What You Don't Know About Ludacris

As one of the hottest rappers of the early aughts, Ludacris started off strong with his debut album "Back for the First Time." Pitchfork considered it "one of the best rap albums of the decade" thanks to its simple formula of songs: "banger, banger, banger, skit, banger." Ludacris kept pumping out hits, enough to earn him 20 Grammy nominations and wins for his songs "Money Maker" and "Yeah!" (with Usher and Lil Jon) — plus, best rap album for "Release Therapy." Any 2000s playlist wouldn't be complete without at least one of his other guest features. It could be Fergie's "Glamorous," Justin Bieber's "Baby," or DJ Khaled's star-studded "All I Do Is Win."

More than just music, the rapper transitioned to movies and became Chris Bridges, the actor. He quickly found himself cast in two Oscar-winning films, "Hustle & Flow" and best picture winner "Crash." The multitalented Bridges admitted to Rolling Stone after the Oscars success, "Some people know me from my movies but not my music — and that's just absolutely crazy to me." He added, "That just goes to show the power of Hollywood." It also showed the versatility of Ludacris, who has been in the music industry a long time, working his way up from the very bottom to the top of the charts. He might have offended some people along the way, but no one can deny the rapper's hustle in all forms of entertainment.

This is what you don't know about Ludacris.

Long before Ludacris, baby Christopher Bridges was born in Champaign, Illinois. The youngster grew up in Oak Park, not far from Chicago, ABC7 explained. When he was only 3 years old, "Bridges was already going to college parties with his parents" (per MTV archives). But the young boy didn't spend his entire childhood partying. In fact, he was extremely active in his community. Bridges' mom, Roberta Shields, told 11 Alive about her son, "I think the first time he told me he wanted to do something was when he was 9 and he became a mentor to a senior citizen, so while he was doing wrestling and gymnastics, he was carrying groceries and doing banking." She explained to the Chicago Tribune that this work with senior citizens was part of a program when he attended Emerson Middle School.

As a teenager, Bridges attended River Forest High School in Illinois. But he left the state and spent a year at Centreville High School in Virginia, where his mother lived, Bridges revealed in a video interview Lindsay Czarniak posted on Twitter.

After becoming a big star, Ludacris reflected on a visit back to Chicago. "I was born here, so I don't know how much more of an influence you need, everything around me, my DNA is here," Ludacris told ABC7. The rapper added, "I have a lot of family that's still here, they still continue to raise me even though I'm a grown man."

Following his brief stay in Virginia, Ludacris relocated to Atlanta and attended Banneker High School in the '90s, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. At the time, he lived with his father and worked two jobs. For his less glamorous employment, Ludacris worked at Pizza Hut. "My father didn't cook, so I had to be able to make money and eat at the same time, and that was the best way for me to do it," the rapper explained on "Live with Kelly and Ryan." Luckily, one of the perks of the job was getting free pizza and sandwiches. 

But the young man also worked at a local radio station, interning at Atlanta's Hot 97.5 station at the same time Ryan Seacrest was working at Star 94. In his role as an assistant, Ludacris explained, he mostly helped the morning show prepare for its programming. "I kind of understood the fundamentals of radio, and that's where I learned everything," he told Seacrest and Kelly Ripa. But Ludacris also took the job with bigger goals in mind — to become a rapper. While others thought he just wanted to help around the office, Ludacris confessed he wanted to be at the spot "where all of these artists come and all these producers and I'm going to be able to give them my music this way." 

Beyond his music, the station recognized his distinctive voice, and Ludacris became an on-air personality by the name of Chris Lova Lova, Hot 107.9 reported.

When he's not making music or acting, Ludacris might be spending his free time getting high. The rapper is unafraid to talk about his love for marijuana. For example, he told High Times in an interview, "My favorite time to get high has got to be in the evening." As for his dream partner to smoke with, Ludacris chose the most famous musician of all when it comes to weed — Willie Nelson. 

Ludacris is open about discussing the once-taboo subject because, according to him, "The future of weed looks very bright right about now," he told High Times. As for the legalization of the drug, he mused, "I feel like it's been a long time coming, and I know a lot of artists that have been trying to advocate it, and they help the fight." 

One of Ludacris' most well-known ways of promoting marijuana as an artist was his single "Blueberry Yum Yum." The music video shows the rapper surrounded by green plants, as he sings about one of his favorite pastimes. He explained that the idea for the video came after discovering the greenhouse on a trip to Amsterdam.

