Artist: Bubba SparxxxTitle: The CharmRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Nadiyah R. Bradshaw
Warren Anderson Mathis, known to many as Bubba Sparxxx , is trying to cause a fire with his newest effort, The Charm (New South/Purple Ribbon/Virgin). The aptly named title alludes to this album being his third release and, God willing, the album that makes him a household name. Well, Bubba has to hope that the fourth is the lick because this ain’t it. After rolling onto the scene with his comical debut album Dark Days, Bright Nights followed by the respectable Deliverance, both produced by the hit-making factory Timbaland under his Beat Club record label, Bubba has traded his overalls and tractor for a track suit and a Jesus piece and heads back to GA to work with one-half of the uber-duo OutKast, Big Boi. But even with Atlanta’s finest helping, this album still falls flat.
The first single sure to grab mad radio play is the formulaic “Ms. New Booty” featuring the Ying Yang Twins. It’s one of those songs you love to hate but don’t turn off when you hear it. With lyrics like “Get it right, get it right, get it tight…yeah, I’m a country boy but that big city bottom feels me up with joy.” Is as elementary as it gets. The Ying Yang Twins’ chorus will inevitably make you laugh but it won’t make you rush out to cop it. But don’t fret there are some cuts that help to round The Charm out. Without a doubt the best track on the CD is “Ain’t Life Grand” featuring newcomer Scar. A smooth, melodic beat with soft drums immediately grabs your attention and an uplifting chorus completes the smooth groove. He big-ups his new crew the Dungeon Family (DF) and you feel the family heavily influenced this track. Everyone struggling to come up can relate to this song. The road to success comes with many ups and downs and Bubba lets us know it was not easy and it never will be when trying to overcome life’s hurdles.
The production roster is pretty thorough, with the likes of Organized Noize (“As The Rim Spins”) who were pivotal in shaping the DF sound and Timbaland (“Hey! (A Lil Gratitude)”) there are some definite smashes on this album. However, there are also some that could have been left on the cutting room floor, particularly, “The Other Side” featuring Petey Pablo.
Overall, The Charm is decent. There are some definite tracks worth downloading but plenty that are not. Is this effort gonna make Bubba Sparxxx spark? Nah, he’s gonna have to try again, but he’s on to something.
