"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.
The song was written by D. Davis, K. Hilson, J. Jones, R. Walters and C. Bridges and was produced by Jazze Pha.
Overview It entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 84 on July 14, 2001, and peaked at No. 24 on September 8, 2001.
Music Video The music video was filmed at an airport with dozens of women wearing clothing featuring the area codes of cities they are from. It even contained short clips of Rush Hour 2, in which the song was a soundtrack for. It premiered on 106 & Park as a "New Joint" on July 3, 2001.
The song was also included briefly in a scene from The Fast and the Furious.
Cultural legacy 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.
American rapper Kali interpolates the song in her song of the same name, released in 2023.
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2001)Peak positionAustralia (ARIA)97
Year-end charts Chart (2001)PositionUS Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)60
Certifications
References
External links Ludacris' Rap Map of US Area Codes Area codes mentioned in "Area Codes"