Published: Monday - April 3, 2006
Words by Brad Tennesen
Bubba Sparxxx (Photo: Virgin)
Despite setbacks in his career and comparisons to another white rapper by the name of Eminem, Bubba Sparxxx has survived and continued to try new things.
After breaking onto the scene in 2000 with the club smash "Ugly," the rapper disappeared, only to re-surface in 2003 with a heavily praised piece of work called Deliverance. But, as the rapper strayed away from the club bangers that made him popular for more a substance-filled effort, Bubba Sparxxx suffered with lackluster sales, even though it was highly praised by several worthy media outlets.
It is now 2006 and Bubba is back with a new album. Although it seems as though he is starting right back where he began with his latest club banger "Ms. New Booty," according to the rapper, he's just creating a balance between his first two albums, giving the young adults something to dance too, all while making the critics happy with songs with much more substance.
In a conversation with the Southern rapper, Bubba talks about several different topics, including why he feels both blessed and cursed, why he missed creating the club bangers and his new passion -- cooking.
BallerStatus.com: What do you love most about hip-hop?
Bubba Sparxxx: I like the fact, that when it's done right, it paints a picture. I think Chuck D said it best: "Hip-hop is like a ghetto CNN." It's a regional CNN. Like, if you listen to the first Juvenile album, 400 Degrees, it paints a picture of New Orleans. Or like if you listen to Mobb Deep in the mid '90s, they paint a picture of Queens and the Queens housing projects. It lets you peer into someone else's world. I get off on that man. You know, like the NWA albums. Even if they talk about the life they were livin', it painted an accurate picture. It was at least good secondhand information.
BallerStatus.com: If gave you insight to the lives the fans led in real life.
Bubba Sparxxx: Yeah, exactly.
BallerStatus.com: What age did you first become active in music?
Bubba Sparxxx: I wrote my first rap when I was 14.
BallerStatus.com: Who are your greatest musical influences?
Bubba Sparxxx: The Dungeon Family, Outkast, Organized Noise, Goodie Mob, Witch Doctors, Cool Breeze, Backbone -- they put Georgia and the South on the map, in terms of hip-hop. And they really opened my eyes to what good music was and is. I have also been inspired by Ice Cube, Hank Williams Jr. and Motley Crew. I've been inspired by a lot of great music.
BallerStatus.com: Holding on to artistic integrity, while breaking into the mainstream has been difficult for other artists in hip-hop. Has it been difficult for you? How do you stay true to yourself and still sell records?
Bubba Sparxxx: It is difficult for everyone, but I can't not be myself. I'm both cursed and blessed. I could never ever be anything but over the top me, not even subtle me. Anything I do is me, but the worst thing you can do when it comes to making music -- in my opinion -- is think. As soon as you get caught up in over thinking, it's forced. As long as something comes naturally when you are doing it, it will come naturally to your target audience. If you in your heart know something's not coming natural to you, it's probably not gonna be accepted naturally to the people you're trying to sell it to.
BallerStatus.com: Speaking of selling records, you've got the new album, The Charm. Tell us a little about it.
Bubba Sparxxx: Basically, this album is about balance. My first two albums were a completely different sound. I came in the game with the up-tempo "Ugly" club-banger. My second album didn't have any music for the club on it. It was a lot more reflective; we incorporated so many different instruments: piano, horn section, and guitar. So with this album, I set out to create a balance between those two records. I missed on Deliverance by not having music for the clubs. I love going to clubs! With that said, I like hearing my music in the clubs. I was tired not hearing my own f---in' sh-- at the club, so I said, "I'll never make another record without adding some club bangers." But, I could never make a record without substance either.
BallerStatus.com: The title of your new album is The Charm. How did you come up with that title?
Bubba Sparxxx: It my third album man, you know...the third time's the charm.
BallerStatus.com: Unlike is your first two albums, which were released on Timbaland's Beat Club Records, The Charm is being released on Big Boi's new Purple Ribbon Label. How did this transition come to be?
Bubba Sparxxx: Basically, it was a situation where Timbaland had a particular vision for Beat Club. He was trying to sign rock bands and do a lot of new stuff. Interscope Records didn't share that vision with him. They wanted him to stay more on the urban side, so when tension arose between those two parties, it affected me because my relationship with Tim, in a business sense, and Interscope. It was really best for everyone to go their separate ways at the end of the day.
BallerStatus.com: What are some of the major differences between Timbaland and Big Boi, both as label heads and producers?
Bubba Sparxxx: Tim is primarily a producer and then an artist. Big Boi is an artist first and then a producer, so obviously their priorities are different. With that said, Big Boi is a little less hands-on, as far as my project goes.
BallerStatus.com: Unlike much of your previous music, the majority of this album isn't produced entirely by Timbaland either. Organized Noise, Big Boi, and others seem to be playing an even stronger role, so how did this greater producer diversity affect the essence of the album?
