Ludacris

Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges wrote his first rap song at the age of 9 and joined an amateur rap group three years later. He eventually became the first Southern solo rapper to hit the big time, leading the "Dirty South" movement as rap expanded beyond the coasts.

Before taking up rapping as a career, Ludacris worked as a DJ for Hot 97.5 (now 107.9) FM in Atlanta, where he went by Chris Lova Lova. He was instrumental in breaking hip-hop in the city, where rap was previously relegated to specialty shows.

Ludacris started his own record label, Disturbing Tha Peace, to release his debut album, Incognegro, in 1999. A year later, he signed with Def Jam Recordings, which made Disturbing Tha Peace an imprint. His first Def Jam album was issued in 2000 and included many songs from Incognegro, so he called it Back For The First Time. It went on to sell over 3 million copies in America, thanks to the hits "What's Your Fantasy" and "Southern Hospitality."