‘Blow It Out’: When Ludacris took aim at Bill O’Reilly
Ludacris was one of the most prominent artists out of Atlanta during the 2000s. The emcee has a multitude of rap anthems under his belt. From ‘Number One Spot’ off his album, Red Light District, to his underground hit ‘Stand Up’, Ludacris (real name Christopher Bridges) most definitely has some jams.
Bridges has made some fantastic music over the years, and his debut album, Back For The First Time, gave the city of Atlanta an authentic voice for the first time. As a southern artist on the Def Jam South label, Ludacris and his cohort, Disturbing Tha Peace, were integral in bringing the ‘Dirty South’ experience to the world.
With tracks such as ‘Southern Hospitality’ adding to the regional melting pot of hip-hop, Ludacris brought the slang and the vibes of the ATL to the masses. Earlier this year, Bridges appeared alongside Usher and Lil Jon at the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show to perform their 2004 hit ‘Yeah!’
A year before ‘Yeah!’ was released, Ludacris released his fourth studio album, Chicken-N-Beer. This was the project that sent the lyricist into a new stratosphere. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and featured some huge anthems such as the Kanye West-produced ‘Stand Up’ and ‘Blow It Out’, a diss track aimed at Republican political commentator Bill O’Reilly.
Ludacris hasn’t had many beefs during his career. However, his gripe with Bill O’Reilly was strange. Bridges disliked O’Reilly because, in 2002, the commentator accused the rapper of glamorising a “life of guns, violence, drugs and the disrespect of women.”
This live rejection of Ludacris on Fox News led to the emcee getting dropped by Pepsi, with whom he had just signed an endorsement deal. In a 2023 interview with Men’s Health magazine, Ludacris recalled how he felt at the time, stating, “I couldn’t for the life of me understand why a company like Pepsi would sign me, and just because this man had something to say about me on television, they dropped me.”
Ludacris aimed at the commentator on ‘Blow It Out’ rapping lines such as “Shout out to Bill O’Reilly, I’ma throw you a curve / You mad cause I’m a thief and got a way with words / I’ma start my own beverage, it’ll calm your nerves / Pepsi’s the New Generation, blow it out ya ass!”
Although the emcee aimed at Pepsi, he now has a good relationship with the brand and in his Men’s Health interview last year, he revealed that in a partnership with the drink company, he was helping communities through The Ludacris Foundation.