Ludacris came to the rescue of disappointed Usher fans by hosting what he called “the hottest cookout of the summer” after Usher’s Atlanta concert was unexpectedly canceled. Usher had to delay the opening of his Past Present & Future Tour on Wednesday, August 14, due to health issues. Although he initially kept the reasons vague, he later revealed he had sustained a neck injury, which forced him to reschedule this show and two others in Atlanta to December.
In a bid to soften the blow, Ludacris organized a special event on the other side of Atlanta. This cookout, held in partnership with Atlanta’s Black Restaurant Week and Stella Artois, was an invite-only affair, but lucky fans had the chance to attend thanks to Stella Artois’ ‘Let’s do Dinner Summer Series’ sweepstakes.
Ludacris has a history of stepping up in challenging situations. Earlier this summer, when a show in Milwaukee was canceled due to severe weather on June 22, Ludacris didn’t let his fans down. He performed a spontaneous free concert at the 3rd St. Market Hall, bringing a mic and his energy to the streets. He shared on Instagram, “My Show In Milwaukee Got Cancelled Last Night Due To Rain & Thunderstorms But I DEFINITELY Wasn’t Leaving The City Without Touching The People,” and expressed his gratitude to Steve Dastoner for inspiring the impromptu performance.
In another highlight of his career, Ludacris recently received his first Webby Award for his standout performance at the Atlanta Falcons Hip Hop 50 celebration last year. He took to Instagram to express his joy, saying, “I just received word that I’ve received a Webby Award — the Internet’s highest honor. … Thank you to the Falcons. And thank you to everybody involved. Everyone who knows me, knows I’m a thrill-seeker, knows I’m an adrenaline junkie.”