Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris(/ˈluːdəkrɪs/), is an American rapper and actor. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he first began rapping. Starting with a brief stint as a DJ, he formed his own record label, Disturbing tha Peace, in the late 1990s to release his debut studio album, Incognegro (1999), independently. After its single, "What's Your Fantasy" (featuring Shawnna), became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, the album was re-released by Def Jam Recordings as his major label debut, Back for the First Time (2000). The latter album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned his second top 40 single, "Southern Hospitality" (featuring Pharrell).
Ludacris' subsequent albums—Word of Mouf (2001), Chicken-n-Beer (2003) and The Red Light District (2004)—were each met with continued success, receiving multi-platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His fifth and sixth albums, Release Therapy (2006) and Theater of the Mind (2008), explored more serious subject matter than their predecessors. His seventh album, Battle of the Sexes (2010), featured a return to the more lighthearted tone of his earlier albums. Throughout his career, Ludacris has scored two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist: "Stand Up" (featuring Shawnna) and "Money Maker" (featuring Pharrell), as well as three singles which did so as a guest performer: Usher's "Yeah!" in 2004, Fergie's "Glamorous" in 2007, and Taio Cruz's "Break Your Heart" in 2009. The following year, he guest featured on Justin Bieber's single "Baby", which remains one of the highest-certified singles of all time in the United States.
Ludacris is named among the first Dirty South rappers to achieve mainstream success in the early 2000s. He is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Award and an MTV Video Music Award. Outside of music, he has portrayed the character Tej Parker in the Fast & Furious film series—first appearing in its second film, 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). His other notable acting roles include Crash (2004), Gamer (2009), and New Year's Eve (2011). In 2021, he created and starred in the children's animated series Karma's World for Netflix. Ludacris is also a private pilot.
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