Grammy Award–winning Christopher Bridges, a.k.a. Ludacris, cut his teeth in the music industry as an influential “Dirty South” rapper. Yet in his remarkable nearly 20-year-long career, Ludacris has achieved mainstream success as both a musician and an actor, appearing in hit movies like Crash, Hustle & Flow, and the Fast and the Furious series. Given that he’s an avid smoker—as evidenced by his hazy “Blueberry Yum Yum” video from the album The Red Light District—High Times couldn’t wait to get Ludacris to perform at a Cannabis Cup. Fortunately, the Atlanta-based artist was able to join us in Las Vegas, where we caught up with him just before show time.
You perform in Amsterdam. What do you think of the cannabis scene there?
Amsterdam no longer has the best weed in the world. I’m going to have to give that to Los Angeles, California … in the world.
What do you like to smoke?
I like sativas myself. I’m definitely more of a sativa guy than an indica guy. That’s just me.
Are you still tight with the grower for “Blueberry Yum Yum”?
No, because that was in Amsterdam. I haven’t talked to that person in a very, very long time. I’ve got my own growers.
How did the “Blueberry Yum Yum” video come to be made?
The story of the way that video came to be made was just spur-of-the-moment: We had our camera guy out there, just documenting everything we were doing in Amsterdam, and we came upon that place and just decided to turn on the music and do a couple verses. Next thing you know, we put it all together.
At the end of that video, you say: “Is there hope for weed to ever be legalized in the United States?” What do you think about that possibility now?
The future of weed looks very bright right about now. I’m very happy at the way things are happening—I feel like it’s been a long time coming, and I know a lot of artists that have been trying to advocate it, and they help the fight. I’m just hoping that everybody is happy, because who would have seen this coming? Honestly speaking, nobody would have seen this coming.
What are you currently doing in the cannabis industry?
I got my things—I’m a businessman, I’m an entreprenegro, so I can’t let all my secrets out. But I’m definitely trying to get involved in some of these dispensaries … believe that.
What’s the weed scene like in Atlanta right now?
In Atlanta? The weed season never stops in Atlanta for the true smokers… put it that way.
How does East Coast weed compare to West Coast weed?
That’s a good question. I don’t really have a favorite East Coast versus West Coast strain. I just—it’s kind of like when people ask me what I like to drink. It’s like, “Whatever gets the party started.”
What’s your favorite time to get high?
My favorite time to get high has got to be in the evening.
Who’s your ideal smoke-sesh partner?
My ultimate smoke partner has got to be Willie Nelson. That’s who I dream to smoke with one day … yeah.
How did you make the leap from music to movies?
I kind of made the leap from music to movies because my man John Singleton, who’s responsible for taking a lot of people from the music world and putting them in the movies, he asked me to be in 2 Fast 2 Furious. He asked me to try out for it. I remember being on the Eminem tour, and backstage I had a camera and tried out for the part, read the lines. Next thing I know, I got the part.
Do you have a favorite film role?
Probably on Law & Order: SVU, to be honest with you.
As an artist working right now in music and film, what do you want to see coming out of Hollywood?
More weed movies—we need a classic Cheech & Chong movie, you know what I mean? Let’s go. Or How High 2. Come on.
How do you relax after a tough day on the set?
Weed.
Do you use topicals or edibles?
I don’t do the edibles. I’ve done them before, but, you know, that’s not really my thing.
You’ve worked with a number of different artists, including Missy Elliott, John Legend, Justin Bieber. How do you choose who you collaborate with?
Sometimes you don’t choose who you collaborate with—they choose you.
Is there someone you haven’t worked with yet that you have your eye on?
I would love to do a song with Eminem. You know, we were on tour together, we talked about it, and it just never really happened yet. But one day, hopefully, that’ll happen.
You’re about to perform at the Cannabis Cup in Las Vegas?
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Performance tonight, Cannabis Cup Las Vegas. My first time… hopefully, it won’t be my last. I’m ready to set the stage on fire—literally.
