Ludacris Talks His $20K Gamble That Launched a Career
Ludacris reflects on betting big with his first album Incognegro and how trusting the process led to a massive payoff.
Imagine dropping $20,000 of your own money on something with no guarantee it’ll succeed. That’s exactly what Ludacris did 25 years ago — and it turned out to be the best risk he ever took.
Back on August 17, 1999, the then-aspiring rapper released his debut album Incognegro independently. He wasn’t signed to a label, and he wasn’t sure if anyone would even listen. But he knew he had to try.
“Just not knowing how the world would receive it and taking the biggest risk by just putting music out there,” Ludacris told PEOPLE at a Waymo x Uber event on June 16, remembering how scary it felt to go all in.
At the time, Ludacris said he had to push past one of the biggest mental roadblocks: fear.
“The fear of failure is something you have to overcome in order to accomplish great things,” he explained to the outlet. “I told myself I wasn’t going to be afraid of the outcome. Those are the type of risks that have the reward that I’ve been able to live off of the fruits of the label.”
Turns out, that $20,000 investment paid off big time. After selling 50,000 copies of Incognegro on his own, Ludacris caught the attention of Def Jam, one of the biggest labels in the game. In 2000, they signed him — and re-released the album under a new title: Back for the First Time.
“I put [Incognegro] out independently and then it got 50,000 sold, where Def Jam signed me,” Ludacris said. “I took two records off and added three other records. So what people may not know is that it was an independent album way before it got the success.”
The re-release featured early hits like “What’s Your Fantasy?,” “Southern Hospitality,” and “Phat Rabbit,” helping Ludacris skyrocket to fame.
Looking back, he credits the moment with teaching him something he still believes today: “Just trusting the process.”
Last year, as hip-hop turned 50, Ludacris reflected on how staying true to himself shaped his music — and even his stage name.
“I stayed true to myself and who I am in all shape, forms and fashion of the word,” he said. “‘Ludicrous’ means beyond crazy, wild, ridiculous.”
And it’s fair to say that bold spirit hasn’t faded — even after two decades of success. Check out the full interview here.
