Rap-Up.com || Album Preview: Ludacris – ‘Battle of the Sexes’

Fresh off shooting a video with Justin Bieber for the teen sensation’s single “Baby,” Ludacris made his way to the famed Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood to preview selections from his new album Battle of the Sexes for a room full of tastemakers on Thursday (Jan. 28). Luda and his manager Chaka Zulu thanked everyone for supporting him throughout his 10 years in the game before launching into the star-studded album, which features “females from past, present, and future” including Lil’ Kim, Eve, Trina, and Nicki Minaj, plus R&B heavy-hitters Trey Songz, Monica, Ciara, and Ne-Yo.

The Atlanta rapper goes head-to-head with the opposite sex. “I talk to women, I have records with women talking back to me,” he explained. “Of course you’ve got the Ludacris sex records and you got the Ludacris fun records.”

Not all the tracks were played at the listening session and more will be added to the project prior to its March 9 release. Luda is so confident about his latest work that he may put out up to six singles.

Rap-Up.com takes you under the hood of Chris Bridges’ seventh studio album.

1. “Hey Ho” featuring Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Fate

The title raised some eyebrows when it was first announced, but Luda explained the concept of how it tackles the double standard of men sleeping around and being called players and pimps, but when women do the same thing, they’re called hos. “If men sleep around, we some players/ But for women, they be saying, ‘Hey ho,’” he raps on what he calls the sequel to 2000′s controversial “Ho” from his debut album. Luda said he got the “old Lil’ Kim” rapping again. “Ya’ll don’t fuck us, ni**as we fuck you,” spits the Queen Bee.

2. “Tell Me a Secret” featuring Ne-Yo

“You would never think that Swizz [Beatz] produced this song,” he said of the R&B-flavored jam. This one is on some “‘Lovers and Friends’ reminiscent type shit.”

3. “My Chick Bad” featuring Nicki Minaj

“She’s an animated female and I’m an animated rapper myself,” remarked Luda of his pairing with It girl Nicki Minaj. The chorus is bound to get stuck in your head: “My chick bad, my chick ’hood, my chick do stuff that your chick wish she could.” He even drops a reference to Tiger Woods’ wife. “That’s one of the records that we gonna put out there,” he told the audience of the potential single.

4. “I Know You Got a Man” featuring Flo Rida

Luda called this his “radio smash” featuring “radio controller” Flo Rida. It won’t be the second single, but may be the third or fourth. The Infinity production is the album’s most pop-sounding record with a catchy hook that recalls Positive K’s “I Got a Man”: “I know you got a man, man, man, but tell me what your man, man, man gotta do with me?” a male voice sings, while the female responds, “I know you got a girl, girl, girl, but tell me what your girl, girl, girl gotta do with me?”

5. “Can’t Live With You” featuring Monica

“Anybody who’s ever been in a relationship has definitely thought in their head that they can’t live with the person and they can’t live without them at the same damn time,” Ludacris said of this number that’s sure to appeal to his female fans. His “cousin” Monica sings the hook.

6. “How Low (Remix)”

There will be three or four official remixes to Luda’s chart-topping hit. One features Rick Ross and Twista, the other has Ciara and Pitbull, and Fabolous appears on a third. Ciara sings part of the hook on her remix and adds her own verse, as do all the rappers.

7. “Sex Room” featuring Trey Songz

Another song the hip-hop star likens to Lil Jon’s “Lovers and Friends.” “It’s exactly what you would expect if Ludacris and Trey Songz were to do a fucking record together,” he laughed about the X-rated material. Trey seduces while Luda talks dirty: “You can be my firecracker, my tongue gonna spark you up.”

When asked what the follow-up to “How Low” would be, Ludacris said it has yet to be chosen. He is selecting from three songs that are not complete and were not played at the listening.

Posted in Album Previews, Ludacris | Permalink

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35 Comments

ISTANFORCIARA
January 29th, 2010 at 5:40 am
yes hopefully ciaras version can go number 1

[Reply]
SXSW
January 29th, 2010 at 5:46 am
I want to hear the Ciara and Pitbull remix.

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BlackNLatin
January 29th, 2010 at 5:53 am
Cannot wait to hear it! So very promising!

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mrstackhouse
January 29th, 2010 at 6:16 am
Been waiting on this but where is Shawna.

[Reply]
Official: Ciara is on the “How Low” Remix « UltimateCiara.net
January 29th, 2010 at 6:33 am
[...] to Rap-Up.com, Ciara is on the Ludacris “How Low” remix. There will be three or four official [...]
PRETTI MONEY
January 29th, 2010 at 7:08 am
YES CIARA IS ABOUT TO DOMINATE 2010!!!!!!!!!

KERI HILSON COULD NEVA

[Reply]
Carl
January 29th, 2010 at 7:08 am
I can’t wait to hear this album.

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Carl
January 29th, 2010 at 7:10 am
Why is Shawnna’s name not included?