Ludacris is so optimistic about the increased use of weed that he does more than just indulge. "I'm a businessman, I'm an entreprenegro, so I can't let all my secrets out. But I'm definitely trying to get involved in some of these dispensaries ... believe that," he revealed to High Times.

In fall 2020, two heavyweight rappers from the new millennium — Ludacris and Nelly — went head to head in a "Verzuz" rap battle. While the two virtually traded bars, Ludacris rapped, "I love R. Kelly but around my daughters, I'm not comfortable." He quickly received backlash for the lyric, especially given the allegations surrounding the disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly. Ludacris told The Shade Room (via their Instagram) that "a lot of people kind of misconstrued or didn't really understand what it was that I was saying."

The artist also once offended a U.S. president with his lyrics. On Ludacris' song, "Politics as Usual (Obama Is Here)," the rapper talks about the impending moment for Barack Obama. "You can't stop what's 'bout to happen, we 'bout to make history / The first Black president is destined and it's meant to be," Ludacris says (via Genius). But in the same song, he criticizes other politicians from both parties. 

In response, Obama's presidential campaign released a statement that said, in part, "While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics," Politico reported. "This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear," the statement also said. Both Ludacris and Obama had met a few years earlier to converse "about empowering the youth," the rapper told CBS News.

Thanks to some encouragement, Ludacris expanded his entertainment empire to film. The rapper credits the late film director John Singleton for turning him into an actor. Singleton reportedly asked him to audition for his movie "2 Fast 2 Furious." As Ludacris told High Times, "I remember being on the Eminem tour, and backstage I had a camera and tried out for the part, read the lines. Next thing I know, I got the part."

Ludacris' acting career has also included appearances in the romantic comedies "No Strings Attached" and "New Year's Eve." He admitted to Elle that he enjoys chick flicks, especially "The Devil Wears Prada" — "It's about leadership and focus. That's one of my favorite movies of all time, honestly. Period." 

In an interview for Billboard, Ludacris explained that the skills needed to excel in movies and music have similarities. ​​"All rappers act to a degree; we're acting out our own thoughts," he said. However, Ludacris admitted, "acting is a craft, and it's not as easy as everyone thinks it is. When you're acting, it's someone else's script, so you're only taking on a role." 

Fortunately, Ludacris was able to adapt and become an essential part of the billion-dollar "Fast & Furious" franchise. Part of his success came from another rapper-turned-actor: Ice Cube, who advised Luda to remain "patient and pick the right roles, as opposed to taking whatever comes to you" (per Billboard).

Starting with his film debut in "2 Fast 2 Furious," Ludacris became a staple in the "Fast & Furious" franchise as Tej. As a veteran on set, Ludacris admitted to Today, "We haze people" during production. He detailed that for people new to the franchise, star Vin Diesel "rents a huge crib, and we basically bring them over, we have a barbecue, we're drilling them with questions." Ludacris said this tradition was to make "sure they're fully equipped, but really it's just to make them feel comfortable and to accept them, because we know how much pressure it can be." With so many films together, the star shared that he and the other actors from the early days are like family. "So, I say hazing, but we really just make them feel like family," Ludacris said of the newcomers.

Even with all the success of "Fast & Furious," the 2021 film "F9" was the first of the final three to conclude the franchise. "I'm not sad at all, and I'm not ready to let it go," Ludacris told Fatherly about the end of his character Tej. "Every good thing has to come to an end at some point," he added. The actor felt grateful for being part of seven of the eleven total movies. "I think I got more than what I even bargained for and more than I expected. So, I'll be forever thankful," Ludacris said about the experience.

Ludacris revealed that the first album he purchased as a kid was by UTFO, the old-school hip-hop group. He told IGN, "I was always kind of a Run DMC and LL Cool J fan." Inspired by these classic MCs, Ludacris decided to start writing music. According to MTV archives, Ludacris "recorded his first rap at age 9 and joined his first rap crew three years later." One of his first big guest features was on the song "Phat Rabbit" on producer Timbaland's second album "Tim's Bio," per Genius. 

After hustling around Atlanta to showcase his talent, Ludacris self-released his debut album "Incognegro" when he was 21 years old. The album, which he released on his own record label, Disturbing tha Peace, sold "more than 30,000 copies with virtually no promotion," MTV recapped. Then, Ludacris became the first artist to sign under the new label Def Jam South, which was led by rapper Scarface.

