General Discussion

The Catalyst: Ludacris was hired as part of a multi-cultural ad campaign featuring stars like Shakira and Bernie Mac. O'Reilly specifically targeted Ludacris following a Pepsi commercial aired during the MTV Video Music Awards.

The Rhetoric: On air, O'Reilly urged "responsible Americans to fight back and punish Pepsi for using a man who degrades women". He labelled Ludacris "a thug rapper" whose lyrics were "profane" and "sexually explicit".

The Outcome: Within days of O'Reilly’s call to action, Pepsi succumbed to the pressure and canceled the ad campaign on August 29, 2002, stating, "We've heard from a number of people that were uncomfortable with our association with this artist".

Reaction: O'Reilly praised his viewers, stating on his show: "Apparently thousands of you let Pepsi know that Ludacris was unacceptable, and today they canceled him".

Charitable Donations: Following the termination of the deal, Pepsi faced backlash from the hip-hop community, including threats of a boycott led by Def Jam and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. To manage the fallout, Pepsi donated $3 million to urban charities.

Ludacris's Response: While dropped by Pepsi, Ludacris saw his career continue to grow. He referenced the incident in his 2003 song "Blow It Out," saying, "You mad cause I'm a thief and got a way with words... Pepsi's the new generation — blow it out ya ass!".

Reconciliation: In 2010, the two met in person. Ludacris stated they reached common ground, and later revealed that O'Reilly made a donation to his foundation.

Long-term View: Years later, Ludacris noted the irony of O'Reilly's campaign given the sexual harassment allegations that eventually led to O'Reilly being fired from Fox News.