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.
Can't Live With You
Ludacris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I say I can't live with ya, can't live without you
Ooh I can't live with ya, can't live without you
I can't live with ya, can't live without you
One day I love you, the next I can't stand you
Huh, it's too much for me to handle
I made my mind up thinkin' I'm on the right track
And I don't like that, I swear I'm so confused
Don't know what I want or what's the right thing to do
But the right thing is you, you're my destiny
Even at my worst you still bringin' out the best in me
But then you testin' me, know how to push my buttons
Fussin', fightin, yeah we always gettin' into somethin'
So mad I make you cry, then we make love
A never-endin' cycle, make up to break up
It's time to wake up, I need to smell the coffee
Play with these other women, or get 'em all off me
And you wonder why your man'll just doubt ya
Can't live with ya, can't live without ya
[Chorus]
I can't live with ya, can't live without you
I say I can't live with you, can't live without you
Ooh I can't live with ya, can't live without you
The one thing that I know, is I can't seem to let you (go)
You got me to the point of walking out the (door)
And then I find myself coming back for (more)
I don't know what to do
Cause I can't live with ya, and can't live without you
One day I love you, the next I can't stand you
Huh, it's too much for me to handle
One minute naggin' me, always harrassin' me
Next minute squeezin' me, huggin', kissin' and grabbin' me
Just when I think it's cool, you back startin' shit
Findin' the smallest things just to start an argument
Goin' through my phone, know you shouldn'ta took it though
I hope your stupid ass find what you're lookin fo'
Stormin' out the house mad, throwin' breakin' shit
Callin' your girls, exaggeratin' and fakin' shit
Pack your clothes like you really 'bout to leave this time
Know you messed up but actin like it's me this time
It's a revolvin' door, that keeps spinnin' 'round
Are we gon' be together, or are we finished now?
And you wonder why your man'll just doubt ya
Can't live with ya, can't live without ya
[Chorus]
When the going get tough and the fightin' be rough
Now some folks may call it hood but I guess we call it love
I be askin' for your touch then I don't give you my trust
First I hate you with a passion then I can't need you enough
I be, wantin' to spend my whole life wit'chu
And I be, talkin' 'bout how you and me are through
And my mind says yes but my heart says no
And my mind says walk but my feet won't go away, yeah
See I be tellin' you to go
But deep inside I want you to stay
Uh, and you know how to make me smile
But at times you ruin my day
Ooh, we gotta get better
Gotta get it together
And you wonder why your girl just doubt ya
Can't live with you, can't live without you
[Chorus]
Ludacris's "Can't Live With You" is a song that explores the complexity of a toxic relationship. The lyrics reveal how the singer is caught up in a cycle of breaking up and making up with his partner. He confesses that he loves his partner, but also has moments of hating them, and doesn't know what to do. The lyrics suggest that the tension and drama of the relationship have become overwhelming, yet the singer can't seem to let go of his partner.
The opening lines of the song set the theme of the lyrics. Ludacris emphasizes his confused feelings towards his lover with each verse. He admits to his moments of wanting to leave and moments of wanting to be with her forever. No matter how much the relationship is straining on his mental health and causing him confusion, he cannot seem to break away from it. The repeated chorus speaks to this message, saying that no matter how much he tries, he can't live with her, but he also can't live without her. In the end, the song paints a picture of a toxic relationship that may be causing more pain than happiness, despite the singer's love for his partner.
Overall, "Can't Live With You" is a relatable song about the complexities of relationships. It illustrates the push and pull that people can experience in a relationship that is no longer healthy, yet they hold onto the hope that things will improve. The song serves as a reminder that there is a fine line between love and toxicity.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't live with ya, can't live without you
The singer is torn between wanting to be with and without their partner.
One day I love you, the next I can't stand you
The singer's feelings towards their partner are unpredictable and constantly fluctuating.
Huh, it's too much for me to handle
The constant ups and downs of the relationship are emotionally exhausting for the singer.
