"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]
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.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
References
1 2 Urbina, Ian (October 1, 2004). "Area Codes, Now Divorced From Their Areas". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2010. 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."
↑ "Australian Web Archive"(PDF). webarchive.nla.gov.au. August 23, 2006. Archived from the original(PDF) on February 20, 2002. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
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