Bubba Sparxxx: It definitely affected it. I've always worked with Organized Noise. They have always kinda been my foundation. I went in with those guys first, kinda set the tone for what the project would be like, and then we knew how to follow up with other producers. I think that me being from Georgia and growing up with the Organized Noise sound and maturing as an artist, I just have a better understanding of the kinds of records I need to be making.
BallerStatus.com: Speaking of the essence of the album, is there one line or a part of a particular song that you feel best represents the soul of the album?
Bubba Sparxxx: Um... "This is it/ Put the kids to bed and get ya sh-- / A hit's a hit / Off we took, I ain't forget this sh-- / And when you get a hit, we won't even slack a little bit / But yo, I'm getting sick of this banjo and fiddle sh-- / I hit a lick wit it, but now I'm feeling brand new / Time to reinvent again a win again." To me that really captures the essence of how I'm feelin' now.
BallerStatus.com: Other than the new single "Ms. New Booty" with the Ying Yang Twins, do you have any collaborations to speak of on this album?
Bubba Sparxxx: I got Petey Pablo, Sleepy Brown, Frankie J, Yin Yang, Mr. Collipark, Big Boi, and my artist, Dirty Kin. That's about it.
BallerStatus.com: Were any of these collaborations particularly significant to you musically? Possibly because you got to work with them and always wanted to, or just because you respected them?
Bubba Sparxxx: Frankie J. Man, Frankie J is a heavily slept on cat; very heavily slept on. I think he's very talented, so I've been wanting to get with him for a minute.
BallerStatus.com: A while ago the hip-hop scene heard rumors of a few respected Southern MCs (Bubba Sparxxx, Pastor Troy, Rich Boy, and Sean Paul of the Young Bloods,) banding together to form a group by the name of New Money. We even heard a single called "Back in Da Mud," but what ever happened to that?
Bubba Sparxxx: Red tape man! Red tape. We couldn't get everybody cleared. It was originally supposed to be on Arista [Records] and we just couldn't get it cleared. Then, we tried to do it at Interscope, but it was just a big mess. That was also right around the time The Youngbloodz really blew up. And it was a mess, it was just tough.
BallerStatus.com: Is there a possibility of seeing New Money in the future?
Bubba Sparxxx: I'd like to! I mean, I'd really like to, but it was just a moment in time and that's hard to recapture.
BallerStatus.com: A little off topic, but another rumor floating around is that if someone's steak dinner needs some flavor, you are the man to talk to. Is there any truth to this rumor?
Bubba Sparxxx: [laughing] You talking about cooking 'cause you know I'm a chef right?
BallerStatus.com: Were talking about Bubba-Q-Sauce.
Bubba Sparxxx: [laughing] Yeah man, I got the sauce. It's supposed to be a barbeque sauce, but it's great, it goes on everything.
BallerStatus.com: So you're a chef, is there anywhere we could go to sample the cooking of Bubba Sparxxx?
Bubba Sparxxx: Yeah [laughing], my f---in' house man! Naw, but seriously, that's one of my new found passions. I've been all about it for the last couple of years.
BallerStatus.com: Back to rapping. Do you attribute more of your recent success to the fact that your sound as an MC is evolving? Or rather, is it listeners who are evolving, and are now ready to apply their ears to higher quality of music?
Bubba Sparxxx: Both. I mean like, basically, if you just keep presenting evidence [of talent] listeners won't have any choice but to f--- with you. If you just keep hanging around, I just won't go away. I just keep hangin' around and around. The truth is, as long as you continue to make good music, eventually everyone is just gonna want to f--- with you.
BallerStatus.com: Do you like the direction hip-hop is going?
Bubba Sparxxx: I love the fact that the South is having so much success right now, but over all, you just like to see young people from desperate situations get money, no matter what the f---in' critics may say about there particular type of music. At the end of the day, that's the most important component of hip-hop. It allows people to make a living, help their families and help other people from the street to reach a better situation. But, I'd like it to be more. I'd like there to be a little more...honesty in hip-hop. Does that make sense?
BallerStatus.com: Absolutely.
Bubba Sparxxx: Yeah, I'd like to see a little more honesty.
BallerStatus.com: Assuming hip-hop stays on its current path, do you plan to stay faithful to hip-hop no matter what? And drop singles you might not want to in order to stay involved? Or do you see yourself veering away even more to do you own thing?
Bubba Sparxxx: Um, yeah, I think I'm just gonna do my f---in' thing. I mean, I've never been the type of person to really care what going on in music. You know, I listen to it and pay attention and acknowledge trends, but I never been the type of person to say, "These are the type of records that are hot right now, so that's what I'm gonna do."
BallerStatus.com: Finally, what advice would you give a BallerStatus reader or just a striving MC trying to follow a similar path as yourself?
Bubba Sparxxx: Be original man. That's the best advice I can give anyone. There's something unique about you that separates you from every other person born on this world, so make that come across in your music man.
Editorials & Columns Soulstice From France Blog #3: Day 4 Embarking on a 9-show winter tour in Europe, one of my goals was just making it through the tour without getting sick. ... full story
Digg It
Del.icio.us
