Throughout Ludacris’ dominance in entertainment and business over the past two decades, he says his biggest career challenge was losing a Pepsi endorsement deal.

“Fast & Furious” has been around for a reason, according to Ludacris. The latest installment of the successful franchise, “Fast X,” which stars Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, and Ludacris, was released across U.S. theaters on May 19, 2023. Already, the action-packed film grossed an impressive $319 million worldwide, according to IndieWire. As of this writing, it reportedly ranks as the third-highest grossing box office opening worldwide for a “Fast & Furious” movie after “Fate of the Furious” ($541.9 million) and “Furious 7” ($397.6 million), according to Deadline.

Ludacris is among the list of rappers who have found great success outside of the music business. As previously reported by AfroTech, he has established a lucrative portfolio for himself including Karma’s World Entertainment. “Karma’s World,” the Netflix series, was released in 2021 and is inspired by his oldest daughter, Karma. Now, Ludacris’ company behind the children’s show has helped two Black companies reach a new milestone.

We have witnessed Ludacris spread his wings beyond the realms of music and still find success. For instance, we know of Ludacris, the rapper, actor, investor, and entrepreneur but how familiar are you with the restaurateur?

Talk to Jermaine Dupri very nicely, as he is set to receive an honorary doctor of fine arts degree from the Art Institute of Atlanta (Ai Atlanta). According to a press release, the legendary songwriter will receive the achievement for his influence throughout the music industry.

What would you sacrifice in order to pivot the trajectory of your career? For 2 Chainz, it cost him a hefty bag. According to Complex, the rapper had signed to Ludacris’ record label, Disturbing the Peace, with his former rap partner Dolla Boy as a duo — known as Playaz Circle. After gaining insight on how to prosper in the industry as a budding artist at the time, he decided that he wanted out of his initial deal and to take off in the game on his own terms. 2 Chainz eventually was able to get out of his Disturbing tha Peace deal, but he shared on an episode of “Drink Champs” that he had to pay up first. “I woke up and called [Ludacris] and said, ‘I don’t want to be on the label anymore.’ Then they said, ‘You can’t do that. You can’t just get off a label like that.’ … They thought I was about to go sign with Cash Money because I had a strong relationship with Tune at the time,” he shared. He continued: “I been around ’Cris, I been around Wayne, and then I’m learning I can really do...

When Ludacris first burst onto the music scene, he promised everyone that he was coming for “that number one spot.” Today, it’s clear that the man born Christopher Brian Bridges in Atlanta (by way of Chicago) has fulfilled that promise. Over the years, he has shifted his focus away from music — even though he was one of the pioneers of the then-nascent Atlanta Hip-Hop scene — and toward diversifying his brand and portfolio. From endorsements to restaurants to non-profit foundations, Luda has had his hands in many a financial pot. Through hard work and wise investments, his money now works for him — so much so, in fact, that Celebrity Net Worth reports that he has an impressive $25 million net worth. From 2007 to 2018, Ludacris netted a total of $132 million in salary alone. But he didn’t just invest his hard-earned money in businesses. Rather, he also invested it in some real estate, too. In 2007, he paid just over $1 million for a condo in Los Angeles, then purchased a $4.8 million...

This past Saturday (May 16), platinum-selling rapper Ludacris queued up Instagram Live for Verzuz , a digital celebration of Black music and artists commissioned by producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. While he “battled” St. Louis’ own Nelly, the Atlanta star highlighted his latest business venture, KidNation . The kid-centric “fun, safe, and educational media platform” aims to ensure the safety of children when schools reopen by encouraging hygiene. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ludacris (@ludacris) Through five simple steps—wet, lather, scrub, rinse, and dry—and “Stay Clean,” a kid-friendly campaign, Luda and KidNation encourage handwashing as a primary defense against COVID-19. “Make sure you wash your hands, it’s the best way to avoid getting sick,” the visual PSA starts. The three-minute music video is complete with animations, a hip hop beat, and energetic, young rappers and dancers. Most adorably, the lyrics double as tips not only for handwashing but also for...