00:00I started working on new music and we should say 2024, 2025, definitely coming out with some more
00:06new music from Ludacris. Ludacris is gearing up for a busy year ahead and teasing new music on
00:12the way. The artist and actor chatted with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of his stint as host and
00:17performer for this year's iHeartRadio Music Awards, sharing with us what to expect from the
00:22big night. How fun is that going to be? Because you're also performing, so is there anything that
00:26you can tease ahead of the show? Our heart is all about, you know, combining all the best of your
00:31stuff and just presenting it to the crowd and not, not, not slacking. You know what I mean? You got
00:36to combine all the best of the best and put them together. I love that I'm able to be one of the
00:42hosts that is also performing and being on the stage with such great and iconic artists like
00:47the Justin Timberlakes and, you know, Delaney Wilsons and Jelly Rolls, TLCs and, you know,
00:53receiving the Innovators Award with Beyonce and then shared with the icon. These are all people
00:58that I'm inspired by and look up to and just love to be under one roof with so many talented
01:04individuals and a lot of energy. Speaking of Beyonce, who's set to receive the Innovator Award
01:09at this year's ceremony, Ludacris shouted out the queen who just dropped her latest album Cowboy
01:14Carter, which has country roots to it. Ludacris himself has dabbled in country music, previously
01:19collaborating with stars like Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood. How do you hope that this album
01:24is going to sort of shake up the music space? I love that she's breaking barriers or what people
01:30thought were barriers and taking those types of risks is exactly what artists are supposed to do.
01:36You know what I mean? And I've seen her evolution and I continue to say,
01:40I love how she keeps people guessing and I can't wait to hear this album as well.
01:44As for his own music, the rapper's last full-length album, Ludiversal, was released almost 10 years
01:49ago in 2015. But he teased, there is indeed new music on the way.
01:54I started working on new music and we should say 2024, 2025, definitely coming out with some
02:00more new music from Ludacris. Sometimes you got to take a break after like nine, 10 albums
02:04and live some more life so that you can pull from such a great place to give, you know, more
02:10of yourself. And that, you know, that's where the artistry comes from. It comes from living,
02:15living life and pulling from real life situations.
02:18Elsewhere, the artist also reflected on his decades-long career, not only finding success
02:23in music, but acting as well with his breakout role in the Fast and Furious franchise 21 years ago.
02:29When you look back at your transition from music to acting, did you realize that you were carving
02:35out the next phase of your career at that point?
02:37Too Fast, Too Furious is where I started out. And like you said, Crash, both of those movies
02:40and Hustle and Flow and attending the Academy Awards. Once I was able to do all that, I was like,
02:45you know, I really enjoy this craft and can see myself doing this. And the rest is history.
02:51You know, we've been doing it, like you said, for, I didn't even realize it's been 21 years. Wow.
02:56Speaking of the Fast franchise, Ludacris also teased if Fast 11 will truly be the end of the
03:01line for all these characters.
03:03Sky's the limit. You know, I'm not able to divulge any information on whether there are
03:08or not. And, you know, like you said, they're saying this is the last one, but sometimes
03:12the end can be a new beginning for something else. So tease, tease, you never know what's
03:17going to happen.
03:18For more on Ludacris and this year's iHeartRadio Music Awards, head to THR.com.
03:23And for the latest entertainment news and updates, keep watching The Hollywood Reporter News.
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