Bubba Sparxxx

The straight country rapper known as Bubba Sparxxx is back with his third offering, The Charm. While Bubba has shown us from time to time that he can create a unique and infectiously catchy song (see "Ugly" and his current hit "Ms. New Booty"), The Charm strays away from the formula just long enough to make the album feel disjointed and Bubba completely out of place.

The Charm begins with four really strong tracks. From the rugged "Represent" and Ying Yanged "Ms. New Booty" to the soulful "The Otherside" featuring Petey Pablo and Sleepy Brown, the themes of pimpin', partying, and southern life allow Bubba to remain in his element. It is on tracks like the "Gangsta's Paradise" influenced "That Man," the overly sentimental "Aint Life Grand" and "Run Away" that Bubba's desire to expand as an artist should remind listeners how limited his range really is. Picture Bubba on a pristinely white beach, waves splashing in the back ground, all while pouring out his heart, and you begin to get an idea of how out of place "Run Away" sounds in this set.

The major problem with The Charm isn't the production, but the lyrics. On the opening track, Bubba has an absurd line that asserts that most people weren't feeling Biggie until he died. Even if that statement were true, which it isn't, there is no context for this line. He often seems to rhyme, as Chuck D would say, for the sake of riddling. The album picks up with the classically tuned Timbaland joint "Hey! (A Lil Gratitude)", but not enough to save it from suffering from a lack of focus. If the disc had been shorter or included more tracks on the variety of "Ms. New Booty," Bubba might have given us an album comparable to what other southern MCs are putting out; instead, the "Charm"-ing beginning fades away quickly into collage of unmemorable been-there, done-that tracks. -- Jason Kordich

Southern rapper Bubba Sparxxx must have taken the non-response to his 2003 album, the introspective Deliverance, to heart. He's moved out of the Timbaland camp -- although the producer does make an appearance on the infectious "Hey!" -- and into Big Boi's Purple Ribbon crew for his third release, the well-rounded, just-short-of-excellent Charm. Club bangers like the catchy "Ms. New Booty" with Ying Yang Twins are plentiful and there's a great amount of flash and polish, all wrapped up in a tight package with one major exception. After a steady stream of driven numbers that justify this chart-hungrier style for Bubba, the too-sweet, too-sugary "Run Away" sounds American Idol clean as it begs to get a taste of the mainstream. Making up for this is the bouncy and bright "Wonderful," the tense "Otherside" with Petey Pablo, and the low-riding "Claremont Lounge," which brings to mind the great Deliverance with its deep Organized Noize-provided beat. Deliverance is still his great album, but it didn't work so well on the weekend. The Charm, on the other hand, does as it good-times Bubba back into the collective consciousness. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide