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Bubba Sparxxx

Born in LaGrange, GA

Bubba Sparxxx's Genre:

Dirty South, Southern Rap, Rap

Biography

No doubt the first of his kind, Bubba Sparxxx dumbfounded the hip-hop community -- and soon after, the mass market -- when he emerged out of nowhere with Timbaland in late 2001. When his debut single, "Ugly," hit urban radio, it was unmistakably a Timbaland production -- the "Get Ur Freak On" samples being a sort of trademark stamp. This drew initial attention to Sparxxx, who many initially thought of as yet another Dirty South rapper, albeit one lucky enough to be the flagship for Timbaland's start-up Beat Club label. But when the video for "Ugly" hit MTV and Sparxxx's face subsequently began appearing in the press, the dumbfoundment truly set in: Sparxxx was not only from the South but was very large -- and white. In other words, he seemed the antithesis of what a rapper was suppose to be, and similar to the overnight success previous white rappers experienced -- Beastie Boys, Vanilla Ice, Eminem -- Sparxxx was suddenly more than just an anomaly; he was a bona fide superstar.

While Sparxxx's rhymes initially drew attention to the rapper -- and rightfully so -- you can't help but marvel at his story. Yes, he was white and large. But he was also from the backwoods of the South -- about as far from the streets as you could get. Born Warren Anderson Mathis on March 6, 1977, Sparxxx grew up in the country on a dirt road 15 minutes north of LaGrange, GA, a rural town itself 65 miles southwest of Georgia. As you can imagine, he lived a sheltered youth, with his closest neighbor over a half mile away. Yet it was that neighbor, a black kid, who turned him onto rap via mix mailed tapes from New York.

Sparxxx's introduction to rap music was through 2 Live Crew -- a far stretch from Rakim or Grandmaster Flash. It caught his attention, though, and soon Sparxxx began broadening his taste for rap music, taking a particular liking for early-'90s West Coast gangsta rap: N.W.A., Too Short, and Eazy-E. Later, when he discovered Altanta rappers OutKast, Sparxxx knew his interests were moving into the forefront of his mind. He began writing rhymes at age 15 and would battle with fellow rap-minded students at school. His rapping was more of a hobby than a possible profession for Sparxxx at the time, though. Throughout high school, football took precedence over everything else for the young Sparxxx; he played tight end and linebacker, earning All-Region honors as a senior.

When a football career never happened for Sparxxx and a brief stab at college didn't hold his interest, he turned to rap. His break came when he met Shannon Houchins, a staff producer for Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label in Atlanta. In late 1996, Houchins paired Sparxxx with then-So So Def rapper Lil' Devil for a group called One Card Shi. Though the duo did record some material together, it never saw the light of day and Sparxxx began pursuing a solo career, working with Houchins again in 1999 on some songs. These recordings resulted in the 12-song Dark Days, Bright Nights indie release on Sparxxx's own Nocents Records. After moving a surprising number of units after getting radio play in the surrounding Georgia area, Nocents became 11th Hour Entertainment, and the album fell into the lap of Interscope Records head honcho Jimmy Iovine.

Iovine liked what he heard and flew Sparxxx out to California to discuss a label deal. Offers soon came in from a number of labels, and suddenly Sparxxx's breakthrough seemed just on the horizon. He decided to stick with Iovine's Interscope empire and soon found himself working with Timbaland. Over the course of two weeks, the two recorded six songs and Sparxxx also worked with other producers like Organized Noize and Houchins. "Ugly" became the lead single; an all-important video communicating Sparxxx's rural, white, country-boy background hit MTV; the evidence of his breakthrough came when the Interscope version of Dark Days, Bright Nights debuted at number three on the Billboard chart, making him the next in a short list of overnight-superstar white rappers. The follow-up, 2003's Deliverance, was an introspective album that found favor with critics but failed to sway the public. OutKast member Big Boi was a big fan of the album and felt it should have been a hit, and that it was just handled improperly by the label. He came to the rescue by signing Sparxxx to his new Purple Ribbon imprint and releasing the rapper's third album, The Charm, in 2006. ~ Jason Birchmeier

AOL Radio Stations Bubba Sparxxx is Featured on (5)

Chiddy Bang Showcase

This is the Chiddy Bang Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the members of Chiddy Bang including music hand-picked by Chidera and Noah as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Party Hip Hop/R&B

Party Hip-Hop/R&B Radio plays the hottest new and upbeat classic Hip Hop and R&B hits to keep the party going all night long.

