About Ludacris’ latest single and upcoming album
Ludacris debuted his new single “44 Bars” and his upcoming album ahead of his performance at the T-Mobile SEC Championship Concert in Atlanta.
Three artists have withdrawn from Kid Rock’s 2026 Rock the Country Tour.
After rapper Ludacris announced in mid-January that he would not be participating in a festival tour headlined by rock and vocal conservatives including Jason Aldean, two more artists, country singers Morgan Wade and Carter Faith, reportedly withdrew from the lineup.
Days after the lineup, which includes Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Creed, Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Nelly, was announced on Monday, January 12, Ludacris’ rep, 48, told Rolling Stone that the rapper’s participation was “a mix-up. It crossed a line and he shouldn’t have been on it.” Media personality Ebro Darden also shared a message saying the rapper was “never” on the lineup.
The clarification came after an uproar from fans who reacted with confusion to Ludacris’ appearance. Fellow rapper Nelly has faced similar backlash for performing on conservative stages in the past, including at the inaugural Rock the Country Festival and at President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Currently, Wade is also out of the lineup, and her management team confirmed the news to Billboard. While on the card, Faith reportedly responded to a fan’s question with, “He’s gone!” Rolling Stone confirmed, citing anonymous sources, that Faith is no longer scheduled to perform at the festival, even though her name remains on the card as of Thursday, January 29th.
USA TODAY has reached out to the festival and representatives for Wade and Faith for comment.
Wade, 31, has been releasing music since 2018 and has opened for Alanis Morissette and Shinedown. Faith, 25, has been releasing music since 2021 and released her debut album, Cherry Valley, in October. She will co-star with Jessica Chastain in the upcoming Netflix film Heartland.
Rock the Country, which the “All Summer Long” singer founded in 2024, will open in May in Texas and run for eight weekends in South, South Dakota, Michigan and New York until early September.
