In celebration of season three of Ludacris’ hit Netflix animated series Karma’s World, the Grammy-winner (né Chris Bridges) has partnered with Mattel to launch an all-new toy line that showcases natural hair curls, diversity and more.
“Mattel was so outstanding with their pitch compared to the other toy brands,” Ludacris tells Billboard, moments after completing his filming for the upcoming Fast X. “Mattel blew us away with their presentation and one of the things that took us over the top was they hired someone specifically for Black hair.”
The new toy collection complete with an array of dolls, is available for purchase at major retailers including Amazon, Target and Walmart and features the Karma’s World styling head accessory, Karma’s World microphone and more. With embedded messaging about empowerment and creative expression, the Karma’s World children’s series is originally inspired by Ludacris’ eldest daughter, Karma Bridges.
“Myself, Mattel and our resources took so much of our time getting the absolute most authentic feel and look of the hair with premium quality,” Ludacris explains of the curly-haired styling accessory. “Even the hair roots are top-notch. When you touch the hair and texture, it will blow you away because of the quality developments within the hair fibers.”
With the emergence of Karma’s World, children are able to enjoy the benefits of diversity and representation in the media and beyond, unlike “back in the day,” Ludacris explains. “The more diversity and inclusivity I can see across onscreen, the happier I’ll be — because it’s part of the reason I wanted to create the show. Karma’s World has provided an opportunity to become mainstream in the way certain shows paved the way for me. I’m very happy that we’re seeing more of us onscreen.”
The Karma’s World universe is exponentially expanding with the new toy line and existing products, including Daddy and Me and the Rhyme to Be (A Karma’s World Picture Book), The Great Shine-A-Thon Showcase chapter book and the Karma’s World soundtrack, distributed by Universal Music Group.
“We’re on season three, and if everybody continues to love the show, what’s next could possibly be a season four,” says Ludacris, who is also behind the start-up KidNation, an online platform providing wholesome music and video content for children. “KidNation is in the beta phase but we’re branching out and progressing, so look for more exciting things from KidNation as well.”
Up next, fans can expect more Karma’s World toys and dolls leading up to the year-end holiday season, plus clothing and bedding.
Karma’s World
Karma’s World
Chris & Karma Bridges
