#19 - Phil

Bubba Sparxxx

Deliverance

2003

Most people I know think southern white rapper Bubba Sparxxx is a complete joke. They hear his name and all they can think of is him rapping in a pig pen for his first music video, “Ugly.” Because of this, many people resist ever giving his records a chance (I doubt Ryan or Steve would have ever explored this album if I hadn’t made them listen to it), which is sad because he’s actually an incredibly talented artist, rising from the grass roots of rural Georgia to become a legitimate player in the hip-hop industry.

In my opinion, Sparxxx’s sophomore output, Deliverance, is the most underrated rap album of the decade. It sold only 350,000 copies despite being put out by Interscope Records and having hip-hop legend Timbaland behind the production. Again, I believe the reason for this is stated above – people just do not take this man seriously. If they did, they would have heard the second greatest album Timbaland has ever produced, a raw and genuine microscope of Sparxxx’s rural upbringing.

“Jimmy Mathis” is one of the greatest hip-hop beats I have ever heard. It’s the closest thing to bluegrass rap has ever seen, and it’s contagiously addictive to dance to. “She Tried” finds Sparxxx reflecting on cheating on his former fiancé: “One for the pleasure, two for the sin / Three for the family we could’ve been / Had I not been so concerned / With this life, no spoken words / Couldn’t begin to undue what’s done / Deep within I know that you must run / Far away, from the thought of my smile / And the broken dream of us walking down the aisle.” And “Warrant” is an ingenious two-track enactment of Sparxxx making a car getaway from the police. Trust me… this album delivers. -P.W.

I had never heard of this guy. Had I heard of him, I probably wouldn’t have given him a chance if only because of his stupid name. But hey, don’t judge a book buy its cover, right? This is a much better hip hop album than one might think coming from a guy called Bubba Sparxxx. His Southern style is solid and his beats accompanied with Timbaland’s excellent production that utilizes fiddles, harmonicas and acoustics really make this album refreshing. While I was pleasantly surprised by this one, I don’t think it should be higher than an album like “Fishscale.” - Ryan

So Phil has always been trying to push Bubba Sparxxx onto me. I can only see him now, rubbing his hands together, rocking back and forth on the couch, grinning ear-to-ear because he finally found a way to force this one upon me. You've won Phil and I listened to the album. And it's not too bad, not many rappers are like Bubba (maybe for a reason), but at least it has some vision and ingenuity. The production in particular shines as it contains tons of folky acoustic sounds (harmonicas, fiddles, washboards, etc.) atop the deep-synth-buzz beats. Color me impressed with this one Phil. - Steve