News: Ludacris Decides To Throw Them 'Rows'
Ludacris showed up at a concert in Seattle with a shorn head. His trademark cornrows - or Ben Wallace afro when they've been taken out - was completely gone and replaced by a closely-cropped fro that faded ever-so-subtly on the sides.
The rapper says his decision to get rid of the extra hair is rooted in an overall shift in direction marked by his upcoming album.
"‘Release Therapy' marks a new phase in my life," the Atlanta rapper said in a statement. "I'm very excited to move forward and try new things. Life is all about change and this album will hopefully reflect some of my growth as an artist and a person. With that said, it only makes sense that I 'shake things up' and try something different. Who knows what I'll come up with next?"
Luda and his new hair will also appear in the music video for "Money Maker," which will premiere this fall on MTV as the first single from "Release Therapy," due Sept. 26.
Ludacris has lopped off the long braids that have been his trademark for nearly a decade _ and not because of the heat.
The rapper, whose real name is Chris Bridges, says his new, short hairdo _ a "shadow fade" _ was a "spur of the moment kind of thing." He acknowledges that after years of wearing braids, cornrows or a giant 'fro, he'd simply run out of new styles.
But he says the new look is symbolic of a larger change.
"This album that's coming out is so different than all the record material that I've recorded over the past four albums that I needed to complement the new sound with a new look," Bridges said by phone from Los Angeles.
Bridges says the album, Release Therapy, is a clear departure that tackles more serious issues like the government and its response to Hurricane Katrina, being a father to his daughter, Karma, and his relationship with God.
"It's a lot of things that I'm speaking on that I've never talked about," he says. "I felt like people knew who Ludacris was, but people never knew who Chris Bridges was."
The Atlanta-based MC has been one of the biggest figures in rap in recent years, and one of its funniest. In the video for last year's "Number One Spot" he spoofed Austin Powers,"complete with Verne Troyer; 2003's "Stand Up" featured a 6-foot (1.8 meter) high afro. In recent years, he has taken up acting, including well-received supporting roles in the Oscar-winning "Crash" and "Hustle & Flow." He's in the process of planning his next big screen role and hopes to soon do a comedy. The title of Release Therapy"refers both to its therapeutic lyrics and it being the fifth and final album release for Def Jam, the label that gave him his first big record contract. As that chapter comes to close, Bridges says he feels mature beyond his years. "I've been through so much over the past six years, that I feel like I've matured at a rate where I could be at least five years older than I am right now," he says. "I may be 28, but I'm in like a 34, 35 state of mind." www.sixshot.com | 
