Word of Mouf, followed by Chicken-n-Beer in 2003. He took a more serious approach with his next three albums, The Red Light District (2004), Release Therapy (2006), and Theater of the Mind (2008). His latest record, Battle of the Sexes, was released in 2010. As an actor, he has appeared in films including 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), Crash (2004), Gamer (2009), Fast Five (2011), New Year’s Eve (2011), and Fast & Furious 6 (2013).

Philanthropy

In 2011, Ludacris joined a joint effort between Dosomething.org and Better World Books to collect books to help restock library shelves in New Orleans. He filmed a public service announcement in support of the Epic Book Drive. Chris “Ludacris” Bridges also started the Ludacris Foundation at the beginning of his music career back in 2001. The aim of the foundation is to inspire the youth through education, memorable experiences and helping the youth help themselves. The focus is what Ludacris calls the “3Ls”: Leadership and Education, Living Healthy Lifestyles, and LudaCares.