Bubba Sparxxx – The Charm (Virgin)

With Timbaland producing only one track here, those signature stand-out Bubba Sparxxx anthems that hit you and never go away, i.e. “Ugly” and “Deliverance” are lacking from this project. Instead, Bubba Sparxxx’s subtle lyricism is made to carry most of the weight of the album.

Pros

• A unique approach to lyricism and storytelling
• Heartfelt rhymes
• compatible guest features like Petey Pablo and Sleepy Brown

Cons

• Overly ambitious tracks
• Appalling production

Description

• Bubba Sparxxx appears to be at home with his Dungeon Family peers
• Bubba offers heartfelt, often accessible rhymes with crisp and melodic delivery
• Songs like “Heat It Up” and “Ms New Booty” fail to live up to Sparxxx’s standards

Guide Review – Bubba Sparxxx – The Charm (Virgin)

Very few rappers have maintained a consistent streak three albums down their catalog. Even heavyweights like Eminem and Jay-Z had trouble delivering quality material on their third outing respectively. In the case of Bubba Sparxxx, there’s a much tougher hill to climb; not only is he still white, his rap style reeks of country, and he’s no longer down with producer extraordinaire, Timbaland. Regardless, the Dungeon Family newbie attempts to turn things around on The Charm.

Granted, Bubba’s new mentor, Big Boi, is a proponent of quality material, he’s no Timothy “Midas” Mosley. Besides the appalling production on “Heat It Up” and “Represent,” soggy ballads (“Runaway”) and pulsating anthems (“Ms New Booty”) eclipse Bubba’s subtle lyricism on gems like “Other Side” and “Ain’t Life Grand.” The third time is a solid try, but definitely not The Charm for Bubba Sparxxx.