Ludacris got a touch of nostalgia watching himself in Kanye West’s Jeen-Yuhs documentary, and said he’s glad he supported the rapper in the early days of his career.
The Act A Fool rapper makes a cameo in the three-part docuseries, which explores Kanye’s rise to fame, alongside the likes of Jay Z, Pharrell Williams and Beyonce (if you don’t blink-and-miss-it).
In episode two, fans saw how Kanye desperately tried to get studio time after signing to Roc-A-Fella Records, which dragged its feet in releasing his debut album College Dropout.
In particularly heartwarming scenes, Ludacris was one of the few rappers who kindly gave Kanye a spot during his own studio time which, many will know, costs an arm and a leg.
It was circa 2003 at the height of Ludacris’ fame and he was recording his verse on Breathe In, Breathe Out for College Dropout.
After watching the documentary, he told Metro.co.uk around the release of his own Netflix series Karma’s World: ‘I loved it and I remember being supportive of him. I’m glad I was one of the people that was telling individuals that he was more than just a producer when he was trying to prove himself in that world.
‘That’s what I like to do, I like to spread light, love and positivity.
Kanye, 44, has come under fire in recent weeks for his dark music videos, which have included him burying an animated version of Pete Davidson alive.
The Gold Digger rapper defended his art, saying he had freedom of speech, which is something Ludacris believes in when it comes to his own music.
‘Music is my number one love, I don’t think that’s ever going to change,’ Ludacris, 44, explained. ‘I’m just highly competitive.
‘The creative freedom you have with creating music is the best thing in the world. I agree that music is an art form and it is a creative way of expressing ourselves.’
He added: ‘When it comes to video, it depends on the video but for myself, I like to have fun, I like to be comedic, I like to be Ludacris because Ludacris is beyond crazy, wild and ridiculous, but I can’t speak for every other artist in the game, I can only speak for myself.’
The Move Bitch hitmaker is back in the studio himself working on new music that he says will be ready to drop later this year or in 2023.
In the meantime, fans can enjoy something wholesome in the form of his animated children’s series Karma’s World, which was inspired by his eldest daughter and follows a young girl chasing her music dreams while also following themes of self-confidence and anxiety.
Karma’s World season 2 is available to watch on Netflix now.
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