Ludacris Celebrates 25 Years of disturbing Tha Peace with Star-Studded One Musicfest Performance
Atlanta’s ONE Musicfest witnessed a historic celebration of hip-hop icon Ludacris’ 25th anniversary, featuring a lineup of legendary artists and unforgettable moments.
The energy was palpable just before 9 p.m. on Sunday night at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, as even Tyler, The Creator was seen rapping along word-for-word to one of his favourite mcs. Packing the grounds were throngs of devotees eager to see Ludacris, the headliner who rose from local DJ to global fame with hits like “Money Maker” and “Southern Hospitality,” and cemented his status as a Hollywood star with roles in the Fast franchise and the Oscar-winning film Crash.
As record executive Rich Nice reviewed the setlist on his phone,Tyler,The Creator attempted to sneak a peek,inquiring politely,”when does ‘Move Bitch’ come on?” Nice assured him it would be a while before that particular fan favorite hit the stage. Nearby, Busta Rhymes beamed with pride, witnessing his friend’s triumphant return.
Throughout the night, a constellation of hip-hop royalty joined the celebration, including Jermaine Dupri, Jadakiss, Jeezy, Shawna, I-20, Chingy, Fergie, Usher, and LL cool J, each paying homage to Ludacris’ enduring legacy.
A particularly anticipated moment arrived when Fergie,whose musical partnership with ludacris dates back to 2007,flew in from Los Angeles for a rare stage appearance.She delivered a dynamic performance of her hits, marking a meaningful return after a nearly decade-long hiatus from live performances, with her only prior appearance being in 2022 as part of Jack Harlow’s MTV VMAs set.
The show kicked off with a powerful collaboration between Dupri and Ludacris, performing “Welcome to Atlanta” while proudly sporting the colors of the Atlanta Braves. following “Act a Fool,” Ludacris unleashed “South”
acris hosted a celebratory dinner at Retreat, where his manager and Chaka Zulu engaged in a spirited game of spades while guests mingled and captured memories.
“That was my favorite show ever,” Ludacris declared.”It’s so dope to see hip-hop coming together from all walks, diffrent generations, and [fans] just appreciating the art of what we’ve done-changing our lives.” He continued, “The way that it flowed, the love from the city, the friends that came out, all the multiple guest appearances that I’ve done, how we curated the show list, the drone show, the trap choir-man, the surprises! It’s blowing my mind. It’s going to take me a week to process, bro.”
Still overwhelmed by the appearance of LL Cool J, Ludacris shared, “I don’t even no if I have words for that-I feel like a little kid, man.” He added, “That was one of those moments that was just… I feel so blessed that this man got asked to come do this. He showed up for my Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. So, in my eyes, he’s already done more than what he was supposed to do… I’m just appreciative.”
The weekend’s One Musicfest lineup also included performances by Busta Rhymes with Mary J. Blige, Havoc from Mobb Deep and The Roots, Jazmine Sullivan, Jagged Edge and Lloyd, D-Nice, a reunion of the Dungeon Family, and Future.
Watch Fergie’s performance with Ludacris below. (Placeholder Link)
