Early years
Bridges began his music career as a radio personality and DJ as Chris Lova Lova on Hot 97, an urban radio station in Atlanta, Georgia. He made his recorded debut on "Phat Rabbit," a track from Timbaland's 1998 album Tim's Bio: Life from the Basement. Although both Timbaland and Jermaine Dupri showed interest in signing Ludacris, he decided to release the album "Incognegro" independently in 1999. The album sold over 50,000 copies through the Atlanta based independent music distributor, Southern Music Distribution. The same year, he recorded the theme to the video game Madden NFL 2000. Scarface, an original member of the Geto Boys, signed Ludacris in 2000 to Def Jam Recordings, and created a new imprint, Def Jam South, around him.
Back for the First Time
Ludacris released his major label debut, Back for the First Time, in October 2000. The album reached as high as #4 on the charts, and was a major success. Ludacris made his mark on the industry with singles such as "Southern Hospitality" and "What's Your Fantasy", along with his first ever single "Phat Rabbit", from 2 years prior. Back for the First Time was the beginning of Ludacris's explosion to the top of the rap world.
Word of Mouf
Ludacris promptly completed his next album, Word Of Mouf and released it at the end of 2001. Its lead single, "Rollout (My Business)" was boycotted in many American video stations. Despite the controversy, the video was nominated for a 2003 VMA, and Luda performed it live at the awards' pre-show. Ludacris also toured with Papa Roach in 2002 after the release of their sophomore album lovehatetragedy. Ludacris reached a new level of notoriety when TV's Bill O'Reilly expressed outrage that Pepsi had hired Ludacris as a spokesman. O'Reilly repeatedly attacked Ludacris's foul language and called for a nation-wide boycott of Pepsi, who then fired Ludacris and hired Ozzy Osbourne's family instead.
Chicken-N-Beer
During the spring of 2003, Ludacris returned to the music scene after a brief hiatus with a new single, "Act A Fool" from the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack. At around the same time, he released the lead single from his upcoming album, Chicken & Beer, called "P-Poppin" (short for "Pussy Poppin'"). Neither of his new singles were as well-received by either the urban or pop audiences as his previous songs had been, and both music videos received only limited airplay. Chicken & Beer opened strongly, but without a popular single, the album fell quickly.
However, in the fall of 2003, Ludacris rebounded with his next single, "Stand Up", which appeared on both Chicken & Beer as well as the soundtrack for the teen hip-hop/dance movie, Honey. Produced by Kanye West, "Stand Up" went on to become Ludacris' biggest mainstream hit to date, hitting the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnering heavy airplay on mainstream pop, rhythmic, and urban radio stations, as well as on MTV, MTV2, and BET.
The album's next single, "Splash Waterfalls", was released in early 2004. Though not a pop hit, it became a success at urban radio and BET. It was Ludacris' most sexual video yet and an R&B remix that featured Raphael Saadiq and sampled Tony! Toni! Tone!'s "Whatever You Want". Luda next released "Blow It Out", a gritty song that had a heavily low-budget, gritty, and urban-looking music video, which was a huge departure from the colorful, sensual, R&B leanings depicted in "Splash Waterfalls". "Blow It Out" acted both as a scathing response to the aforementioned criticism levied by Bill O'Reilly and an expression of disgust at Pepsi's cowardice in the affair:
Shout out to Bill O'Reilly, I'm'a throw you a curve
You mad cause I'm a thief and got away with words
I'm'a start my own beverage, it'll calm your nerves
Pepsi's the New Generation?—Blow it out cha ass!
* On 1 June 2006, a federal jury found that "Stand Up" did not infringe on the copyright of a song called "Straight Like That" by a New Jersey group known as I.O.F. "I hope the plaintiffs enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame," Ludacris said after the verdict. "This whole experience is proof to me of why I will always fight for what I believe in."
