ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) – Grammy award-winning rapper, actor, entertainer and philanthropist Ludacris has had a groundbreaking and profitable profession. He has damaged numerous boundaries, destroyed stereotypes and kicked down doorways for not solely Atlanta rap music, however southern rap music as properly.

Ludacris, whose actual title is Christopher Brian Bridges, first rose to prominence as a radio DJ, previously often known as Chris “Luva Luva” at Hot 97.5 in Atlanta within the mid-Nineties.

The one factor that hasn’t modified within the eyes of CBS46 News Station Manager Micheal Smith is his drive and dedication.

“I first met Chris in early 1996 when I started working for 97.5. He was an intern at the time,” mentioned Smith. “My first impression of him was “hungry.” I used to work weekends and overnights on the radio station. The first intro I did on the radio, I requested if he needed to do it and he mentioned ‘yes.’ It was on what was referred to as carts and eight tracks. I feel the inhabitants of individuals normally will hearken to rap music lyrics and make an assumption concerning the particular person primarily based on the lyrics. It was at all times humorous to observe folks do this about him as a result of he’s school educated. Real cool dude, very nice man. He’s actually good and was by no means overbearing.”

In June, Walk of Famer and Chair of the Selection Panel Ellen Ok, introduced Ludacris was an honoree to obtain a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.

“He was on the front end of the next wave of southern rap music in the late 1990s,” mentioned Smith. “We had our own music scene that wasn’t really respected at one point. We had Raheem, Kilo Ali, Hitman Sammy Sam, Red Money. Then there was the Jermaine Dupri and Goodie Mobb wave. Atlanta music still hadn’t broken until Jermaine broke through. When Outkast cut through, it kicked the door open for not just Atlanta Hip Hop, but southern Hip Hop as well. It was a game-changer. Chris came after that and pushed through when that door was kicked down. The Timbaland collaboration record [Phat Rabbit released in 1998] he did really skyrocketed,” mentioned Smith.

Smith recollects an occasion the place Ludacris reached out to play one among his first singles one the radio.

“There was a time I had left Hot 97.5 and went to a radio station in Tallahassee. Chris had reached out about this new single and asked me to break it for him on the radio. And he sent me the single which was the first record on his first major label debut album, titled “What’s Your Fantasy.” Then I stored getting blown up about getting this scorching document again and again. I took it to the previous radio program director and he was like, “this record is not hot.” He thought the one cause I needed to play it was as a result of it was my pal’s document. I stored saying, “it’s my friend’s record, and it is also hot. Two weeks later, I asked if he had more copies and he said he was signing his record deal with Def Jam and we had to go through the label to get it.”

He signed to Def Jam Records in 1999 to pursue his rap profession, making the troublesome resolution to drop out of Georgia State University the place he was finding out Music Management. He was the primary rapper signed to the brand new label imprint Def Jam South.

In October 2000, he launched his extremely anticipated debut album, “Back For the First Time,” which went on to go triple-platinum. He has launched eight albums and has bought greater than 20 million information within the United States alone. He is extensively thought to be the most effective rappers of all time and probably the most distinguished Atlanta rapper of the final 22 years.

“Chris has had a very strong and consistent career,” mentioned Smith. “Some of the stuff that producers [Shondrae and Bangladesh] were doing in the 1990′s were pushing the boundaries. Lyrically, he stands up against some of the greatest.”

The doorways that he’s opened are countless, in accordance with widespread Hot 107.9 radio character DJ Incognito. “To watch him take it from a radio personality to be a movie star is a really big deal. The lyrics are underrated. At the time when the south had something to say, he really flew the flag for us at that time. He welcomed the world to the lyricism and creativity of the south. OutKast, Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot were always creative with their videos. Ludacris had that torch and took it a step further and it happened so fast. He’s so diverse and has so many different talents.”

In 2019, Ludacris partnered with Georgia State University to supply a regulation class titled, “The Legal Life of Ludacris.” GSU officers mentioned on the time that the course stuffed up in a matter of minutes.” In May, he acquired his honorary bachelor’s diploma from Georgia State University, even serving because the speaker on the faculty’s graduation ceremony.

“There are so many other jobs in a music business that you can aspire to and want to so. Chris going back to college and finishing his degree shows people that education is important,” Smith continued. I feel if he talks extra concerning the enterprise facet of it and the way he and his supervisor Chaka [Zulu] constructed that enterprise, it’ll encourage folks to need to do extra than simply be on stage.”

Born in Champagne, Illinois to Wayne and Roberta Bridges on Sept. 11, 1977, the rapper and actor has gained a number of awards together with 4 Grammys. He was additionally acknowledged by the Screen Actors Guild for roles within the 2004 movie “Crash” and 2005 movie “Hustle and Flow” alongside Terrence Howard.

According to the Santa Monica Mirror, he’s increasing his restaurant Chicken and Beer within the Los Angeles International Airport.

”I bear in mind when he opened up his first restaurant referred to as Straits on Juniper Street,” mentioned DJ Incognito. To have the ability to open your personal restaurant named after your first No. 1 album [Chicken N Beer] contained in the world’s busiest airport [Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson], let’s simply take a pause and take into consideration that. Genius.“

Recently, he starred in the thriller film titled End of the Road alongside fellow hip hop icon Queen Latifa. On Sept. 22, Netflix will also release season four of his hit animated show called, Karma’s World.

Ludacris has announced on his social media pages that he is working on a holiday-themed movie that is currently in production in Atlanta. He is also working on the 10th installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise. He has starred or played a supporting role in six of the films so far. The films have collectively grossed more than $1 billion.

”Rappers revered him, the general public revered him and he discovered his lane and rode his lane all the best way to Hollywood,” mentioned Smith.

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