Ludacris performs on the main stage at Strawberries & Creem festival at Childerley Orchard on June 18, 2022 in Cambridge, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
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Ludacris Launches Karma's World Toys to Celebrate Natural Hair

Ludacris Launches Karma's World Toys to Celebrate Natural Hair

Published Sun, July 31, 2022 at 12:00 PM EDT

Ludacris has partnered with Mattel to launch a series of dolls inspired by his hit Netflix children's series, Karma's World. The collection will feature dolls modeled after three of the show’s main characters: Karma Grant, Winston Torres and Switch Stein.

“Mattel was so outstanding with their pitch compared to the other toy brands,” Ludacris said in an interview with Billboard. “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…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. 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.”

Inspired by Luda's own daughter, Karma’s World tells the story of a girl named Karma, gifted with stellar rapping skills. The show also addresses themes surrounding family and social justice issues. The dolls arrive just as the show's third season launches.

“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," Luda told Billboard. "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.”

Alongside the new doll line, Ludacris has expanded the Karma’s World brand with 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.

“We’re on season three, and if everybody continues to love the show, what’s next could possibly be a season four,” says Ludacris, also referencing the related start-up KidNation, an online platform devoted to family-friendly music and video content. “KidNation is in the beta phase but we’re branching out and progressing, so look for more exciting things from KidNation as well.”

Karma’s World dolls are available at Target and Walmart stores.

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