'00s Hits

Hits of the 2000s on Slacker brings the best hits that the decade has to offer from 2000 right up to today!

Now THIS Is Music

Now THIS is Music will provide you with hit after hit after hit from the late 90's till now. Everything from the masters of boy bands to your favorite rock ballads, and everything in between. Sultry pop queens, the best MC's, and all the one hit wonders you can take. Now THIS Is Music on Slacker.

Bubba Sparxxx

This station plays the best music from and music from related artists like Da BackWudz, Rated R, Slimm Calhoun, Bourbon Crow, D-Boyz, Nappy Roots, Big Pimp, The Scoundrels, Dirty, Dirty South Divas and more.

All Stations

Bubba Sparxxx's Selected Discography (17)

Deliverance

(C)(P) 2003 Interscope Records200315 Songs

Deliverance

(C)(P) 2003 Interscope Records200315 Songs

Dark Days, Bright Nights

(C)(P) 2001 Beat Club Records/Interscope Records200118 Songs

Ms. New Booty

Ms. New Booty [1 Track]

Artists Related to Bubba Sparxxx (50)

	Da BackWudz	The eccentricity and versatility of Da Backwudz's music place them outside the categorical box of crunk music in the 2000s Southern rap scene -- but not that far.
	Rated R	After about a decade in the game, during which time he progressively built up his name throughout the South, Tampa-based rapper Rated R scored his breakthrough hit with "In Here ta Night," which in turn led to a deal with Universal Records that resulted in his debut album, Da Ghetto Psychic (2003).
	Slimm Calhoun	Hailing from College Park, GA, rapper Slimm Calhoun grew up listening to the groundbreaking hip-hop sounds of Run-D.
	Bourbon Crow
	D-Boyz
	Nappy Roots	Country and proud of it, Nappy Roots formed in 1995 around a sextet of students attending Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.
	Big Pimp
	The Scoundrels	The Scoundrels' brand of hardcore rap and Southern crunk have scored them spots on Billboard's sales charts, even though they have only attained regional exposure through their independent label Invisible Records.
	Dirty	Southern rap duo Dirty signed with Universal Records in late 2000 in the wake of the South's late-'90s emergence as a major force in the rap game, becoming the first major rap act to arise from Alabama.
	Dirty South Divas	A product of Taz's growing Dirty Down Records Lab, the Dirty South Divas is a duo of foul-mouthed female MC's that come from the same Florida scene as sassy gangsta rapper Khia.
	Mo B. Dick
	Big Gipp	An integral member of Goodie Mob, Big Gipp contributed greatly to the pioneering Dirty South group's albums, later embarking on a solo career when the group went on hiatus.
	Bone Collector	Bone Collector are less an actual group than they are the extension of a television show. Outdoorsman Michael Waddell, co-host of the popular Outdoors Channel hunting show Bone Collector, had been offering fan club concerts (called Brotherhood Jams) at the close of a day of hunting, and the idea for an album of hunting songs grew out of those shows.
	Cool Breeze	A product of the same Georgia-based Dungeon Family crew which also gave rise to hip-hop acts including the Goodie Mob and OutKast, rapper Cool Breeze first surfaced during the mid-'90s, appearing on a series of soundtracks including Set It Off and Hoodlum.
	Big Unk
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	Bohagon	Labeling himself as a "country, ghetto poet," Bohagon (born Cedric Leonard) was singled out by the king of crunk, Lil Jon, as a promising Southern rap artist in the late '90s.
	Lenny Cooper	Lenny Cooper's career is aimed squarely at the hillbilly mud-bogging crowd, who like their country mixed in with some urban beats and a little bit of rap, and even Cooper describes himself as an accidental recording artist.
