Luda, Oh Ludacris…

I had great hope for Ludacris. Here is a rapper from Atlanta that doesn’t take himself too seriously. He’s very tongue-in-cheek, very smart-alec’y. He knows what his image is and he works it to his advantage. Did I mention that he can rap? I thought that Ludacris would bring something substantial and viable to the Atlanta scene. I believe that Ludacris did bring something fresh and new out, at least for a while. His guest spots were phenomenal, something I looked forward to on every radio remix…
Hit the jump for more.


Phat Rabbit and some of his other songs he did with Timbo are top-notch. “Word of Mouf” is a banger, still, ten years later. “Saturday”, “Move Bitch”, “Area Codes”… The tracklisting of Word of Mouf is like a trip down memory lane to high school for me. I still know every word to those songs; they’re classics. “Back for the First Time” had some classics on it also, like “Phat Rabbit” and “Southern Hospitality”. His cameo on P.A.’s CD was a fitting choice for a radio celebrity, Ludacris had DJ’d while attending Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Fast forward a couple of years.

His next CD after “Word of Mouf” was “Chicken and Beer”. It was a valiant effort for a CD, but fell short on a couple of fronts. If you’re anything like me, the songs off of this CD were floating around on your iPod for a while but there wasn’t anything strong enough to warrant a permanent place on a playlist. “Stand Up”, “Splash Waterfalls”, “Act a Fool”, “Pussy Poppin'”… Mehhhh…. They sounded over-produced, like the record label said to Ludacris, “HEY BITCH! YOU’RE GONNA MAKE MUSIC LIKE WE WANT YOU TO MAKE IT!”. Ludacris had started his descent into becoming a label’s bitch. I will hand this to him, the song “Yeah!” was great, thanks to the support of Usher and Lil’ Jon. I have fond memories of listening to this song at Firehouse in Athens circa 2003-2005, partying up a storm.

Fast forward another year.

“The Red Light District” comes out; along with the CD comes the top single “Number One Spot”, that song that sampled the Austin Powers theme. Really? That’s kitschy if anything ever was. It was just cheesy, too overdone, like garden gnomes. “Blueberry Yum Yum” was the only song worth listening to from this album in my arrogant opinion. The rest of the CD, again, sounded overproduced.
 
Fast forward two more years.

“Release Therapy” comes out in 2006. Did you even listen to this CD? Neither did I. The only notable thing about Ludacris’ career during these years was the song “Runaway Love”. This was his first foray into a darker side of rap. I, personally, fucking hated the song. It was on constant rotation at every radio station for months. UGH.

Fast forward two more years, again.

“Theater of the Mind” comes out. I was reading about this CD while researching for this blog post. It dawned on me that I had never heard of any of the songs from this CD… Which was released on a major label from one of their star musicians. Ya think it was worth listening to? Nah, me neither.
Last time, I promise; fast forward two more years, to 2010.

Please. Help. Me. I thought that “Runaway Love” was all over the radio. Oh no. I hadn’t seen anything yet. Ludacris’ huge single from “Battle of the Sexes” was “How Low”. I couldn’t get away from it. It was everywhere. Every club, every radio station, all over campus. It was everywhere. I wanted to stab myself in the eye with a pencil every time I heard it. It is a horrible song, just trash. “how Low” sounds like Rick Rubin laid down the beat, perfected it, then Ludacris’ label sent the song to a B-rate producer to remix it and they decided to put out that version. Utter trash.

So I saw Ludacris in concert in Statesboro, GA at Georgia Southern in 2010. Tickets were $20… I was a bit hesitant due to the ticket price, but I figured, “Why not? Statesboro hardly ever gets big-name talent here”. Ludacris may be “big name”, but he’s certainly not talented. Scratch that. Ludacris is insanely talented, but he’s bloated from being in the rap game over a decade. Ludacris has lost that fire in his belly.

I had high hopes for the Ludacris concert. Myself and some buddies arrived very early to get next to the stage. They had converted the baseball field to a venue for the concert. We had walked over to the baseball field from my place, it was a nice night for a mile or two walk.

