Versatile. Visionary. Genius.

Ludacris, a hip-hop culture icon, is a lot more than what meets the eye. On the surface, the mega-mogul is a multi-platinum selling artist, actor and rapper. But behind the scenes, he is a successful record label executive, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges was born in Champaign, Illinois with a solid foundation - musically, intellectually and spiritually. Influenced by his parents' love for music, Chris began to appreciate all genres of the art. Chris wrote his first rhyme when he was 9 years old, and has been producing ever since.

As a young teen, Chris moved to Atlanta, Georgia where the southern music scene had a huge impact that helped shape his sound. Chris' musical influences also included LL Cool J, Run DMC and Redman. As a teenager, he began to rap competitively. After finishing high school he enrolled in Georgia State University as Music Management major to learn the legal and financial aspects of the business. While attending college, he began an internship at one of Atlanta's hip-hop stations, the now popular WHTA-Hot 107.9. Soon the ambitious Chris "Lova Lova" began rapping on promotions for the station and holding down the number one spot on evening radio.

Ludacris' desire to realize his musical vision motivated him to produce and promote his own independent CD, Incognegro. Ludacris' musical and marketing genius resulted in the huge success of his independent album. In the fall of 2000, Ludacris signed with Def Jam/Universal and negotiated a deal to include his own label and production company "Disturbing Tha Peace" (DTP). In addition to receiving a Grammy® for his work on his collaboration with Usher’s hit single, "Yeah!", Ludacris received Grammy® Awards for his most recent CD, Release Therapy and hit single, “Money Maker.”

Music fans as well as film followers and Wall Street have embraced Ludacris. His success includes box office hits such as 2 Fast 2 Furious, Car Wash, as well as the critically acclaimed Crash, Hustle & Flow, and The Heart of the Game. In his burgeoning film career, Ludacris received a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critics Choice Award for his performance in Crash. In addition to movies, Ludacris won rave reviews for his appearance on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU – a role he will reprise this year.

In true entrepreneurial spirit, he has expanded his enterprise to include real estate holdings, aviation, publishing, and the highly anticipated clothing line CP Time. In October 2005, Ludacris became the first Hip-Hop artist to ring the opening bell on Wall Street. Currently, Ludacris hosts an exclusive weekly XM Satellite Radio show.

At the heart of Ludacris' values is his commitment to the community. The Ludacris Foundation is a non-profit Atlanta-based organization that serves as Ludacris' vision to use music and the arts to connect with urban youth. Ludacris and The Ludacris Foundation have received numerous awards and accolades, such as a Community Service Award for the city of Atlanta and most recently, the 2007 Spirit of Youth Award from the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS). Since its establishment, the foundation has provided over 30 grassroots non-profit organizations with grants and has positively impacted millions of lives with their generosity.

Thus far, Ludacris has a lifetime of achievements. His musical genius has helped him create a lucrative musical empire. He is a successful businessman, an established actor, rap culture icon and a role model. From his southern roots to the bright lights of southern California to the boardroom, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges has only just begun.