Ludacris juggles recording and acting
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Rapper Ludacris is set to release his sixth album, "Theater of the Mind," in September, a project he terms appropriately "theatrical."
He has been working on the Def Jam Records set while shooting "Max Payne," the big screen adaptation of the popular Rockstar video game.
Calling the album a collection of his experiences up to this point, Ludacris told Billboard.com that "Theater" will be film-worthy. Though he hasn't yet chosen a first single, he said a track should come out by June or July.
One track is called "Let's Stay Together," produced by DJ Paul of the Oscar-winning rap combo Three6 Mafia.
His last album, 2006's "Release Therapy," sold 1.2 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and won the Grammy for best rap album.
Ludacris is squeezing in studio time between "Max Payne" film shoots in Toronto. He plays NYPD Deputy Police Chief Jim Bravura in the film, which co-stars Mark Wahlberg. He will be in theaters October 31 with Guy Ritchie's "RocknRolla," which stars Thandie Newton and Jeremy Piven.
"It's about how the Russian mob came to Europe and took over," said Ludacris.
Reuters/Billboard