His opening acts got on stage at ~8pm. There were an insane amount of opening acts, something like 5-6. They were all over the place. There were two guys that were high energy, they worked the crowd into a frenzy. I have no idea what their names were, but I would buy their CD in a heartbeat. They were what I came to see. Unfortunately, Luda or his label or someone decided they needed to showcase all of the ‘talent’ from the label before they finally gave us Ludacris. We had to stand through a couple more acts that were very mediocre… The worst was a guy on a piano, singing over a light ballad. Who thought that was a good idea? I felt sorry for the guy, the crowd was boo-ing him and he kept right on playing. Bless his little heart.

Finally, around 10:30, Luda gets on stage. Remember, we’re at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. Ludacris prances around on stage for a bit. His backup man is doing most of the hard vocal-work. Ludacris seems tired and bored, like he doesn’t want to be there. His image was one of no respect for the crowd. At first, the crowd was showing him much love, but as they realized that he didn’t care about being there the energy level went way down. When he shouted out “Georgia State, how ya’ll feeling tonight?”, the crowd got quiet. My question is, how could he think he was at Georgia State? Ludacris did his undergrad work there. It’s very tough to mistake Georgia Southern for Georgia State; I’ve been to both.

Like I said, the energy was lacking. The show was lacking. Ludacris was lacking. That’s why I’ve now put Ludacris in the same category as Rick Ross. What category is that, you may be asking yourself? The category of rappers I immediately turn off whenever I hear them. It’s tough to get into that category; Rick Ross got in there since he’s very, very stupid. But that’s another post.

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Dr Dre's Detox ghostwritten by Ludacris?

The latest track to leak from the hotly anticipated Dr Dre album was written and performed for him by rapper Ludacris

Original G? ... Dr Dre drafts in Ludacris to write his rhymes. Photograph: Corbis

Since the release of Eminem's Relapse, Dr Dre's Detox is the now most anticipated album in hip-hop. It's just a pity he doesn't seem to be writing his own raps.

Starting out as a member of NWA, Dre is now primarily a producer for hip-hop heavyweights including Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent. His work production is exemplary, but he has also strived to prove his lyrical credentials over the years. On The Chronic, released in 1992, Dre raps with Snoop, Warren G and others. The same was expected for Detox, now five years in the making.

But as Detox's latest leak arrives on the internet, what emerges is that it is not Dre rapping. It is Ludacris. In Dr Dre's voice.

"With 30 mil sold, where's the fucking gratitude," Ludacris raps on OG's Theme. "I'm much more than 6-4's / Gun talk, weed smoke and sick hoes / That's why most of them have come and went / I just recoup, recreate and reinvent."

Ludacris does a surprisingly good impression of Dre. Of course, he's being paid to – this is clearly a "reference track" for Detox, where Dre will re-record Ludacris's lyrics. Ludacris confirmed this explanation on Twitter. "It was fun trying [to sound like Dre]," he said.

"Ain't no nigga better than Doc Dre," Ludacris spits on the song. Perhaps he ought not be so modest.

• This article was amended on 15 July 2009. The original said that this was Detox's first leaked track, and implied that the ghostwriting involved was unusual (rather than with precedent). This has been corrected.

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Ludacris Biography

Famous as : Rapper
Birth Name : Christopher Brian Bridges
Birth Date : September 11, 1977
Birth Place : Champaign, Illinois, USA
Spouse : Eudoxie Agnan

Claim to Fame : Album "Back for the First Time" 

Christopher Bridges, better known as Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. He was born on September 11, 1977 in Champaign. Began rapping at an early age, Bridges joined a Chicago, Illionis-based crew at the age of 12 before he moved to Atlanta, a place where he would go on to make a name for himself as one of the most prominent Dirty South rappers in this era, and rapping his way through high school.

Bridges firstly began his music career as a radio DJ personality, Chris Lova Lova, on the Hot 97 urban radio station in Atlanta, Georgia, and made his mark rapping over promos on the night show. He later made his recorded debut on "Phat Rabbit", a track from Timbaland's 1998 album "Tim's Bio: Life from the Bassment." Saving enough money to fund the recording of an album, Bridges adopted the name Ludacris and released "Incognegro" on his own Disturbing Tha Peace Entertainment label.

