Atlanta emcee Ludacris has not been present in the hip-hop mainstream for over a decade. However, recently, he has made a series of appearances and performed live at various events.
Last November, the Word Of Mouf rapper performed his 2001 anthem ‘Move B*tch’ at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, where he decided to conduct an unbelievable stunt by descending from the roof in a harness to a sea of nearly 65,000 people. The performance was in celebration of the NFL team, the Atlanta Falcons, the 15th franchise to join the league.
That said, the lyricist (real name Christopher Bridges) also performed at this year’s Super Bowl LVIII halftime show, and on February 11th, he took to the stage for an epic performance alongside Usher and Lil Jon to deliver their 2004 anthem ‘Yeah!’
All the above shows Bridges is just as musically active as he was a decade ago. However, he is widely considered an emcee of the early-2000s. Between 2001 and 2003, Ludacris had great success. Bridges 2001 debut album, Word Of Mouf, really put him on the map as an artist, and he continued to ascend with LPs including Chicken-n-Beer and The Red Light District.
Despite his early success by the mid-2000s, the lyricist decided to transition into acting but still recorded material on the side. He is well-known for playing one of the lead characters in the Fast & Furious movie franchise. He has also played the role of Darius in Law & Order.
That said, in 2015, Bridges decided to show the culture that although he was active in the world of acting he still had what it took to make an album and that year released Ludaversal.
The 14-track body of work boasted a track called ‘Beast Mode’, and during a listening party, the Atlanta native explained how he wanted to prove his haters wrong, stating, “Of course, I’m definitely one of those artists that’s blessed to have been able to kinda transition into movies and acting and all that but when you’re hearing these records, it is a point to prove I never forgot where I came from, one.”
He continued, “And two, that stereotype that just because somebody’s acting that they don’t give a damn about the music anymore.” Bridges then went on to explain the format of ‘Beast Mode’ and what he was trying to achieve.
Delving into the details, the ‘Stand Up’ artist unveiled, “‘Beast Mode’ is just straight three minutes of rapping, it ain’t no hook, ain’t nothing, it’s just metaphors. I just did the video with Marshawn Lynch because it was inspired by him, the same way he runs people down on the damn field. I feel like I’m running through motherf*ckers in the industry, and I’ll still slaughter your favourite rapper.”
You can listen to ‘Beast Mode’ in the video below.
