Ludacris Dishes on His Hip-Hop GOAT, 'Fast X: Part 2,' and His Super Bowl Commercial

Christopher Brian Bridges is a natural.

Behind the mic as the legendary artist Ludacris? Obviously.

In front of a camera as Tej Parker in the Fast & Furious franchise? No doubt.

Then there's the star quality he also exudes in commercials. He's filmed a bunch of them. Thirty-two, actually. And his latest is another Super Bowl commercial, but this one's saucy.

Ludacris' love for hot sauce has been evident for decades. Heck, the 48-year-old even raps about it in 2006's "Girls Gone Wild" from his Release Therapy album:

I'm like hot sauce with extra flavor / So put it on your tongue for your mouth to savor.

Enter Frank's RedHot Sauce. The popular brand teamed up with the three-time GRAMMY winner for its Super Bowl campaign featuring Chingy, Shawnna, and I-20.

As Ludacris tells Men's Journal, the campaign marked a special opportunity for him to reunite with his Disturbing Tha Peace collaborators. The collective celebrated its 25th anniversary just last year.

Ahead of Frank's RedHot's "Eat the GOAT" campaign dropping, Men's Journal caught up with Ludacris for a quick Q&A to discuss his latest commercial credit, who his hip-hop GOAT is, how hip-hop has changed for the better, and what the deal is with Fast X: Part 2.

Men's Journal: This Frank's RedHot ad is hilarious. Talk to me about the creative process that ultimately led to the finished Super Bowl campaign.

Frank’s RedHot has been the GOAT for years, and this was about showing that – especially during high-energy moments like a Big Game watch party! That’s when food, music, and people really come together, and it becomes bigger than just the game.

How did you and Chingy get involved, and what was the turning point that made you guys say 'Yes' to this campaign?

When Frank’s RedHot said they had extra roles and asked if I wanted to bring any friends in, I felt it would be the perfect opportunity to bring the squad in, especially since we just celebrated our 25th anniversary.

Speaking of GOAT, who is your hip-hop GOAT and why?

I definitely have to say LL Cool J, because he’s the one who inspired me to rap!

Looking back at your early days in Atlanta and your breakthrough with 'Back for the First Time,' what choices or moments do you see as most pivotal in shaping your career?

I love this question…believing in myself… and what I mean by that is taking all the money I saved from working at the radio station and spending it to invest in my own studio time, mixing, and mastering.

Basically, pouring everything I had back into my dreams and putting my project out independently… I spent every dollar I had!

How did your approach to songwriting and performance evolve between the albums 'Chickn-n-Beer' and 'Release Therapy,' and what lessons from that period still influence you today?

I was in such a competitive space because I kept losing to everyone in the single male hip-hop category. I set an intentional goal for myself to win Best Rap Album of the Year and I put in the work to achieve that with Release Therapy!

As hip hop has changed over the past two decades, what trends or shifts have you embraced, and which do you feel have moved the culture away from its core strengths?

One shift I’ve embraced is the freedom to be more honest and transparent. Hip-hop isn’t just one thing. It’s not just gangsta rap. It’s real life, and I love that artists today feel comfortable showing all sides of who they are.

As long as we protect authenticity and storytelling, the music stays strong.

Fast X: Part 2 can't come soon enough! What can fans expect from this cliffhanger?

I wish I could tell you, but they don’t tell us… everything is top secret!

Any behind-the-scenes stories you care to share or bloopers you can paint for us?

Definitely make sure you’re following my Instagram for all the funny behind-the-scenes moments. We had a great time on set!

My wife is obsessed with Red's Hot Sauce. She pours a ton of it on our baked sweet potato with shredded chicken. What's your go-to dish for Red's Hot?

I put it in my protein shakes… it helps boost metabolism.