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tdkk Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 7:28 am
@Carl, I believe he scrapped Shawnna due to some dispute but she is on the original “How Low”

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... Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 8:39 am
@Carl, she signed to t-pain’s label, so i think he just scrapped all the material that they had done together.

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tdkk
January 29th, 2010 at 7:30 am
I love how low but why so many remixes? and Six singles? woah this album is going to be big, good for ludacris!

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ChRiS
January 29th, 2010 at 7:57 am
I bet that Ciara remix is fire!!!!! Gotta be!! 2010 is her year, and im ready!!

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incognegro
January 29th, 2010 at 8:01 am
@ Carl – my sentiments exactly.

Maybe because she’s a hometown girl (Chi-Town), and I have been diggin’ her flow since the days of Infamous Syndicate (check out Jenny Jonez if you never heard it) – but I just hate how Luda throws Shawnna so much shade. Don’t get me wrong, there might be a number of creative differences that leads to their consistent splits; but I feel that if even an iota of promotion was invested into Shawnna she would take off. I am sure that the record label feels that she is not marketable enough to get additional sales – but it is as much fault hers and it is there’s for not promoting her well.

But this just supports my belief that an artist should remain an artist, and not a record label exec, because few can give other artists the same support (musically and financially) that they would expect for themselves (i.e. Puffy w/ Mase, Da Band, Danity Kane, Jay-Z w/ Foxy Brown, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel, Teairra Mari, Usher w/ One Chance, Luda w/ Shawnna)

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uhhhh...
January 29th, 2010 at 8:21 am
yeah something happened between them, because shawnnas on nappy boy now…they needa tell us whats goin on lol, cuz this originally was mainly between just Luda & Shawnna. Luda switched it all up, which im fine with cuz the songs sound hot and the features are fire. But im just curious in what happened lol

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Jeremy
January 29th, 2010 at 9:51 am
@ChRiS, we alread no that beyonce lady gaga alicia keys and rihanna gone run 2010 and this decade

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Jimmy
January 29th, 2010 at 10:24 am
This album is gonna be fire!

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Anthony
January 29th, 2010 at 10:29 am
THE ALBUM WILL BE PERFECT !

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CIARA'S #1 FAN!!
January 29th, 2010 at 10:49 am
YESSS CICI!!! FINALLY LUDA GOT C ON HIS ALBUM!! THIS TRACK BETTER ON THE ALBUM!!! AND YA’LL KNOW CIARA CAN SPIT!! SHE GOT SKILLS!! GIRL CAN DANCE SING RAP MODEL!! CIARA AINT GOING NOWHERE!!! HATERS CHOKE ON THAT HOT SHIT!!!!

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Marquis
January 29th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
yessssss ciara is on the how low remix ciara fening to kill these bitches

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queen beyonce
January 29th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
cannot wait for this album wot

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CandyCoated
January 29th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
I can’t wait for the Album and the “How Low” release featuring Ciara!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciara is going to dominate 2010 along with this decade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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An0thrDream
January 29th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Ciara!!!! wh00p wh00p – I cant wait to hear her on a song long this! hope they release her remix ASAP!

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Dave
January 30th, 2010 at 4:28 am
THE ALBUM GONE BE FUCKIN HAWT!! I think imma buy it. Imma be broke as hell for March, lol

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David Thespokenword Washington
January 30th, 2010 at 4:41 am
Can’t freakin wait, the album is gonna SMASH!! & Ci is gonna lace her remix, who else, but Ci can go low like that?! Only the QUEEN!

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Jan
January 30th, 2010 at 8:59 am
As both a Luda and Ciara fan, I can’t wait to hear that new material. VERY promising!

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drtash
January 30th, 2010 at 9:33 am
what happened to the track with Eve? Or is that not going to be on the album????

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Lisa
January 30th, 2010 at 11:19 am
So when is the album coming out? I can’t wait! I’m surprised he has Flo Rida on the album, it must be good then.

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10 is ciaras
January 30th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Battle of the Sexes is out on March 9.
How Low (Remix) with Ciara will be released to itunes on February 9.
I heard the rck ross version on the radio today

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G...
January 31st, 2010 at 9:56 am
Luda and Ciara always kill tracks when they are together.

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mj
February 6th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
well there is only 7 songs listed here so i am sure eve will be on something. I am ready for march already

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10 is not ciara
February 13th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
um i have to say i dont think ciara is gonna rule 2010 lol i hate the remix version with her in it. Orginals so much better she kinda just recked it for me

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well
February 16th, 2010 at 10:32 am
trey is taking kelz place.

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2xindem
February 25th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
this album is gonna be hot- ludas havin this contest to win tickets to his album release-check it out–http://tinyurl.com/yg7ufjh

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kingd13
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:41 am
i got the version of the how low remix wit them all on it minus loso

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ludababi16
March 4th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Love u luddda!!!! This album gun be off tha hook!!! gun support u n buy tha cd!!! got eerry one!!! numba one fan here babi!! heard most tha songs already….awesum as alwayss!!!!! keep it up!

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