The Red Light District
The fourth studio album from Ludacris. Although entirely different from the usual antics of the previous albums, Ludacris had taken a more mature approach to his album. Ludacris openly boasted that he may be the only rapper able to keep the Def Jam label afloat. Ludacris had recently filmed and recorded the single "Get Back" in which he was featured a muscle-bounded hulk who was being annoyed by the media and warned his critics to leave him alone. He also was featured on Saturday Night Live playing his song Get Back with Sum 41. The follow-up single was the Austin Powers-inspired "The Number One Spot". It was produced by New York City's Hot 97 personality DJ Green Lantern. It used the Quincy Jones sample of "Soul Bossa Nova" and sped it up to the tempo of Ludacris' rap flow. Ludacris also filmed the video in which he pokes fun at O'Reilly's problems with Andrea Mackris (Hi Mr. O'Reilly / Hope all is well kiss the plaintiff and the wifey). Production credits come also from veteran producers Timbaland, Lil' Jon, The Medicine Men and legendary rapper Doug E. Fresh. Featured artists on the album include Nas, DJ Quik, DMX, Trick Daddy, and Disturbing Tha Peace newcomers Bobby Valentino (of Mista fame) and Dolla Boi and Small World. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. And most recently the rapper had used his opportunity to start his own foundation. The Ludacris Foundation started by Ludacris and Chaka Zulu is an organization that helps young middle and high school students motivate themselves in creative arts. Ludacris also has a daughter by the name of Karma. Ludacris had also participated at the Super Bowl and is the spokesman for the Boost Mobile Phone ad-campaign. Ludacris also received his first Grammy Award with Usher and Lil Jon for their hit single "Yeah"
Release Therapy
In a recent issue of XXL, a hip-hop based magazine, Ludacris was placed in the number nine spot for the most anticipated albums of 2006, for Release Therapy. The album Release Therapy was released on September 26, 2006. Ludacris is going to format the cd to have two sides, a Release side and a Therapy side. With the Release side having songs that allow him to get everything off his chest and the Therapy side being just feel-good music. A song titled "War With God" is one of the confirmed tracks from the upcoming album. The first single, "Money Maker", which features Pharrell, was released to U.S. radio outlets on July 17. Others songs will be : "Tell It Like It Is" (Produced by Elaborate Musik Workshop), "Runaway Love" (Feat. Mary J. Blige) and Woozy (Feat. R. Kelly)[1] "Money Maker" reached number one on the BET 106 & Park Countdown for the first time on September 15, 2006. The album recently reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts with sales of more than 300,000 in its first week.
To promote the album, Ludacris will be hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live 18 November. Ludacris is the second and only rapper to host and perform on the same episode (MC Hammer hosted and performed in 1991, on different episodes ).
Theater of the Mind
Ludacris's 6th album, Theater of the Mind was released on November 24, 2008 it includes the singles "What them Girls Like" Co-Starring Chris Brown and Sean Garrett , "One More Drink" Co-Starring T-Pain, and "Nasty Girl" Co-Starring Piles. The New album peaked at 1 on U.S. Billboard Top Rap Albums and peaked at 5 on U.S. Billboard 200.
Acting career
Ludacris has been acting in film since The Wash in 2001, but his big break came in 2005, where he received critical praise for his roles in the Oscar-winning films Hustle & Flow and Crash. Crash includes an ironic sequence where Ludacris's character is dismissive of hip-hop music. Interestingly, in both films, he is physically beaten by characters played by Terrence Howard. He is occasionally credited as "Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges".
On January 29, 2006 he was awarded with a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture for his work in the film Crash. Ludacris also starred in 2 Fast 2 Furious.Ludacris narrated the 2006 Ward Serrill basketball documentary "Heart of the Game." Ludacris recently cut his trademark braids off to project a new image for his upcoming album, Release Therapy.
He recently appeared in the 28 March 2006 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Ludacris portrayed Darius Randall, the nephew of Detective Fin Tutuola, portrayed by Ice T.
Disputes
Furthering the controversy, in response to the signing of the Osbourne family, popular music hip-hop mogul, Russell Simmons, organized a boycott against the company. Simmons demanded an apology from Pepsi to Ludacris and a 5 million dollar donation to one of Ludacris' charities. Eventually Simmons and Pepsi settled on an agreement to stop the boycott, right before it was to officially begin-- while Pepsi did not formally apologize to Ludacris, they did agree to donate millions of dollars over years to Russel Simmon Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.
Ludacris' song "Blow It Out" (from the Chicken & Beer album), acted as a scathing response to his critics, namely O'Reilly.
In another song, "Hoes in My Room", he tells a story about anonymous prostitutes being left in his room, and at the end of the last verse he says:
Then it got to my head and Somethin' remind me
I know who let 'em in, it was Bill O'Reilly.
