April 26, 2017 The Skanner Page 7
Arts & Entertainment
Ludacris: The “Fate of the Furious” Interview
By Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
T
he multi-talented
Chris
“Ludacris”
Bridges has enjoyed
a remarkable ca-
reer. As a recording art-
ist, Bridges has sold more
than 15 million albums
domestically, thanks to
the blockbuster success
of such singles as “Stand
Up,” “Get Back,” “South-
ern Hospitality,” “Num-
ber One Spot,” “Money
Maker” and “My Chick
Bad.”
All of these records
were accompanied by
ingenious videos that
demonstrated
Luda’s
far-reaching
imagina-
tion and his willingness
to stretch the boundaries
of what rap videos could
look and feel like. Blessed
with an unrivaled mix of
lyrical acumen, wit and
imagery, he has solidified
himself as one of music’s
premiere entertainers.
Though best known
for his infectious tunes,
Ludacris has proven
himself equally adept
at composing powerful
songs with serious sub-
ject matter, such as the
hit “Runaway Love.” Fur-
thermore, his versatility
and artistic complexity
enabled him to make a
seamless transition to
acting.
On screen, he most re-
cently co-starred in Fu-
rious 7, a follow-up to his
stellar work in the Fast
and Furious franchise’s
2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast
Five and Fast & Furious.
He was a member of the
A-list ensemble assem-
bled for the romantic
comedies New Year’s Eve
and No Strings Attached.
Luda also delivered
critically-acclaimed per-
formances in Hustle &
Flow and the Academy
Award-winning Best Pic-
ture, Crash, as well as on
such television series as
Empire and Law & Order:
Special Victims Unit.
Ludacris as Tej Parker in ‘The Fate of the Furious’
Plus, since stepping back
into the studio, he’s been
wowing music fans with
his 8th studio album, Lu-
daversal.
The
consummate
businessman,
Luda’s
latest venture includes
the
highly-anticipated
Chicken-n-Beer restau-
rant coming soon to the
Hartsfield-Jackson
At-
lanta International Air-
N.O.L.A. cont’d from pg 6
her sleeping with anybody.
For example, he went crazy and beat
up the entire staff at Napoli’s Pizzeria,
when he suspected the owner of sleep-
ing with her. Gesuippe Napoli (Ricky
Wayne) was so incensed by the pum-
meling that he’s summoned a hit man
from Sicily (Gianni Boromei) to knock
off the perpetrator.
Meanwhile, right across the street
from Kupcakes we find Marvin’s, an
old-fashioned barbershop frequented
by a colorful cast of characters. The
place is run by Marvin (Vas Black-
wood) and his two brothers, Hathi (Co-
rey Mendell Parker) and Anaconda
(Nicoye Banks).
Each of the siblings has a distinctive
physical trait. Marvin has a huge Afro,
Hathi has big ears, and Anaconda was
blessed with gargantuan genitalia,
hence the nickname. And he’s a sex ad-
dict dating Nola’s BFF, Karen (Kamille
McCuin). Karen is the neighborhood
drug dealer, not to be confused with
another hustler who lurks around,
pressuring passersby to purchase ev-
erything from watches to underwear.
SHOWTIMES
Additional players in this theater
of the absurd include Woody (Lucius
Baston), an aspiring opera singer who
only stutters when he speaks, and a trio
of hooded Ku Klux Klansmen threaten-
ing to kill Will unless he stops the pon-
tificating in favor of civil rights.
All of the above are afforded their
moments to shine in “N.O.L.A. Cir-
cus,” a kitchen-sink comedy written
and directed by Luc Annest. The foul-
mouthed Frenchman is apparently un-
aware of contemporary social trends,
since his irreverent film debut arrives
laced with profanity, ethnic slurs, mi-
sogyny and assorted other salacious
material ostensibly intended to easily
offend.
The picture relies on a preposterous
plot somewhat redeemed by the fact
that the outrageous antics onscreen are
often hilarious. So, don’t be surprised
if you end up laughing in spite of your-
self.
Politically-incorrect, crassploitation
fare strictly for the unshockable!
Very Good HH 1/2
Unrated
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port. In addition, he is
dipping his hands in the
tech space by partnering
with apps such as Roadie,
an on-the-way delivery
service.
Luda’s philanthropic
efforts rival his enter-
tainment
accomplish-
ments. He partnered
with Crash writer/direc-
tor Paul Haggis and Art-
ists for Peace and Justice
to help raise more than $4
million for Haitian relief
efforts. And he’s raised
more than $100,000 for
Atlanta flood victims
through The Ludacris
Foundation, too. Hav-
ing partnered with Jane
Fonda, Bill Gates, Rich-
ard Branson and Nelson
Mandela, to name a few,
the foundation continues
to inspire youth through
education.
Here, Luda talks about
reprising the role of Tej
Parker in “The Fate of the
Furious” opposite Vin
Diesel, Dwayne Johnson,
Michelle Rodriguez, Ja-
son Statham, Charlize
Theron and Tyrese.
Kam Williams: Hi
Luda, thanks for another
interview.
Ludacris: What’s up,
Kam?
KW: I really loved this
film!
L: You and me both. So,
I’m glad that you feel it.
KW: “Furious 7” left me
in tears, given the sen-
sitive way they handled
Paul Walker’s exit. So,
that left me wondering
whether they’d be able
to get back to the action
following such a moving
conclusion. But they han-
dled the transition seam-
lessly and very tasteful-
ly. It works perfectly.
L: It does, Kam. And I
feel like this is the most
See LUDACRIS on page 11