I made my mind up thinkin' I'm on the right track
The artist often thinks they have made a decision to leave the relationship, but it doesn't always stick.
So then I leave you, but then come right back
Even when the artist tries to leave the relationship, they end up returning to their partner.
And I don't like that, I swear I'm so confused
The singer feels trapped and unsure about what they want in the relationship.
Don't know what I want or what's the right thing to do
The singer is struggling to make a decision about the future of the relationship.
But the right thing is you, you're my destiny
Despite the confusion, the artist still believes their partner is meant to be with them.
Even at my worst you still bringin' out the best in me
The artist believes that even though their relationship is difficult, their partner still helps them to be their best self.
But then you testin' me, know how to push my buttons
The artist's partner also knows how to aggravate them and cause tension in the relationship.
So mad I make you cry, then we make love
The relationship is full of extremes, where fights are followed by intense expressions of love and passion.
A never-endin' cycle, make up to break up
The pattern of fighting and reconciling in the relationship is exhausting and seems to have no end.
I need to smell the coffee
The singer needs to take a step back and face the reality of the situation.
Play with these other women, or get 'em all off me
The singer is considering the possibility of being with other women or staying away from them altogether to avoid any temptation.
One minute naggin' me, always harrassin' me
The singer's partner can often be critical and nitpicky, causing tension in the relationship.
Next minute squeezin' me, huggin', kissin' and grabbin' me
Despite the fighting, the artist's partner also shows them love and affection.
Just when I think it's cool, you back startin' shit
The artist's partner often starts fights for no apparent reason, causing the artist to feel on edge even during peaceful moments.
Goin' through my phone, know you shouldn'ta took it though
The singer's partner is invading their privacy by going through their phone, even though they know it's wrong.
I hope your stupid ass find what you're lookin fo'
The singer is frustrated with their partner's behavior and is sarcastically wishing them luck in finding what they're searching for.
And you wonder why your man'll just doubt ya
The artist's partner should not be surprised that they are having trust issues in the relationship.
Now some folks may call it hood but I guess we call it love
The artist recognizes that their relationship may not fit traditional definitions of healthy love, but they still feel a strong connection to their partner.
I be askin' for your touch then I don't give you my trust
The artist wants physical affection from their partner, but struggles to trust them emotionally.
First I hate you with a passion then I can't need you enough
The singer has extreme feelings towards their partner, ranging from intense hatred to overwhelming need.
And my mind says yes but my heart says no
The artist's rational mind may tell them to leave the relationship, but their emotions are keeping them tied to their partner.
And my mind says walk but my feet won't go away, yeah
The singer has a difficult time actually leaving the relationship, despite knowing it may be the best option.
See I be tellin' you to go
The singer sometimes tries to push their partner away.
But deep inside I want you to stay
At the same time, the singer is conflicted and still has strong feelings of attachment towards their partner.
And you know how to make me smile
Despite the issues in the relationship, the artist's partner still has the ability to bring them joy.
But at times you ruin my day
However, there are moments where the artist's partner causes them stress or discomfort.
Ooh, we gotta get better
The singer recognizes that the relationship needs to improve in order to survive.
Gotta get it together
The singer is committed to working towards a healthier relationship with their partner.
And you wonder why your girl just doubt ya
The artist's partner should not be surprised that they are questioning the relationship and have trust issues.
The one thing that I know, is I can't seem to let you (go)
Overall, the artist is still struggling with feelings of attachment and cannot bring themselves to fully let go of the relationship.
You got me to the point of walking out the (door)
Despite not being able to leave the relationship permanently, there have been times where the artist has wanted to end things.
And then I find myself coming back for (more)
However, they always end up returning to their partner.
I don't know what to do
The artist is lost about what steps to take in the relationship.
Cause I can't live with ya, and can't live without you
The singer is stuck in a difficult situation where they cannot make a clean break from their partner, despite the negative aspects of the relationship.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CHRISTOPHER BRIDGES, JOHNTA AUSTIN, KEVIN CATES, MARCUS ALLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind