Warren Anderson Mathis is a large white man from a rural southern community; or in other words, the antithesis of the image of a stereotypical rapper. Give him a microphone, however, and he transforms into Bubba Sparxxx, the acclaimed Georgia-based hip-hop artist.
Through his debut album, Timbaland- produced Dark Days, Bright Nights, propelled him to fame in 2001. His second album, Deliverance, failed to match the debut’s success on the charts. It was Bubba’s talent and thirst for stardom that led him to join OutKast’s Big Boi for his latest production, The Charm.
Immediately compared to other white hip-hop acts after landing in the limelight, Sparxxx shed all comparisons to Eminem in an MTV interview by simply retorting, “Nobody compares Jay-Z to OutKast.” He comments on the issue on The Charm’s opening track, “Represent,” when he quips, “Just so happens that it’s the thing now/to get a cracker on your roster ever since Marshall came out/-even now I wouldn’t exchange all lines mine for his.”
Unlike Eminem, however, Sparxxx is limited in his ability to actually let his skills flourish. After the relative disappointment in sales of the otherwise brilliant Deliverance, it appears as if Sparxxx has made a commitment not to art, but to album sales.
The Charm contains a mere eleven tracks, most of which fit the mold of other popular Southern hip-hop acts. Instead of the introspective, thoughtful lyrics found on Deliverance, on this album Bubba Sparxxx talks mainly about girls and partying. Without Timbaland backing him, the production falls short, oftentimes sounding monotonous and unremarkable.
His lyrical skills are only truly displayed on a few songs: “Otherside” features both Sleepy Brown and Petey Pablo and the self-reflective “Ain’t Life Grand” features rapper Scar. The mindless “Ms. New Booty” features the Ying-Yang Twins and Mr. ColliPark and is sure to be a hit in the clubs, while Sparxxx lays his vocals on what sounds like a cheesy love track on “Run Away.”
Throughout The Charm , Sparxxx seems to move away from his potential as a bona fide hip-hop genius to fit in with his Southern counterparts. Perhaps southern hip-hop is to blame, or maybe it’s Bubba’s desire to take shortcuts en route to making more money. In any case, The Charm is a significant step backward from previous efforts for the talented Sparxxx.
Contact reporter Nikhil Joshi at diversions@dbk.umd.edu.
