Ludacris, American rapper and producer
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper and actor. After forming his own label, Disturbing tha Peace in the late 1990s, Ludacris later signed with Def Jam South and would go on to become one of the first Dirty South rappers to achieve mainstream success with his subsequent releases. For his music, Ludacris has won an MTV Video Music Award and three Grammy Awards.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age nine, where he first began rapping. After a brief stint as a DJ, he independently released his first album Incognegro in 1999 to local success, but achieved national attention the following year when the album was repackaged and re-released as his major label debut, Back for the First Time. It contained the hit singles "Southern Hospitality" (featuring Pharrell), which wasn’t on Incognegro, and "What's Your Fantasy" (featuring Shawnna). In 2001, he released Word of Mouf, followed by Chicken-n-Beer in 2003 and The Red Light District in 2004, all of which were certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He took a more serious approach with his next two albums, Release Therapy (2006), and Theater of the Mind (2008). His next record, Battle of the Sexes, was released in 2010 and featured a return to the more lighthearted tone of his previous albums. His most recent effort, Ludaversal, was released on March 31, 2015.
As an actor, Ludacris is best known for his role as Tej Parker in the Fast and Furious film series, with his first appearance in the franchise coming in 2003. His other notable roles include Crash (2004), Gamer (2009), and New Year's Eve (2011). For his performance in the ensemble of Crash, Ludacris was co-awarded a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critic's Choice Award for Best Cast.