Ludacris, the Atlanta rapper and actor, is receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, coinciding with the premiere of the latest “Fast and Furious” movie, 20 years after he first appeared in the franchise. This level of recognition is not new to Ludacris, who has sold over 24 million albums worldwide since 1999’s “Incognegro” and gained mainstream popularity with hits like “Act a Fool” and “Stand Up,” as well as collaborations such as “Yeah!” with Usher and Lil Jon.
Despite not releasing a new album since 2015, Ludacris is jump-starting his schedule with upcoming music gigs in Miami Beach and Las Vegas, and was recently honored at an emotional ceremony attended by LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, and Vin Diesel, his co-star and producer in the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
“I used to walk this block as a kid when I would come to Hollywood and visit. I definitely never thought it was in the cards for me to have my own star because I was a music artist that transitioned into acting. So to have this movie emblem, I’m blown away. Right now, I can’t even put into words how I feel,” said Ludacris.
The Atlanta-raised star is most well known in movies for his “Fast” role as Tej Parker, a tech expert, mechanic and street racer. As a rapper, he’s won three Grammys with 20 nominations and is currently touring with Janet Jackson.
“No matter what people say I can’t do, I will continue to shatter those stereotypes and show people it’s possible in order to make everyone who got me here today proud,” he said.