Area Codes (Ludacris song)

"Area Codes" is a song by the American hip hop recording artist Ludacris, released as the first single from his third album, Word of Mouf (2001). It features Nate Dogg. The song was originally released on the soundtrack to Rush Hour 2. The song's lyrics focus on U.S. telephone area codes that denote the location of women with whom the rapper has had sexual relations in cities across the United States.[1]

"Area Codes"
02
Single by Ludacris featuring Nate Dogg
from the album Rush Hour 2 Soundtrack and Word of Mouf
ReleasedJuly 3, 2001 (2001-07-03)
Recorded2000
GenreHip hop
Length5:03
LabelDisturbing tha Peace, Def Jam
Songwriter(s)Jones, R. Walters, C. Bridges, Fred Tatlow
Producer(s)Jazze Pha
Ludacris singles chronology
"Southern Hospitality"
(2000)
"Area Codes"
(2001)
"Rollout (My Business)"
(2001)
Nate Dogg singles chronology
"Can't Deny It"
(2001)
"Area Codes"
(2001)
"Multiply"
(2002)

The song was written by D. Davis, K. Hilson, J. Jones, R. Walters and C. Bridges[2] and was produced by Jazze Pha.[3]

Overview

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It entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 84 on July 14, 2001, and peaked at No. 24 on September 8, 2001.

The song was also included briefly in a scene from The Fast and the Furious.

Cultural legacy

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Because telephone area codes have increasingly become less constrained to particular geographic areas, a cultural critic has noted that the core conceit of the "Area Codes" song may become confusing to future generations of listeners not raised with the concept that a particular area code must be tied to residence in a particular region and not knowledgeable about the assigned area code numbering for major urban areas.[1] De La Soul's "Area", a comparable song released 8 years prior, faces a similar conundrum.

American rapper Kali interpolates the song in her song of the same name, released in 2023.

Area codes mentioned

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These are the area codes listed in the song, in order:

Position Area code City or general area State (where Luda has hoes)
1 770 Atlanta Georgia
2 404 Atlanta Georgia
3 718 New York City (exc. Manhattan) New York
4 202 Washington D.C.
5 901 Memphis Tennessee
6 305 Miami Florida
7 312 Chicago Illinois
8 313 Detroit Michigan
9 215 Philadelphia Pennsylvania
10 803 Columbia South Carolina
11 757 Hampton Roads Virginia
12 410 Baltimore Maryland
13 504 New Orleans Louisiana
14 972 Dallas Texas
15 713 Houston Texas
16 314 St. Louis Missouri
17 201 North Jersey New Jersey
18 212 Manhattan New York
19 213 Los Angeles California
20 916 Sacramento California
21 415 San Francisco California
22 704 Charlotte North Carolina
23 206 Seattle Washington
24 808 Honolulu Hawaii
25 216 Cleveland Ohio
26 702 Las Vegas Nevada
27 414 Milwaukee Wisconsin
28 317 Indianapolis Indiana
29 214 Dallas Texas
30 281 Houston Texas
31 334 Montgomery Alabama
32 205 Birmingham Alabama
33 318 Shreveport Louisiana
34 601 Jackson Mississippi
35 203 New Haven Connecticut
36 804 Richmond Virginia
37 402 Omaha Nebraska
38 301 Washington, D.C. suburbs Maryland
39 904 Jacksonville Florida
40 407 Orlando Florida
41 850 Tallahassee Florida
42 708 Cook County Illinois
43 502 Louisville Kentucky

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[14] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b Urbina, Ian (October 1, 2004). "Area Codes, Now Divorced From Their Areas". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2010. And as area codes lose their foothold, certain cultural references may also drop their meaning. "How long before Ludacris's 'Area Code' ceases to make sense?" asked Mr. Rojas, referring to a song in which the rapper uses only area codes to refer to locations where he has had sexual encounters. "That song only works if people know where each area code is located."
  2. ^ "Word of Mouf:Composers". Archived from the original on March 9, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2006.
  3. ^ "Word of Mouf: Song Listings". Archived from the original on December 10, 2006. Retrieved December 6, 2006.
  4. ^ "Australian Web Archive" (PDF). webarchive.nla.gov.au. August 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2002. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  5. ^ "Ludacris Feat. Nate Dogg – Area Codes" (in French). Les classement single.
  6. ^ "Ludacris Feat. Nate Dogg – Area Codes". Top 40 Singles.
  7. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  8. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  9. ^ "Ludacris Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  10. ^ "Ludacris Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  11. ^ "Ludacris Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard.
  12. ^ "Ludacris Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
  13. ^ "2001 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 52. December 29, 2001. p. YE-44. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "American single certifications – Ludacris – Area Codes". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
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