On the eve of the release of his Ludaversal album, his first in four years, Ludacris sat down with Sway for an extended one on one conversation. Consistent with the tone of the album, Luda was extremely personal and unguarded during the interview.

Notably, this was the first time Sway came to Ludacris for an interview, rather than ‘Cris coming to him and that was their first topic of conversation. After exchanging pleasantries, they dove right in, covering a wide range of subjects starting with the more serious tone of the new album. Luda noted that many underestimate his MC abilities, saying Jay Z once said he didn’t realize how lyrical Ludacris was because of the playfulness of his visuals (8:00). Ludacris makes it clear that he has something to prove with Ludaversal (10:00).

The pair then turn to some of the deeply personal matters covered on the LP. Ludacris speaks in detail about his father dying of alcoholism the day after he won his first Grammy (12:00) and growing up in an abusive household (13:00). He also talks about some of the problems brought on by money, such as being sued by a family member who was bitten by his dog (15:00), being harassed by the IRS (16:00) and having to take a paternity test to prove he wasn’t the father of a child by a woman he had never met (17:00). Sway and Luda also speak about why the MC chose to abstain from alcohol for a year (38:00).

In an interesting coda to his war of words with Bill O’Reilly, whose criticism of Ludacris cost him an endorsement deal with Pepsi, Luda spoke of meeting Bill O’Reilly for the first time ever, at the White House, 5 years after their heated media exchange. He says that he spoke to O’Reilly man to man, and the pundit apologized and made a donation to ‘Cris’ foundation (23:00).

One of the most poignant moments of the conversation comes when Sway asks Ludacris about Paul Walker, his Furious 7 co-star, and how his death affected ‘Cris (49:30). Luda says that unbeknownst to many people, he and Walker were very close, even having birthdays that were just one day apart. He says the film almost did not come out, but the cast and producers wanted to finish it in Walker’s honor. He also talks about his last conversation with Walker before he passed away.

The two end the interview on a high note, talking which career moments are the proudest for Ludacris. This is as in-depth of a conversation you will ever see with the MC born Chris Bridges.

Related: Ludacris’ Personal Revelations Come To Life With The Roots’ Support (Video)