Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris , is an American rapper and actor. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he first began rapping. Starting out with a brief stint as a DJ, he formed the record label Disturbing tha Peace in the late 1990s to release his debut studio album Incognegro (1999). After its single, "What's Your Fantasy" (featuring Shawnna), became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, the album was re-released by Def Jam Recordings as his major label debut, Back for the First Time (2000). The latter album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned his second top 40 single, "Southern Hospitality" (featuring Pharrell). Ludacris was one of the first Dirty South rappers to achieve mainstream success in the early 2000s. He is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Award and an MTV Video Music Award. Outside of music, he has portrayed the character Tej Parker in the Fast & Furious film series—first appearing in its second film, 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). His other notable acting roles include Crash (2004), Gamer (2009), and New Year's Eve (2011). In 2021, he created and starred in the children's animated series Karma's World for Netflix. Ludacris is also a private pilot. We celebrate his birthday with a scale model of a Jeep Gladiator like he drove in Fast and Furious …