Chances are you were introduced to Chris Bridges (otherwise known as Ludacris) from his music catalogue – his rap in Justin Bieber’s Baby is timeless and we won’t elaborate further – but the musician’s resume far from ends there.
WATCH: Justin Bieber does the Ludacris rap during a performance of Baby
Speaking to Chris, 44, it’s easy to see that his main passion in life is spreading positivity and driving positive change.
“There’s no greater joy than knowing you’ve put something out into the world that’s impacting people’s lives in a positive way,” the artist tells WHO.
His desire to spark societal change has been largely influenced by his daughters, who he tells us have transformed his life “for the better”.
“When you have children they change your lives. And I just want to make sure that I be the change that I want to see in the world.”
It’s apt that we speak to Chris during Women’s History Month as the rapper has nothing but praises to sing about the “strong women” in his life and how they inspire him every day.
“They have shaped everything that I have going on and I love it, man. I’m a married man now, my mum has always been in my life, and I have strong women around me, and I’m raising some even stronger women. And that, to me, is what life is all about.”
For the singer, making sure his daughters all celebrate their uniqueness is pivotal, explaining that “a lot of times they try to compete”.
“I’m just trying to instil in them that, you may be good at some things and your sister might not be, you have to hone in on what makes you individual, and what makes you great, and what you love. I’m an only child so this is a new thing for me.”
This message of individuality is something that Chris emphasises in his Netflix show Karma’s World, which is inspired by his daughter, Karma. The series aims to help inspire self-confidence in children and tackle important issues facing society today.
The Fast & Furious actor explains to WHO that the show’s storylines are “all great things for parents to have conversations about with their kids, because they’re all real life situations”.
He goes on to give the examples of body positivity, being a leader and not being able to please everyone, how to deal with anxiety, and the importance of having a strong support group around you.
With regards to inspiring self-confidence in children, the artist speaks about how social media can be a breeding ground for “negativity” and “distractions”.
“When you have something original and educational and fun, I think it should be something that we should try and drive our kids towards,” he explains.
For Chris, “representation is everything” in his art. He wants young black people to be able to “see themselves on television”.
“You don’t see enough of it,” the singer explains.
That’s why the experiences of black people are tackled within the show, including discussions about African-American hair.
Ludacris, whose parents are African-American, points to his own hair as an example, explaining it is “different and big”, and how this is something to be celebrated.
“Being proud of your hair, being proud of where you come from, being proud of who you are as a unique individual apart from everyone else,” the star lists. “We celebrate each other’s differences and similarities.”
Throughout his flourishing career, Chris’ passion for music hasn’t wavered, with the artist likening the art form to “escapism”.
“It has no boundaries whatsoever. No matter what age, what gender, what race, music transcends all those different things and it’s about love. I think music translates right into love. And love is the most powerful emotion.”
Love is certainly at the core of Chris’ mentality. Considering the point of Karma’s World is about putting the love into the world that you want to get back, we felt it only right to ask the singer about the last time he experienced good karma.
“I just paid for somebody’s meal in the airport,” he replies. “But I left the restaurant before they even got a chance to know that I paid for them, so I’m only assuming that something good will happen to me because they weren’t able to tell me in person, which is kind of how I wanted it to be.”
The musician goes on to explain that he hopes the recipient felt “hope restored back into the world” after the good deed.
“That’s what life’s all about.”
Season Two of Karma’s World is now streaming on Netflix.
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