What first stands out about Ludacris' aesthetic is the infectious energy he brings to his music, harking back to the early stylings of Busta Rhymes. Luda's a Southern MC, and his patient but brilliantly scattered delivery was honed at the feet of his predecessors like Pimp C, Big Boi of Outkast, and Silkk the Shocker. And his versatility—the ability to rhyme over beats containing any regional sound—is shared by JAY Z and The Notorious B.I.G.