Rapper Ludacris was honored this past Saturday (September 20) as the first Hip-Hop artist inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

The ceremony featured Ludacris being honored alongside legends of the rock and R&B world in Widespread Panic and Keith Sweat.

Born Chris Bridges, Ludacris initially got his start working as DJ Chris Lova Lova for Atlanta radio station WHTA.

There he met and impressed Timbaland who offered the fledgling artist a guest spot on the 1998 track “Phat Rabbit.”

Over the following ten-year span, the Atlanta star has went on to record five multi-platinum albums, win three Grammys, and star in several acclaimed films such as Crash and Hustle & Flow.

During his acceptance speech, Luda reflected on his unassuming beginnings that showed little of the promise that’s lead him to the top of the entertainment world.

“And just think 10 years ago I was trying to put pizzas through the oven at Pizza Hut to make sure I didn’t get fired,” he explained to a jam-packed crowd at the Georgia World Congress Center. “Now the only way I’ll get fired is if I fire myself, so that’s a beautiful thing right now for sure.”

Look for Ludacris’ sixth studio album Theater of the Mind to hit shelves on November 11.