"Area Codes" | ||||
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Single by Ludacris featuring Nate Dogg | ||||
from the album Rush Hour 2 Soundtrack and Word of Mouf | ||||
Released | July 3, 2001 | |||
Recorded | 2000 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 5:03 | |||
Label | Disturbing tha Peace, Def Jam | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jones, R. Walters, C. Bridges, Fred Tatlow | |||
Producer(s) | Jazze Pha | |||
Ludacris singles chronology | ||||
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Nate Dogg singles chronology | ||||
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"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]
The song was written by D. Davis, K. Hilson, J. Jones, R. Walters and C. Bridges[2] and was produced by Jazze Pha.[3]
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.
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.
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 |
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[14] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
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."