It is hard to imagine a rap artist from a rural setting, given the traditionally urban roots of rap. It is even harder for listeners of Warren Anderson Mathis, aka Bubba Sparxxx, to imagine that he is a 24-year-old white male from the country town LaGrange, Ga.
But Sparxxx, with his debut album, "Dark Days, Bright Nights," has set out to break the conventional mold of rap. And, as he states in the 10th track of the album, "Infected," he has no fear of failure -- "I got platinum aspirations."
Born to blue-collar parents Jimmy and June Mathis, Sparxxx had an arduous childhood, during which he took many jobs to help support his four siblings. Sparxxx was first exposed to rap when his neighbor played him a rap tape that he received from a relative in New York. Due to the unpopularity of rap in the south, Sparxxx did not get a chance to listen to many of the upcoming groups of the '80s, such as N.W.A., Too $hort, Eazy-E and Run DMC.
But this lack of exposure only fed his desire to pursue rap and hip-hop. He bounced around a few small groups in his area after high school, but he got his break when a copy of the final song from this debut record got into the hands of an Interscope Records executive. Sparxxx was immediately signed to a record contract, the result of which is his debut album.
"Dark Days, Bright Nights" is an edgy 18-track album with influences of rock, funk, techno and country in addition to rap and hip-hop. Sparxxx's aim is to establish himself as a viable rapper with the highest of ambitions.
The mellow opening song, "Take Off," has the obvious connotation of the beginning of a journey -- "I'm headed to my destiny. Guess how long it takes to get there," sings Sparxxx.
The first single from the album is the Middle Eastern flavored, self-promoting track "Ugly" -- currently sixth on the Billboard Rap Single Chart. The track, which uses samples from Missy Eliot's song "Get Ur Freak On," portrays a lighter, jovial side of Sparxxx -- "If Bubba Sparxxx dies tonight, know he was smiling."
Sparxx is at his best on "Bubba Talk," which was slated to be the original first single of the album. In this song, Sparxxx combines a banjo with samplings of barnyard animals to create an introduction for the listener into his background and way of life. This song, as well as "The First Wutchacallit" serve to convey Sparxxx's belief that he can't be categorized in anyway, that he is unlike any other rapper.
More radical and harder-edged songs like "Twerk a Little" and "Regardless" conjure up comparisons to Eminem, with his harsh brand of rap. In the two songs, Sparxxx essentially lists the crazy -- and often times illegal -- things he has done involving drugs, alcohol and women. Through these proclamations of villainy, Sparxxx screams to the listener, "this is me, no matter how awful I seem."
On the other hand, "Well Water" shows a side of Sparxxx in which he tries to fight for the people of the rural South. The soul-influenced song has a lighter beat than the other tracks on the album.
"I'm only in this for the country folks who never had sh--," proclaims Sparxxx.
The song "Take'm to the Water" (featuring Duddy Ken) displays Sparxxx's versatility as he samples effects to create the feel of an ocean with waves -- serving as the beat -- constantly crashing upon each other. This track, in addition to "All the Same," is Sparxxx's attempt to show similarities between blacks and whites.
Even though Bubba Sparxxx conveys a variety messages in this album, it is obvious that he makes an attempt to bridge the gap between rap and other genres while conveying many ideas about race, his appreciation of the South and even his devotion to God. Given the rapper's unique persona and his even more unique sound, "Dark Days, Bright Nights" and its creator are sure to both garner success.
