(AllHipHop News) 2012 looks to be a year of achievements for Atlanta rapper/actor Ludacris, who will reunite with R&B singer Usher for his forthcoming album, Ludaversal.
According to Ludacris, the offering is “in the “beginning stages” at this time. Ludaversal will mark the first official studio contribution from Ludacris since the release of his 2010 album, Battle of the Sexes. The rhymesayer released a mixtape, 1.21 Gigawatts: Back To The First Time in November 2011.
“I get the beats together and I put out my ideas, so I’d say we’re maybe about 40 percent done,” the rhymester told Billboard.com. “I’ve pretty much collected about 80 percent of the beats that I need, and I’ve started writing ideas on them. First I have to love the beat, absolutely love it.”
Usher is the latest collaborator to come aboard for Ludaversal. Hitmaking production team, The Neptunes, were confirmed by Ludacris last year as being part of the project, which the rapper admitted to being set for release in May.
As for Usher’s involvement, Ludacris acknowledged their past work together, while teasing about other things fans can look forward to with his newest release.
“Usher is one person that I’ve already worked with and in terms of other artists; you can say that there’s going to be a lot of surprises on here,” said Ludacris.
The duo first aligned with each other on the number one hit “Yeah!” The Lil John-assisted track was followed by another success as the trio joined forces again for Lil John’s “Lovers and Friends.” The first single from Ludaversal will be released “probably within March,” the lyricist revealed to Billboard while providing a glimpse of what will be addressed on the album.
“It’s been a minute since I’ve been away from music, and there is just so much to talk about,” Ludacris shared. “So [the album] is mostly about my personal life, my travels, my experiences, rumors, gossip – you know, everything coming together in one.”
Usher’s inclusion on Ludaversal comes on the heels of a business victory for Ludacris, who announced last week the opening of a new restaurant, Chicken & Beer, in Atlnata’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Georgia.