With help from a major record label, super producers like the Neptunes, Timbaland, and Jermaine Dupri remixed Ludacris' self-released debut and rebranded the album as "Back for the First Time." The rapper's fame grew even more quickly from the hit tracks "What's Your Fantasy" and "Southern Hospitality." Ludacris then ruled the rest of the aughts and even helped launch other rappers' careers. "Through his label Disturbing tha Peace's relationship with College Park rap group Playaz Circle, he basically discovered 2 Chainz," The Ringer reported.

After high school, Ludacris stayed in the south to attend Georgia State University. As an undergraduate, he studied music business. But after his rapping career quickly took off, Ludacris dropped out to instead focus on making music. Years later, after Ludacris became a huge success in entertainment, Georgia State University paid homage to its famous former student. At the school's law college, students could take a course called "'The Legal Life of Ludacris,' which filled up in a matter of minutes," according to GSU. As the subject matter expert on the course, Ludacris went to the campus to take photos with students. While visiting the university, he also "served as a lunchtime panelist" during an "Intellectual Property master class."

The entertainer also joined the school's Creative Media Industries Institute as an artist-in-residence, mentor, and consultant on entrepreneurship in the entertainment industry. Ludacris said of returning to GSU in 2019, "Georgia State is one of the most innovative and diverse universities in the country. I couldn't imagine a better place to work with students than CMII."

Outside of acting and creating hit music, Ludacris has branched into other personal projects throughout his career. In 2009, he helped launch Conjure cognac. ​​The rapper traveled to the Cognac region of France to be involved in the creation process for the liquor, which combined many different varieties of the spirit. "I went to Cognac and blended it myself from 14 different samples," he told Decanter. Ludacris was also proud of the liquor's bottle — with naked silhouettes — and wanted it "to be a collectible for customers."

In 2010, he began working on his own line of headphones called Soul by Ludacris, later called just Soul. According to The Wrap, the line of music electronics was "a collaboration between Ludacris and the Signeo headphone company." To help promote his brand, Ludacris visited president Barack Obama — also a well-known music lover. Via Politico, Ludacris tweeted, "Just gave Barack his @SoulbyLudacris headphones. Re-elect Obama 2012! Preach!"

Banking off the success of his 2003 album "Chicken-n-Beer," Ludacris decided to turn the record into a restaurant. MTV reported that in 2016, Ludacris launched his Chicken + Beer restaurant in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. MTV also noted the rapper's entry into the fashion industry with a Puma collaboration on "three limited edition 'Clyde x Luda' trainers."

Prior to becoming a famous rapper, young Ludacris was close with another future music artist. "Before there was Ludacris and Monica, there was Christopher Bridges and Mo and we were just always close," singer Monica said about her relationship with the rapper (via Essence). According to Monica, she grew up with Ludacris and became even closer thanks to their parents. Her mother married Ludacris' uncle. Then, both musical artists reunited in the recording booth on Monica's song "Still Standing."

Going further back in his family history, Ludacris has surprising roots. According to a genealogy writer, the rapper's great-great-grandfather was Native American. Ludacris told People that he already knew about the connection to his native ancestors, the Choctaw Indians. He also knew about his family relationship to another celebrity, comedian Richard Pryor. "Yep, he's like my fifth or sixth or seventh cousin, something like that?" the rapper explained. "I never got a chance to meet him. But I'm a big fan of his."

Ludacris reportedly met Eudoxie Mbouguiengue from Gabon, Africa, "on LudaDay, which is a weekend tradition intended to bring families and celebrities together," per The Sun. The couple then began dating in 2009. Ludacris told People, "I loved how passionate she was about her goals. And, obviously, she's beautiful. She checked all the boxes." 

But Mbouguiengue went through a difficult upbringing before linking up with the rapper. She grew up with a lack of food in Africa and faced various types of abuse. "She was brought to America, only speaking three English words, yet managed to succeed in our educational systems," according to Unspoken Angels, the charity she founded. In addition to her charitable work, Mbouguiengue became a model and wrote the book "Unspoken Angel: My Story Through Her Eyes," The Sun reported.

On Christmas Eve in 2014, Ludacris proposed to Mbouguiengue. As detailed by People, the couple then "wed during a surprise ceremony he planned at their home just hours later." He explained about tying the knot with his long-time girlfriend, "I was mature enough to become a husband, so the timing was perfect. We are stronger together." Years later, the couple was able to spend even more time together during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the rapper said he is normally out providing for his family, Ludacris was grateful to spend more time at home with Mbouguiengue, whom he called "the backbone of the family."

