The early-2000s Dirty South explosion produced several overnight superstars, Ludacris being one of the biggest superstars of the bunch, if not the biggest. The Atlanta-based MC went from local sensation to household name after Def Jam signed him to its Def Jam South label in 2000. In addition to lining him up with super-producers like Timbaland, the Neptunes, and Organized Noize, Def Jam South gave Ludacris remarkable marketing push. Thus, soon after his signing, Ludacris had become one of the rap industry's most in-demand MCs, guesting on hits for everyone from Missy Elliot ("One Minute Man") to Jermaine Dupri ("Welcome to Atlanta") when he wasn't dominating urban radio with his own hits, most notably "What's Your Fantasy?," "Southern Hospitality," "Area Codes," and "Rollout (My Business)."
The early-2000s Dirty South explosion produced several overnight superstars, Ludacris being one of the biggest superstars of the bunch, if not the biggest. The Atlanta-based MC went from local sensation to household name after Def Jam signed him to its Def Jam South label in 2000. In addition to lining him up with super-producers like Timbaland, the Neptunes, and Organized Noize, Def Jam South gave Ludacris remarkable marketing push. Thus, soon after his signing, Ludacris had become one of the rap industry's most in-demand MCs, guesting on hits for everyone from Missy Elliot ("One Minute Man") to Jermaine Dupri ("Welcome to Atlanta") when he wasn't dominating urban radio with his own hits, most notably "What's Your Fantasy?," "Southern Hospitality," "Area Codes," and "Rollout (My Business)."