Then, in 2004, in "Number 1 Spot"
Respected highly, Hi Mr. O'Reilly.
Hope all is well, kiss the plaintiff and the wifey.
In a 2006 interview with GQ magazine, Ludacris criticized Oprah Winfrey about his appearance on her show with the cast of the film Crash. During the interview, the conversation veered from the movie and Winfrey chose to speak on Ludacris' lyrical content, which he felt was unfair as he was visiting her show in the capacity of an actor and not a rapper. Also, Ludacris was upset that some of his responses were later edited from the show's airing. He was later joined by other rappers such as 50 Cent, Ice Cube and Killer Mike who argued that Winfrey had an anti-hip hop bias.
Winfrey responded by saying that she's opposed to rap lyrics that "marginalize women," but enjoys some artists, including Kanye West, who appeared on her show. She said she spoke with Ludacris backstage after his appearance to explain her position and said she understood that his music was for entertainment purposes, but that some of his listeners might take it literally. Ludacris later said the media had blown his comments out of proportion and said he respects Winfrey and considers her "a great individual."
In 2004, before the release of his debut album Straight Outta Ca$hville, Nashville, Tennessee native and G-Unit member Young Buck would enlist the services of fellow Atlanta emcee T.I., also known as T.I.P. in his native Bankhead neighborhood of westside Atlanta. They would create a track entitled "Stomp" amid growing tension between Buck's good friend Ludacris and T.I. On the track, T.I. takes subliminal shots at Ludacris including the line "me gettin' beat down, that's ludicrous." Buck, immediately sensing the tension, decided before releasing the track to notify Ludacris that T.I. had mentioned him since he didn't want to position himself as encouraging T.I.'s actions. Ludacris hears the track and asks Buck if he can add his own verse to which Buck agrees. The results end up being costly for T.I. as he is berated throughout Ludacris' verse and called out by name in his last line. Representatives from T.I. notify Buck that T.I.'s vocals will not be cleared for the album unless T.I. is allowed to change his verse, and also have Ludacris change his. Buck refuses this offer and T.I. prohibits his vocals from being used. Buck has hypeman and fellow rapper D-Tay replace T.I. on the song and D-Tay himself is eventually replaced by The Game on the official release.
Although T.I. was removed, the street cut featuring him and Ludacris had already been leaked to DJs in Atlanta and New York. T.I. was unable to stop the track's distribution throughout the streets of the nation at this point. It is widely accepted that T.I. "lost" this battle with Ludacris easily being the victor. The beef between Ludacris and T.I. was then put to an end behind closed doors as T.I. said that the problems between them have ceased.
In 2006 however, T.I. would release his highly anticipated fourth solo album entitled KING. In his Just Blaze produced track titled "I'm Talkin To You," T.I. lyrically attacks one or more unknown targets who have widely been speculated to be either Ludacris, New Orleans emcee Lil Wayne, or Houston rapper Lil' Flip (whom T.I. also had beef with but has since ended their animosity behind closed doors) or a combination of all three. It is still unknown whether or not T.I. was in fact battling Ludacris again or anyone else for that matter at all. A closer listen to the song, however proves that T.I. isnt dissing Ludacris. In one of T.I.s lines he quotes "had it out with 'Cris, but he still my nigga...sat down civilized talked about it like niggas", alluding to the sit down that he and Ludacris had to end their beef. As a matter of fact during the taping of MTV's My Block 'Atlanta', T.I. and Ludacris are shown greeting each other respectfully.
In July of 2006, a track entitled "War with God" would see Ludacris return after some time off in movies. In the track, Ludacris goes on the offensive against an unknown rapper who has sold drugs, and makes repeated references to shooting guns in his songs, isn't as rich as he (Ludacris) and likes to give himself titles - all very well known characteristics and facts directly relating to T.I and Young Jeezy (or countless other less popular rappers) or the newcoming rappers Yung Joc and Young Dro. In this instance it also unknown whether or not Ludacris is indeed aiming his disses at Young Jeezy, T.I. or if the track is even a song recorded recently. Ludacris recently stated that the song was deeper than just a diss, and the song is more about him than anyone else, it's showing that he isn't just the 'cartoon entertainer' type rapper that he has always been portrayed as, when asked about who specific rhymes were aimed at he said "The guilty will speak". The track has been confirmed to be a selection from Ludacris' upcoming album Release Therapy this September. The song is not aimed at Young Jeezy as he features on the latest album. "War with God" uses a beat written by Don Cheegro and Dirty Harry. Hardship took over ludacris and he was under alot of stress by the end of that album.