Supported by the success single "What's Your Fantasy," the album went on to sell over 50,000 copies with most of them were sold out of the trunk of Ludacris' car. The success, indeed, attracked many major labels to sign him, but the rapper went for Def Jam Records' new South imprint, under whom he recorded several new tracks with leading producers Organized Noise, Jermaine Dupri and Timbaland for a remixed version of "Incognegro." Renamed his first album "Back For The First Time," it spawned another hit single "Southern Hospitality" (2001) which became an even bigger urban radio and video hit, achieving heavy MTV2 airplay and moderate MTV airplay.

Following "Incognegro" two hit singles was its third single "Ho" that became a controversy and was banned on many radio stations due to its lyrics. Because of the same reason, this single video, too, was not played by MTV, MTV2, or even BET, although it was available online at Launch for some time. After the dispute, during the summer of 2001, Ludacris along with singer Nate Dogg released a single off of the "Rush Hour 2" soundtrack called "Area Codes." Nearly the same with "Ho," this song also became a dispute because a continuation of the lyrical themes was started with "Ho." As a solution, the song and video were only played in an edited version, in which all uses of the word "ho" were replaced with the word "pro."

Never mind about the controversies,

Ludacris went on released his 3rd album "Word Of Mouf " at the end of 2001. The album's lead single,

"Rollout (My Business)", was produced by Timbaland and gave Ludacris his first taste at a minor mainstream crossover with the song itself was enormous on urban radio. The album's next two singles "Saturday (Oooh, Oooh)" and "Move Bitch," similarly, were performed during 2002, and so all the three songs' videos enjoyed MTV, BET, and MTV2 support. Apart from such achievement, the single "Move Bitch" had been referred to as simply "Move" by radio DJ's and the word "bitch" was just muted out wherever it occurred. Furthermore, the title of the video also appeared as just "Move" when played on American video stations.

Amid the controversy, the video had been nominated for a 2003 VMA and was performed live by Ludacris at the awards' pre-show. In succession to the achievement, the rapper also toured with Papa Roach in 2002 after the release of their sophomore album "lovehatetragedy." Those attainments eventually brought positive impacts to Ludacris and his music, in which "Move Bitch" had been used in a Pepsi commercial with the singer also appeared drinking the soda. Apart, Pepsi was critized by Bill O'Reilly for performing the singer in their ads, since he believed it was wrong for an international corporation like Pepsi to target the American teen audience by glamorizing Ludacris, a "gangsta rapper" who had admitted having been in gangs and whose lyrics contained profanity violence, and overt sexuality.

That's why O'Reilly urged his viewers to complain to and boycott Pepsi for its affiliation with Ludacris, such brave action that reluctantly made Pepsi gave in to O'Reilly and dropped Ludacris. Nevertheless, the decision created further controversies brought by Russell Simmons, who pointed out Pepsi's hypocrisy and what he considered even to be racism. In this case Simmons argued that Pepsi could not legitimately fire Ludacris for being a presumed violent and profane role model while also employing the Osbournes, who also known for being violent, vulgar, and profane. Meant with his dissent, Simmons himself, along with Ludacris, then called for a black Pepsi boycott, which at the end resulted in the Pepsi settlement with Simmons by agreeing to help fund black causes, even though the Osbournes were permitted to keep their advertising contracts with the corporation. Though more or less affected by the difficult situation, Ludacris was grateful that he got to keep the money Pepsi had paid him for the ads.

During the spring of 2003, after a brief hiatus, Ludacris returned to the music scene with a new single "Act A Fool" off the "2 Fast 2 Furious" soundtrack. At around the same time, he released the lead single from his upcoming 4th album "Chicken & Beer" called "P-Poppin'". Fortuitously, neither of his new singles of the album was as well-received, by either the urban or pop audiences, as his previous songs had been, and both music videos that received only limited airplay had made the album fell quickly. To compensate his failure, in the fall of 2003, Ludacris outed his next single "Stand Up," which appeared on both "Chicken & Beer" as well as the soundtrack for the teen hip-hop/dance movie "Honey." To continue, "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 next single of "Chicken & Beer" album titled "Splash Waterfalls" was released in early 2004. While wasn't a pop hit, this single had become a success at urban radio and BET, thanks to its being Ludacris' most sexual video yet and an R&B remix that featured Raphael Saadiq and sampled Tony! Toni! Tone!'s "Whatever You Want." Ludacris later on 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." This song actually meant as a scathing response to Ludacris' critics, namely Bill O'Reilly, who is mentioned by name.

