I need to apologize for not already giving Ludacris his due in this column. Albeit, he did swagger jack Redman's steez (as did Eminem) for the witty, unpredictable, wild shit. He also copped Redman's acting bug as well. But after seven or eight studio albums that he has released I need to give Ludacris his props for doing his thing. Redman's style was too wild to get a Grammy award. Ludacris smoothed that shit out and made it fly for the bitches.

Redman is like a White Owl blunt and a 40oz. of Olde English whereas Ludacris is like a thin-rolled joint with a glass of Alize. For those of you that were wondering, Eminem is a bong and a six pack of Stellas. There is nothing wrong with making rap music for the ho's. Nelly been doing that shit all along and he can't even rap. At least Ludacris puts some spit behind his booty shake anthems. How many times do you find yourself singing 'Area Codes' when you are around a lot of broads? I do that shit all the time.

So the question remains... Why isn't Ludacris considered one of the best to ever do it? Redman either for that matter. Is it that punchline rappers aren't given the same respect due as those rappers who practice braggadocio rap or the urban streets fiction rappers? Yet Eminem always finds himself in the conversation for G.O.A.T. status so style of rap shouldn't be the focus. What is it about Ludacris that people don't accept? I think it's because he is a lousy actor.

Tupac was the greatest acting rapper, Raptor if you will, but he was a suspect rapper who lacked lyrical weight. His acting was so good that people actually believe he was a great rapper. Now here we have Ludacris who is light years ahead of Tupac lyrically but couldn't act his ass out of a paper bag. This is why we don't consider Ludacris' lyrical greatness. If Ludacris were to stop acting for a few years I bet that rap fans would start to crown him one of the best ever to put it down.

Who in the southern rap region has sold more records than Ludacris? Not OutKast, Not Master P, certainly not Scarface. Not even Luke can make that boast. I know that record sales are a weak barometer for the supreme talent of an artist, but they do mean something. It has been the record sales that have convinced Hollywood to give this dude acting gigs with the anticipation that his audience would follow him from CDs to the screens.

I'm not saying that Ludacris is the worst acting rapper of all time. The W.A.R.O.A.T. would definitely have to be Jay-Z. NaS is horrible too. What is interesting to me now that I look at it is the better you are as a rapper the worse you will be as an actor. Now I do not want to see a movie with Joell Ortiz in it.

More From XXL