Ludacris is at a pivotal point in his career. Since gaining national recognition with the release of his debut album, Incognegro, in 1999, Ludacris has conquered nearly every aspect of entertainment.
He has sold more than 15 million records; four of his albums have reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 charts; he has won three Grammys; and gave riveting performances in films such as Crash and Hustle & Flow.
But what happens to an entertainer who seems to have accomplished it all? It’s easy for an artist to get complacent while admiring the beauty of past work.
Ludacris doesn’t plan to add his name to that category anytime soon. An artist, workaholic and entrepreneur, Ludacris is too busy playing the game to check his stats.
He will release a new EP at the end of 2014; his next full-length album will be ready for release in 2015; and he will also star in the franchise hit, Fast & Furious 7.
Indeed, slowing down has never been an option for Ludacris.
When there are moments to step away from music and film, Ludacris steps up as a businessman and philanthropist.
This weekend, he will serve as ambassador for the Atlanta Football Classic presented by 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc. The festive weekend serves as a fundraiser for the mentorship and educational programs that are led by the organization.
As he prepares for the Atlanta Football Classic; his new album, Ludaversal; and the release of Fast & Furious 7, Ludacris invites us into his world.
He’s been here for years, but it’s almost like he’s just getting started.
Let’s discuss the music. What’s it been like creating your new album, Ludaversal?
Right now, we’re going to break it up a little bit. I’m going to drop the EP before the end of the year. The EP is Burning Bridges. There’s been so much that has gone on and it’s been a minute since I’ve dropped an album and I think people think it’s all glitz and glamour. So there are a certain amount of songs where I’m just really talking about the issues and the adversities that I’ve gone through and some of it [includes] personal problems that I’ve dealt with. I’m giving people a little dose of music before I come with the entire album and go back to the fun loving Ludacris. Burning Bridges is a play off words because there is a song in there called “Burning Bridges” and my last name is Bridges. A few months later, we’re going to drop Ludaversal on March 31, which is the same week that Fast & Furious 7 comes out.
Speaking of Fast & Furious 7, you have done a great job of transitioning into film. How do you compare and contrast the process of making film and music?
Making a film has so many different elements. Someone else wrote the film, someone else is producing, someone else is directing, so it is a great avenue and challenge to play a part. But when it comes to music, you’re pretty much 100 percent on your own creative accord. The production may be from somebody else, but you have a blank landscape and you pretty much put your piece of art on when it comes to music. When it comes to movies, there’s pretty much only one element to it.
This weekend, you will serve as ambassador to the Atlanta Football Classic. How important is the Atlanta Football Classic to the city?
I think people need to understand that this is the second largest recurring college sporting event in Georgia, period. So this Atlanta Football Classic is a big deal and it does a lot for the culture and they continue to make it bigger and better each year by adding things like the robotics invitational, college symposium, they got a parade going on, the battle of the bands. It brings over 150,000 visitors into the city. So it’s good for the city and it’s good for the economy. It’s just to commemorate success in black culture and it’s just that nostalgic feeling that you get that’s unmatched and unparalleled to anything that you can possibly think of. It’s for the whole family.
100 Black Men of Atlanta has one of the largest mentoring programs in the nation. You have also mentored through your foundation. What advice do you give to the students that you help mentor?
I’ve been working with 100 Black Men for years on different things just trying to continue to be a positive role model in the community and to figure out how we can spark up conversation for change. It’s always good to lead by example. I always tell people to keep God first in their life and it’s not about the cards you were dealt, but how you play your cards. I feel like we have the greatest foundation because when you combine street smarts and book smarts together, you’re unstoppable. That’s pretty much what I try to tell them in a nutshell.
Fatherhood is also important in your life. How do you balance fatherhood while focusing on your career?
As a strong black father, I just want to be there for my kids. It’s definitely about taking care of your responsibilities financially, but it’s also about spending time. Because you have a lot of people that just cut a check, but spending time is just as important as taking care of your responsibilities. I don’t think anyone is a perfect parent, but we do our best and we continue to learn. We think we’re teaching our children — we’re actually learning at the same time.
Getting back to the music, the Atlanta hip-hop sound has influenced the world. There are clubs in Germany and France that have trap music nights where they only play Atlanta music. How does it feel to play a major role in the legacy of Atlanta hip-hop?
I think that’s a great thing because that’s really what it’s all about. Hip-hop is about bringing the rest of the world to your neighborhood. And when you go to the rest of the world and see them emulating what we’re speaking about or what we’re doing in the culture, that means we’ve impacted the world. Not just a couple states beyond the border of Georgia, but we’re talking about the rest of the world.
Another aspect of Atlanta hip-hop made national headlines. OutKast returned to the city for their ATLast concert series and you were in attendance. Why was that moment important for hip-hop?
I think it was great for the city because people haven’t seen OutKast together on a stage for over 10 years. So it just goes to show how powerful music is and how timeless their music is. People were jamming along to their music as if it just came out yesterday, and that’s what music it is all about. It has certain emotional ties to different times in individuals lives. That says a lot, not only for the group OutKast, but for what they’ve done for the city of Atlanta and to boost the morale for hip-hop in general. And helping this city get the respect that we feel like we deserve. The concert did many things for the city and culture.
Legacy is important. In 20 years, what do you want the next generation to say about your music and impact on hip-hop?
I want people to say that I was a multifaceted businessman. I always say that I was the best “entrepreneur.” I think I own that term. That’s pretty much what I would love to be known as, an individual that did it all. Some people say triple threat; I feel like I couldn’t even put a number on how many threats that I am when it comes to television, movies, music, being a CEO, father, philanthropist. I think we have so many different sides that we don’t show of ourselves, especially in this industry, and I’m basically trying to show all sides of who I am.
Story by A.R. Shaw
Images by DeWayne Rogers