In the year of 2004, Ludacris released his 5th album "The Red Light District." Offered an entirely different from the usual antics of the previous albums, Ludacris had obviously taken a more mature approach to his album. So he went on filming and recording 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. Its follow-up single "The Number One Spot" was then produced by Hot 97 personality DJ Green Lantern and used the Quincy Jones sample of "Soul Bossa Nova." After all, Ludacris also filmed the video in which he poked fun at Bill O'Reilly's problems with Andrea Mackris. Production credits came also from veteran producer Timbaland, Lil' Jon, The Medicine Men and legendary rapper Doug E. Fresh. Featured on the video include rappers; Nas, DMX, Trick Daddy, and Disturbing Tha Peace newcomers Bobby Valentino (of Mista fame) and Dolla Boy and Small Wonder. Thanks to all helped Ludacris worked on this video that it debuted at number one on the Billboard charts.

From this point on the rapper had used his opportunity to start his own foundation "The Ludacris Foundation" which involved in its management Chaka Zulu. It is an organization that helps young middle school and high students motivate themselves in creative arts. Beyond his rapping, Ludacris has fathered a daughter named Karma, whose mother is never known due to the high-profile life of Ludacris. To add, he also participated at The Superbowl and is the spokesman for the Boost Mobile Phone ad-campaign.

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‘Live Large’ Rap Contest MCs Inspire Ludacris

Ludacris may be one of the premier rap stars in the game at the moment, but that doesn’t deter him from lending a helping hand to up and coming MCs.

Earlier today, the actor cum rapper was in attendance at NYC’s Highline Ballroom as a star guest for a rap competition Live Large Project 2. The winner of the competition will be given a cash prize of $5,000 and the chance to perform with Ludacris at Miami’s Springfest 2011.

Ludacris was also part of the inaugural Live Large project last year and according to Disturbing Tha Peace Records owner, the event reminds the Atlanta-based rapper of his days of struggle when he used to try hard to get what the Live Large contestants crave for now.

Speaking in an interview with MTV, Ludacris said that he still remembers the time when he aspired to become a rap star and rued the fact that these kinds of opportunities weren’t available to him back then. He said that the cash prize of $5,000, trip to Miami and the chance to perform in front of a large audience is everything that an aspiring rapper dreams of. Luda regards the competition as something which has the essence of the whole hip hop game.

Apart from the Highline Ballroom event, three further regional competitions will be held in Bay Area, Miami and Detroit. The top three rappers from all the four events along with another one chosen from YouTube will then head to Miami in order to rap it out for the big prize. The three NYC show’s winners were Perelli, Renegade and Pumpkinhead, who were each awarded $1,000.

Ludacris thinks that all of those who have made it big in spite of their struggles, should return back to their roots and support these kinds of event so that more talented people, who are deprived of opportunities could benefit from it. Luda was visibly excited by the occasion and he said that helping out the community is very important to him. Not only was he an inspiration for the contestants, but Luda himself was very inspired to see all the talent and enthusiasm among them.

Another rap beginner that Ludacris is excited about is Big K.R.I.T., who is equally comfortable in the studios as a producer as he is with a microphone in his hands on stage. The producer cum MC started his career independently before record company Def Jam signed him up last year. Big K.R.I.T. has recently unveiled a new studio creation of his titled Return of 4Eva, in which Ludacris and Bun B have both made appearances. The ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ actor then revealed that it’s Big K.R.I.T’s dual ability to produce and rap, which makes him unique and commands respect from others.

Ludacris is currently busy developing his next album ‘Ludaversal,’ which is expected to be released in late 2011.

