Ludacris
Music career
In 1998, Ludacris began to record his debut album Incognegro, which was eventually released by his then-independent label, Disturbing tha Peace in August 1999. This album was the defining example of Ludacris' fast, wild, and comedic flow, a unique style for southern rappers. The album was supported by his debut single "What's Your Fantasy", which ended up peaking at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its poor sales, it landed the artist a record deal with the Southern based division of Def Jam Recordings (Def Jam South) due to the success of its singles. In 2000, Ludacris released his major label debut, Back for the First Time. The album reached number four on the U.S. Billboard 200, and was a major success. The album made its mark on the industry with singles such as "Southern Hospitality" (featuring Pharrell Williams) and "Area Codes" (featuring Nate Dogg). Guest appearances included 4-Ize, I-20, Shawnna, Pastor Troy, Timbaland, Trina, Foxy Brown, UGK, and others. Ludacris stated in an interview on MTV's hip hop program Direct Effect that he came up with his stage name based on his "split personality" that he considered "ridiculous" and "ludicrous".
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