	The Fixxers	Quik(formerly DJ Quik) and AMG, two Compton-based West Coast rap veterans, teamed up in late 2006 to form the Fixxers, an outlet for the pair as MCs and producers.
	Medicine Men
	Dungeon Family	Following the remarkable success of OutKast's Stankonia and its subsequent touring, L.A. Reid at Arista Records gave the Atlanta duo the go-ahead to record as Dungeon Family, a rap supergroup featuring other Atlanta-based affiliates, in hopes of capitalizing on the momentum.
	Backbone	Affiliated with the Atlanta-based Dungeon Family collective -- led by Organized Noize, OutKast, and Goodie Mob -- Backbone emerged with his solo debut in the wake of OutKast's Stankonia-fueled crossover success.
	Moccasin Creek
	Mannie Fresh	He's half of the brains behind the Cash Money label, his productions have moved over 23 million units, and it all started because of a DJ father.
	Sleepy Brown	The influence of the '70s on Atlanta crooner Patrick "Sleepy" Brown is manifested in almost everything he does -- from the soulful and funk-driven textures overlaying his urban hip-hop sound to his taste in sunglasses and pants.
	Acafool	Born to a Haitian-American family in Miami, rapper Acafool grew up surrounded by his mother and his eight sisters, all of whom sang in the church choir, and so even though he studied psychology at college, it made sense that he was interested in music and took classes in studio recording and production, too.
	Kia Shine	Southern producer and rapper Kia Shine, aka Kinfolk Kia Shine, relied on his passion and knack for making catchy beats and hooks to pull himself out of dire situations.
	Witchdoctor	Witchdoctor is an ambitious hip-hop artist from Georgia who blends Afrocentric spirituality, soul, rap, and urban R&B.
	Khujo
	South Coast Coalition
	T-Mo
	Sean P
	G-Spot
	Big Smo
	Stack$
	Organized Noize	During the mid- to late '90s, Organized Noize was the preeminent production crew for Atlanta-area contemporary R&B and rap, crafting chart-topping hits like TLC's "Waterfalls" and En Vogue's "Can't Let Go (Love)" as well as critically acclaimed albums for OutKast and Goodie Mob.
	Dré
	KLC
	Ron Browz	Based out of Harlem, NY, producer Ron Browz was first brought into the studio by a local hero, Big L.
	Mikel Knight
	281 Boyz	The 281 Boyz include numerous rappers from the Dirty South. The collective debuted in 2002 with Chopped and Screwed 2003, an album comprised of previously released songs such as MC Breed's "Gotta Get Mine.
	The Lacs	Fusing the unlikely combination of Southern rap and Southern rock, the Lacs (short for Loud Ass Crackers), have created their own brand of hip-hop which they’ve affectionately dubbed “hick-hop.
	Prime Suspects	During the late-'90s golden era of No Limit Records, Prime Suspects released only one album of their own, Guilty Til Proven Innocent (1998), yet contributed heavily to those of their colleagues: Master P's Ghetto D (1997), C-Murder's Life or Death (1998), and Soulja Slim's Give It 2 'Em Raw (1998), among others.
	Disturbing tha Peace	The Atlanta six-piece Disturbing tha Peace was formed by Shawnna, Lil' Fate, Tity Boi, I-20, and Jay Cee.
	Justin McBride
	Don Vito
	D4L	D4L broke out in 2005 with "Laffy Taffy," one of several crossover tracks released during the early 2000s to inspire revelry as often as contempt, depending on listeners' tolerance for cleverly produced tracks with sharp hooks and crude sexual euphemisms.
	No Good	Starting their collaboration in 1992, rappers Derrick Hill and Tracy Lattimer found themselves working with Luther Campbell as hype men and dancers.
	Buck Mccoy
	Brian "Baby" Williams

All Related Artists

Top Songs by Bubba Sparxxx (50)

Ms. New Booty

4:10

from: Ms. New Booty

Ugly

4:25