In 1996, Ludacris had his first daughter, Shaila. According to The Sun, the girl's mother was an unidentified ex of Luda's, and his second daughter, Karma (whose mother is Atlanta attorney Christine White), was born in 2001. Ludacris then had his third daughter, Cai Bella, with Tamika Fuller in 2013. At the time, Ludacris was dating his future wife, Eudoxie Mbouguiengue. Reportedly, "Ludacris admitted to cheating on her," but the couple stayed together. Once married, they welcomed their first daughter together and Ludacris' third, Cadence Gaelle. 

"The more girls I had, the more I tried to be a protector," Ludacris told People. "I want to make sure that I prepare them for the world," he said, which included teaching them about sports, music, manners, ballet, and finances. "I just want them to have a variety of assets and a lot of confidence," he said about his children.

Ludacris' fifth daughter, Chance, was born in 2021. In an Instagram post showing his wife and new daughter, Ludacris wrote in the caption, "The Movie 'Girls, Girls, Girls, Girls' starring Chris Bridges coming soon." That's not all, because the rapper has more women in his extended family. According to People, his sister-in-law Mimi "has become like another daughter to him." With all the women in his life, Ludacris created the Netflix series "Karma's World," named after his second daughter. As he told Today, the goal of the series is "to enrich and empower young girls."

Ludacris isn't afraid to show off his impressive collection of four-wheeled machines. Or any of his luxurious purchases, which he kept in his Atlanta mansion called "The Swamp." On "MTV Cribs," Ludacris showed viewers his driveway with a premium BMW and Cadillac collection. But the rapper confessed he couldn't drive them because "I just got a really bad speeding ticket and as a matter of fact, I gotta go to driving school tomorrow." He likely passed because he kept adding to his roster of vehicles throughout his career. For example, in 2020, he posted a photo on Instagram of himself sitting in a Maybach with the caption "Is there such a thing as having TOO MANY Cars?" Robb Report detailed that in addition to his Maybach, which wasn't even available in dealerships, Ludacris also owned a "Lamborghini, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and more."

His acting certainly contributes to these locomotive toys. As Ludacris explained in an Instagram post, "I always buy a car from every 'Fast & Furious' Movie that I've ever been in." The photo showed a "Chevy Caprice from the Drone Chasing sequence in Furious 7, but I had to slap some new paint, new interior, new wheels and new engine in this bad boy cause it looked HORRIBLE in the Movie," Luda wrote. His co-star, Tyrese Gibson, apparently didn't have faith in the old car, but Ludacris sure did.

When it comes to helping with charities, Ludacris and Usher — his fellow musician from Atlanta — both say "Yeah!" Both men and some of their famous friends have participated annually in the LudaDay Weekend fundraiser for the Ludacris Foundation, Billboard reported. "Each year it feels like a homecoming," Ludacris said about his philanthropic celebration. "This has always been about helping the community and the next generation of kids coming up," he added. He and his mother launched the Ludacris Foundation in 2001 "to inspire young people to live their dreams by promoting leadership, education and healthy lifestyles," and the foundation raised at least $250,000 in 2015.

Among the other ways the organization gives back is during Thanksgiving. CBS46 reported that the rapper's foundation donated turkeys and food baskets to families in the metro Atlanta area in 2020. In fact, Ludacris is particularly fond of giving food to strangers. Nick Sturdivant posted a video on Twitter where a woman claimed that Ludacris paid for her groceries while she was checking out at Whole Foods. Ludacris' manager gave The New York Times the scoop on these heartwarming stories: "Luda does these things all the time. But he doesn't want to do interviews to highlight it. It's just his heart."

Ludacris' career in the music industry is full of smash hits. According to The Ringer, he had "seven top-10 records" and "five platinum albums, and eight platinum singles" in the 2000s. Beyond music and his acting on the big screen, Ludacris was the host and executive producer on the rebooted "Fear Factor" on MTV, GQ reported. With his entertainment projects and entrepreneurial ventures, Ludacris has created many avenues to earn a ton of money. As of 2021, Celebrity Net Worth estimated Ludacris was worth $25 million.

He spent a huge chunk of his bank account on luxurious living in California. Per Trulia, the rapper and actor purchased his condo in 2007 for over $1 million dollars. Though he ended up selling the property at a loss, he upgraded that same week when he bought a $4.8 million mansion in the Hollywood Hills. This in addition to his sprawling estate in Atlanta. On "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Ludacris detailed how, with more time at home than usual, he discovered amenities on his 22 acres of land that he didn't know existed. For example, Ludacris found out he had a tennis court, saunas, and a tree house on the property.