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Ludacris, Iggy Azalea to headline Commodore Quake 2014

NASHVILLE, TN – The Vanderbilt Programming Board Music Group has returned with yet another quality lineup for this year’s 13th Annual Commodore Quake. Taking place on Thursday, October 9th, Commodore Quake is the perfect way for Vanderbilt students to kick off Homecoming weekend and for the Nashville community to enjoy some of the biggest names in the music industry. With Ludacris and Iggy Azalea performing back-to-back, the night will feature one of the most established names in the music and entertainment world alongside one of the hottest artists on the Billboard charts. 

The career of the multitalented Chris “Ludacris” Bridges can best be described as remarkable. Much more than an entertainer, Ludacris has positioned himself to reach the top of various business platforms as well and he is a positive example and powerful icon. Ludacris is also far from being done changing the game. Ludacris is able to create, reconstruct, and command anything he attaches his name to. With 17 Grammy nominations, he has had the honor of winning three of them. Ludacris has sold over 19.5 million units in the United States, and approximately 7 million overseas. Ludacris’ 8th studio album, Ludaversal, due out this fall is highly anticipated and is sure to stick to the successful tradition he has established.

In addition to his heavily awarded music career, Ludacris is an esteemed actor, having appeared in the acclaimed indie drama Hustle & Flow, the smash hit Fast and the Furious sequels; 2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6 and Fast & Furious 7 slated for release in 2015. Ludacris also starred in the 2006 Academy Award Best Picture Winner, Crash, which earned him the prestigious Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice awards. He has also had a recurring role as "Darius Parker" in the long-running hit television series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." More recently, Ludacris hosted the 2014 Billboard Music Awards to an audience of over 11 million and he is currently a judge for the groundbreaking summer singing competition series "Rising Star" which airs Sundays at 8pm est. on ABC.

Following her incredible warm-up single ‘Work’, which amassed over 30 million views on YouTube, hit the top 15 in the iTunes chart, Iggy Azalea is the hottest new female rap star in the game. Azalea’s original cult classic mixtape, ‘Ignorant Art’, catapulted her into the limelight in 2011, shortly followed by the 6 track “Glory EP” which featured a track with Mike Posner, B.o.B and Pusha T. Having spent 2012 turning heads and garnering the respect of industry and hip hop heavy-weights Iggy signed a deal with Virgin EMI in the UK and the prestigious Island Def Jam in the US. Iggy supported Beyoncé on eleven of the fourteen scheduled “Mrs Carter Show World Tour” arena dates across Australia in late 2013, followed by her biggest performance to date on US prime time TV, ’The Late Show, with David Letterman. Her latest hit single, “Fancy” climbed to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 almost instantly after its release, with her feature on Ariana Grande’s, “Problem,” following suit at #2. Azalea has also pulled off something pretty remarkable as she appears on the top two spots on the Hot 100, making her only the second artist in the history of the chart to do that since The Beatles. With credentials like those, it is not far-fetched to say that Azalea is truly the hottest female rapper in today’s music industry.

"We’re incredibly excited to bring one of the great legends of hip-hop together with one of its brightest new stars,” said Music Group Chair, Kern Vohra, when asked about this year’s Quake Lineup. “This is going to be a special year for Quake, and we’re all beyond happy to be a part of it.”

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RAPPER AND ACTOR LUDACRIS TO PERFORM AT LIU POST’S TILLES CENTER ON APRIL 19

Brookville, N.Y -- Grammy Award-winning rapper and actor Ludacris will perform at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post in Brookville on Thursday, April 19. Tickets go on sale Thursday, March 22 for LIU Post students; Friday, March 30 for the general public.

Ludacris made a name for himself in 2000 with his breakthrough album, "Back for the First Time," which reached platinum status three times and featured the singles "Southern Hospitality" and "What's Your Fantasy." He is also the co-founder of Disturbing Tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Ludacris has sold more than 12 million albums domestically thanks to the success of such singles as "Stand Up," "Get Back," "Roll Out (My Business)," "Number One Spot" and "Money Maker." Ludacris is known for his infectious songs, Dirty South hip hop style, witty humor, and unique vocal delivery. His latest album is "Battle of the Sexes," which addresses gender and relationships from the male and female perspective with guest spots by Nicki Minaj, Lil' Kim, Trey Songz, Shawnna, Flo-Rida, Ne-Yo, and a collaboration with producer Swizz Beatz.

