Make no mistake, with the signing of Bubba Sparxxx, Timbaland wants his Eminem. This won’t be the last time we see a high-profile hip-hop producer employ a white boy to do a black man’s job, after the success of these projects. Thanfully, Timbo decided against getting another whitey of the “wacky” variety, as Bubba is his own persona entirely, but unlike Eminem, he doesn’t have the star power, incredible talent, or humor that has made the angry blonde platinum over and over again. When it all comes down to it, comparing Bubba and Eminem is pretty much like comparing Ludacris to Redman, as the only thing they have in common is their race – but a comparison is only natural, since this was exactly what the record label is looking for when they drew up Bubba’s contracts.
With the success of the ultra catchy “Ugly”, the big question on the public’s musical minds is how well does the Bubba Sparxxx full-length hold up? While Bubba Sparxxx may not have those qualities the other white meat has, he definitely can rap, he’s got a great producer behind him, and overall, his album is pretty good. Obviously, the album’s brightest nights are when Timbaland is manning the boards, with his formulaic, repetitive, but ever infectious Beat Club bangers. “Bubba Talk”, with it’s chopped, sporadic, guitar licks, over an evolving piece of Timbaland brilliance is sure to sell skeptical buyers when it’s thrown out as a single, that is if “Lovely” doesn’t do it first. Each “Get Right” and “Twerk A Little” will also accomplish this same feat, as Bubba spits his playerisms over more wonderful Timbaland production.

The album’s dark days, reserved for its second half, definitely reveal a more introspective side of Bubba, with dank, soulful sounds of Organized Noize. Both “Take’m To The Water” and “Well Water” are most likely more true to Bubba’s signature sound, but after Timbaland has stolen the show, heads might nod off to slower selections like these, as well as the majority of the album’s second half. Still, he has fun on non-Timmy treats such as “All The Same”, where he blurs the lines between black and white, or “Regardless”, where he and C.I. fantasize about going against the grain.

How the public will react to this remains a mystery, as rednecks are not exactly looked at as “cool”, that is unless you like Kid Rock, pro-wrestling and NASCAR races. Not to mention the fact that race relations down south aren’t as good as they are in the video for “Ugly”, it’s questionable if he’ll really get the ghetto pass he strives for. Listening to the Bubba Sparxx album can be a treat at times, as it’s interesting to see the world from his perspective, but if you are anywhere close to New York or Los Angeles, it’s a lot like listening to a House of Pain album if you aren’t Irish. All in all, Bubba Sparxxx is a dope enough emcee to put a few smiles on some faces, while helping shake asses like bad habits, but let’s face it, he was in the white place at the white time. Nevertheless, as Bubba puts it on “This shit’s more than white folks and white thangs / or black folks and black thangs / just bounce if that track bangs”.