Timbaland says that he's the one who discovered Ludacris. He recalled how he met the Atlanta rapper during an appearance on the I AM ATHLETE podcast. The topic of Ludacris came up while discussing Timbaland's favorite Hip Hop artists of all time.
He began by naming Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, LL COOL J, Run-DMC, and Gang Starr. From there, he brought up Wu-Tang Clan, Fat Joe, Big Pun, OutKast, DMX, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, 8-Ball & MJG, N.W.A as well as A Tribe Called Quest, and finally, Ludacris. In bringing up Ludacris, he explained how he's the one who discovered him.
Timbaland With Ludacris
“I was the one who found Ludacris,” he said. “Because Ludacris was working in the radio station and I was like, ‘Hey, ain’t nobody sign you? What’s going on here?’ [He was like], ‘Nah man.’ Then he came down to Virginia and we did ‘Phat Rabbit,’ and from there, labels started calling. He asked me one time, ‘Would you sign to Def Jam or Eleltra?’ I said, ‘Man, you better go to Def Jam.' And I didn’t know how the business go. I just backed them ’cause I knew he was incredible.”
Ludacris has previously been upfront about Timbaland being one of the first people in the industry to back him. When the two reunited for new music in 2019, Ludacris explained a similar story of the legendary producer discovering him. “Tim was the first person that really believed in me, along with Jermaine Dupri and Organized Noize,” he said at the time. “But in terms of really the very first person, [he] came to the radio station in Atlanta when I was working there. Timbaland was the first person who was like, ‘Who is that?’ And then [I] got on ‘Phat Rabbit’ and got on Tim’s Bio. Do your history, Google that. He’s the first person. So, to be back in the studio with him at this moment in time — for this juncture and this particular moment that is about to be monumental for me — is amazing.”
Timbaland On Discovering Ludacris
[Via]