Ludacris

Ludacris' peculiarly over-the-top Southern-rap freakery challenges the creativity of anyone who'd dare try to parody or mock it. Like his fellow Atlantan Cee Lo, Luda embraces a little eccentricity and humor to create what might cautiously be called depth. His greedy, lustful raps rarely sound too grim or self-important, instead embracing wordplay like a 12-year-old embraces slams and dick jokes—this is, after all, the guy who broke through with the 2000 single "What's Your Fantasy." As a bonus, his videos are often as funny and surreal as any in the MTV-industrial complex, notably 2008's "One More Drink," off Theater Of The Mind. Luda keeps the party going on 2010's Battle Of The Sexes, and he's already working on a Theater Of The Mind "sequel" called Ludaversal.

Updated 08/31/2010