By Shivani Khanna
Gargoyle assistant editor
Posted Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006, The OG, arts

It's a little before 10 p.m. Friday, and the smell of anticipation, along with the scent of a few other illegal substances, laced the air I was breathing. I knew that the waiting game had begun.

Since the disastrous opening acts and the mediocre performance of fellow rapper Yung Joc, the crowd eagerly anticipated the rhyming and rapping skills of Christopher Brian Bridges, more lovingly called Ludacris, a Champaign native, who took the Assembly Hall stage for the second time and enchanted us with outrageously sexual lyrics and a style that spits fire.

Needless to say I did not leave the Assembly Hall disappointed; Ludacris used his charm to warm us with his Southern hospitality and his pleasure at being back in his hometown, elevating the level of excitement in the crowd to deafeningly loud.

His focus throughout the show was on older songs, despite the impending release of his newest album, “Release Therapy,” which comes out today. In that spirit he began his show with “Number One Spot” off his most recent album “Red Light District,” and followed with favorites such as “Act A Fool,” “Southern Hospitality,” and “Area Codes.”

Classics such as “Blueberry Yum Yum,” a song about getting high and getting the munchies, were mixed in with more recent singles such as “Money Maker.” The enthusiastic crowd was able to boast an extensive knowledge of Ludacris' repertoire, beginning from his first hit single, on the “Back For the First Time” album, to more obscure but equally satisfying songs such as “Splash Waterfalls,” “P * * * y Poppin,” and “What's Your Fantasy.”

His energy and enthusiasm added another dimension to his performance, but by far the most noticeable achievement was his skill as a rapper; his abilities allowed him to outperform his opening acts, which featured up-and-coming artists such as NBA player Ron Artest, 4-Ize, DJ Scorpio, and Yung Joc.

The highlight of Artest's performance was not his rhyming but rather his lack of shyness as he removed the top half of his clothing half way through his performance. His songs, such as “Nasty North,” did not feature much of anything besides his inability to rhyme, and 4-Ize's “best” (meant strictly as a relative term) song featured this terrible and nearly laughable hook, “Drip drip drop/ the rain don't stop/ but that don't mean that the sun ain't shining.”

The ending featured a Ludacris fan favorite, “Move B * * * h,” and the appearance of three former Illini basketball players on stage at the Assembly Hall performing along. NBA players Dee Brown, Deron Williams, and Luther Head all attended the concert and were received on stage by a pleasantly surprised audience.

Looking back it is apparent that by the time Luda took the stage, the audience was more than willing to welcome someone with rapping abilities that far exceeded those of a door knocker, and with his energy and unbeatable style, Ludacris truly delivered.

[NOTE: For concert photos, click here.]