Burning Bridges
Ludacris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And burning bridges can't be crossed
Lord won't you let me know
Or give me one more reason to go
When all your love is lost
And burning bridges can't be crossed
Lord won't you let me know
I done took all I could take from you
Need a little bit more than a break from you
Matter of fact fuck you, don't need you in my life
You done did so much wrong I hope you get it right
But not at my expense, I did all I could do
You just took me for granted, you thought I was a fool
When I did everything in my power to help and please you
But I don't know you no more, fuck it, I caught amnesia
Too many emotions I try to bury
But the higher I climb, the less weight I'm trying to carry
And niggas holdin' on for dear life, bringin' me drama
But I'm only responsible for my daughters Cai and Karma
Nigga you's a grown man, get yourself together
Forget about the past, now's a better time than never
Matter of fact, it's time to start making better decisions
So put your fires out, and stop burning 'Cris' bridges
You little bitches
When all your love is lost
And burning bridges can't be crossed
Lord won't you let me know
Or give me one more reason to go
Yeah, this industry's full of bullshitters
And all this time you thought you had me fooled niggas
In my Ferrari, partner thought he saw a spaceship
'Cause I move in speed not to get caught up in this fake shit
Smiling in my face when I'm around y'all
But soon as I leave, niggas be prayin' on my down fall
Is it cause you'll never sell as many records?
My bitches always look better, you fail at business endeavors?
Or that people thought you were clever, but now they know you stupid?
And misery loves company now that you're going through it?
Somebody tell these rappers I worked hard in these Louis
So get out of here, you don't want no parts in this shit, do we?
I see them drugs got y'all trippin' too soon
That's why you find me in the club, every once in a blue moon
So while you contemplate making your first million
I'll be somewhere contemplating on making my first billion
And then, trillion
When all your love is lost
And burning bridges can't be crossed
Lord won't you let me know
Or give me one more reason to go
The biggest mistake we make as individuals
Is thinking everyone lives by the same principles
But when I talk by the same teachers or principals
For you to know it's not the money, it's the principle
So I can't expect you to know what I'm talkin' 'bout
Our issues are deep within, we can't just talk 'em out
Niggas is fighting inside, we can't just walk 'em out
These bridges burning so fast, we can't just stomp 'em out
As if you know what I'm talkin' 'bout
When all your love is lost
And burning bridges can't be crossed
Lord won't you let me know
Or give me one more reason to go
The song Burning Bridges by Ludacris is a reflection on relationships that have failed and cannot be mended. The lyrics express the artist’s feelings of disappointment, frustration and hurt. Ludacris begins by talking about how he has taken all he could from someone and needs a break from them. He reaches a point where he decides that he doesn't need that person anymore, and he is ready to let go. The chorus highlights how there is no coming back from burning bridges, but he still hopes to hear from the Lord or have one more reason to continue.
In the second verse, Ludacris talks about his experiences and struggles with the music industry. He reflects on how people tried to fool him, but he was too clever to be caught up in their fake lives. He states that he will be contemplating making his first billion while others are still striving for their first million. This verse shows his determination to succeed while also highlighting the harsh realities he faced in the industry.
The final verse speaks of the importance of principled living, and that some issues are too deep to be resolved through talk alone. Ludacris acknowledges that sometimes relationships are beyond repair, and it is better to move on from them.