Aside from his music career, Ludacris has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies. His first major film role was in 2003's box office hit "2 Fast 2 Furious." Other film appearances include 2004's "Crash," 2005's "Hustle and Flow," and 2011's "Fast Five" and "No Strings Attached." He has also appeared on a number of television shows including episodes of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Ludacris has won a Screen Actors Guild, Critic's Choice, MTV, and several Grammy Awards during his career.

Doors open at 7 p.m. for the April 19 concert; show starts at 8 p.m. With an LIU I.D., students can purchase one ticket for $15. Tickets are $25 for faculty and staff and $50 for the general public. For more information, and to purchase tickets, please contact the LIU Tilles box office at (516) 299-3100 or visit www.tillescenter.org. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. LIU Post, formerly known as the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, is located at 720 Northern Boulevard (Route 25A) in Brookville.

The concert is sponsored by the LIU Post's Association for Campus Programming and the Office of Student Life and Leadership Development, which provides a diverse range of opportunities for student involvement to complement the academic experience. The office oversees 80 student-run clubs and organizations at LIU Post.

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LUDACRIS AND THE LUDACRIS FOUNDATION OFFER THEIR OWN METRO ATLANTA LUDACARES STIMULUS PACKAGE

“Ludacris, The Ludacris Foundation, and Nissan South will give away more than 20 used vehicles to qualifying Metro Atlanta residents during Ludacris’ annual LudaDay weekend festivities”

ATLANTA, GA – Ludacris, The Ludacris Foundation, and Nissan South are partnering to give away 20 used vehicles to several deserving Metro Atlanta area residents during his LudaDay weekend. Ludacris transformed this holiday weekend into LudaDay Weekend to celebrate with friends and ardent fans, as well as, an opportunity to give back to the community. “My foundation’s LudaCares Initiative is dedicated to supporting youth and families in need”, said Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges.

“Our major focus is youth and supporting the family structure stated Roberta Shields, President of The Ludacris Foundation. The Foundation helps people year around through our LudaCares Program. This year we want to do something to help youth and families manage during these tough economic times. Having a vehicle to get back and forth to work and daycare can make the difference in getting and keeping a job, she stated.”

All vehicles will be clean and have passed emissions and Georgia State safety requirements. The event entitled “Stars for Cars – The LudaDay Giveaway” will be held Sunday, September 6, 2009 between 1pm – 3pm at Nissan South on 6889 Jonesboro Rd., Morrow, GA 30260.

In order to be awarded a vehicle, contestants must apply by September 3, 2009 to The Ludacris Foundation at essay@theludacrisfoundation.org. Applications should include: Full Name, Address, and Contact information. Applicants will be asked to write a one page essay on why they feel they deserve the car.

In order to qualify for a car you must display a need for a car, don’t currently have a vehicle, be at least 18 years old at the time of the contest and have a valid Georgia Drivers License. All applications will be screened. Selected applications will be contacted for phone interview. The selected applications will be invited to vehicle giveaway. You must be present to win. Sign a release form.

All donated vehicles will have passed emissions and Georgia State safety requirements. Each vehicle donated will also carry a standard 30 day power-train warranty and free gas for 30 days. Winning applicants will be responsible for Tax, Registration, Tags and Insurance.

This event is a private event and is not open to the public. Media wishing to attend should direct questions/inquiries to Barry Florence, BDC World Public Relations at 202-365-5401. For more information on the LudaCares car give away go to: www.theludacrisfoundation.org/ludacars. Photos can be serviced to publications for coverage pieces.

About the Ludacris Foundation

The Ludacris Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization created to help young people achieve their dreams through the encouragement of “Principles of Success.” We aim to show young people in America that they are the builders of their future. We primarily use music and the arts to connect with young people by listening to their views, issues, and challenges. Our efforts reach youth at all age levels.

Founded in 2001 by multi-platinum selling, GRAMMY® award winning artist and actor, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, TLF has achieved notable success. TLF has been named as one of the top twenty “Leading Philanthropy Foundations” by Black Enterprise magazine and featured in The Robb Report’s Worth magazine and The Chronicles on Philanthropy, The Newspaper of the Non-Profit World, for outstanding efforts provided to urban communities.

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