Line by Line Meaning
When all your love is lost
When a relationship has ended and there is no more love between the two individuals
And burning bridges can't be crossed
When there is no way to reconcile or fix the relationship
Lord won't you let me know
Asking for guidance and clarity in the situation
Or give me one more reason to go
Considering leaving the relationship but looking for a push or confirmation to do so
I done took all I could take from you
Reached the limit of what can be tolerated from the other person
Need a little bit more than a break from you
Looking for more than just a temporary separation
Matter of fact fuck you, don't need you in my life
Expressing anger and frustration and stating that they do not want the other person in their life anymore
You done did so much wrong I hope you get it right
Acknowledging that the other person has made mistakes in the relationship and hoping that they learn from them
But not at my expense, I did all I could do
Not willing to sacrifice their own well-being any longer and stating that they have done everything they could to help the relationship
You just took me for granted, you thought I was a fool
Feeling like the other person did not appreciate or value them and took them for granted
When I did everything in my power to help and please you
Putting in effort to make the relationship work and satisfy the other person
But I don't know you no more, fuck it, I caught amnesia
Feeling like they no longer know or understand the other person, and deciding to forget about them and move on
Too many emotions I try to bury
Feeling overwhelmed by their emotions and trying to suppress them
But the higher I climb, the less weight I'm trying to carry
Using success and progress as a way to reduce the emotional burden they are carrying
And niggas holdin' on for dear life, bringin' me drama
Other people trying to cling onto the relationship and causing unnecessary conflict and stress
But I'm only responsible for my daughters Cai and Karma
Recognizing that their main responsibility and priority is their children
Nigga you's a grown man, get yourself together
Telling the other person to take responsibility for their own actions and behaviors
Forget about the past, now's a better time than never
Encouraging the other person to let go of past mistakes and start fresh
Matter of fact, it's time to start making better decisions
Advising the other person to make better choices in the future
So put your fires out, and stop burning 'Cris' bridges
Telling the other person to stop causing unnecessary conflict and animosity in their relationship
You little bitches
An insult directed at those who are causing drama and conflict
Yeah, this industry's full of bullshitters
Referring to the dishonesty and insincerity that can be found in the entertainment industry
And all this time you thought you had me fooled niggas
Feeling underestimated and disrespected by those who did not take them seriously
In my Ferrari, partner thought he saw a spaceship
Being successful and having expensive possessions that set them apart from others
'Cause I move in speed not to get caught up in this fake shit
Moving quickly in order to avoid getting caught up in the dishonesty and insincerity of others
Smiling in my face when I'm around y'all
Others pretending to be friendly and supportive to their face, but talking badly about them behind their back
But soon as I leave, niggas be prayin' on my down fall
As soon as they are out of earshot, others are hoping for their failure and downfall
Is it cause you'll never sell as many records?
Feeling like others are jealous of their success and trying to bring them down out of envy
My bitches always look better, you fail at business endeavors?
Possibly referencing the success of their significant other or admiration of beautiful women, and taunting others for their own failures
Or that people thought you were clever, but now they know you stupid?
Implying that others originally thought highly of the other person's intelligence, but have since been proven wrong
And misery loves company now that you're going through it?
Others feeling happy to see them struggling with their own problems, as it makes them feel better about their own situation
Somebody tell these rappers I worked hard in these Louis
Boasting about their success and status, and feeling like others should recognize the effort they have put in to earn it
So get out of here, you don't want no parts in this shit, do we?
Telling others that they do not belong in their world, and that they do not want to associate with them
I see them drugs got y'all trippin' too soon
Referencing drug use among others in the industry and feeling concerned that they are becoming too dependent on them too quickly
That's why you find me in the club, every once in a blue moon
Acknowledging that they do like to party occasionally, but are not consumed by it like others around them
So while you contemplate making your first million
Asking others to focus on their own goals and success instead of trying to bring them down
I'll be somewhere contemplating on making my first billion
Stating that they have much larger goals and aspirations than just making a million dollars
And then, trillion
Taking it even further by joking about making a trillion dollars
The biggest mistake we make as individuals
Reflecting on the common mistake people make when they assume everyone thinks and acts the same way they do
Is thinking everyone lives by the same principles
Assuming that others share the same values and beliefs as oneself
But when I talk by the same teachers or principals
Even if they have the same education or background, they may still have different perspectives and priorities
For you to know it's not the money, it's the principle
Suggesting that it is not solely about material success, but also about having integrity and sticking to one's beliefs
So I can't expect you to know what I'm talkin' 'bout
Recognizing that others may not understand or interpret things the same way they do
Our issues are deep within, we can't just talk 'em out
Acknowledging that there are underlying and complex problems in the relationship that cannot be easily resolved through conversation alone
Niggas is fighting inside, we can't just walk 'em out
Knowing that there are internal conflicts and struggles that cannot be easily solved or avoided
These bridges burning so fast, we can't just stomp 'em out
The situation is rapidly deteriorating and cannot be easily fixed or prevented
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRISTOPHER BRIDGES, ALEXANDER GRANT, JAMIE COMMONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind