Interview w/ Bubba Sparxxx!
We we're recently able to sit down with rap star Bubba Sparxxx while in his Tampa, FL studio, Twice on Sunday. Here is what he had to say about his new album, and where he thinks the music industry is going.
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So what’s been going on Bubba, how you been? Been good man, been good, been working man, moved from Atlanta to Tampa about a year and a half ago, just been working man, built the studio down here, Twice on Sunday, me and my partner Dave, and uh, just been working on the new album, Impolite Gentleman, be in stores late September early October. Put out a mix tape, um, called Survive till you Thrive, we’re in the process of getting the label off the ground. Got my artist Dirt Reynolds, who’s been down with the camp, still doing his thing. Messing with Petey P-Rine; cat from down here, from south Dade County. Then we got a deal in the works, we’re about to do something real big with Pappa Duck from down here man. He’s ready to get down with the camp, so we gonna make some major things happen with him. So we excited man, 08’s been good and it’s gonna get better on into 09. So the recent single is I Like it A Lot, what’s that been doing? It’s starting to pick up at radio man, and we’re feeling good about it. We’re getting ready to shoot a video. We’re independent over at Koch, using Koch as distribution right now so, about to shoot the video, and get some spins on the record, and its growing man. |
And this is the first release on your label New South Entertainment right?
Yea, well my last album was on New South slash Purple Rhythm, with Big Boi. But this is my, my first effort completely solo, so I’m kinda having to spread my wings and fly man. I studied under some great people, from Timbaland, Big Boi, Rico Wade, Organized Noise, Polo la Don’s been my brother for the longest tune, and I had the chance to be around a lot of great people. Jimmy Iovine, I worked with Jermaine Dupri over at Virgin, and uh, I’m getting a chance to apply all that knowledge first hand with what I’m doing now.
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So how did you and Koch get together, how did you guys decide to do this together? Basically we we’re on Virgin, and I wasn’t happy with how Virgin Records had handled my last album, The Charm; had the biggest record of my career but that album sold the least of any album that I’ve put out. And that doesn’t add up. So we were pretty unhappy in the situation, and then Jermaine Dupri left Virgin, he was the head of urban music at Virgin, and he left. So we knew we were in a place we didn’t want to be at anymore. So Alan G, the head of Koch had been trying to get at us for awhile, and uh we knew that was where we wanted to end up, but we just had to handle the red tape getting off Virgin. Then we explored, we talked to some other major labels, but we just felt the climate, due to the temperature of the game right now, the only reason an artist would want to be on a major is because it appears a little more sexy, know what I’m saying? Koch is, does major label things, they’ve handled themselves in a way as classy as any major I’ve been associated with. |
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So I heard one of your new tracks with Joel Madden on your MySpace, is that going to be on your new album?
Yea that’s gonna be on the new album.
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Is there any other special appearance people are going to look forward to? Dirt Reynolds will be on the album, Pappa Duck, Petey Piran, I might do something with Frankie J, he was on my last album. But as far as artists, Rich Boy might be on the album. But production man, I got an all star team man. I got Organized Noise, Mr. Collipark, I got Polo La Don, I got the Super Daves, which is a new production team I just signed down here; my boy Dave, and another cat David Bowes. Um, who else, this cat Actual out of Atlanta did some tracks on the new album, my boy J.E. out of St. Louis, produced a ton of Nelly’s hits. Timbaland, I’m getting something from Timbaland, I’m real excited about that man, it’s always important for me, to have him be a part of the project, each project, cause he really is my original mentor. I don’t want to leave anybody out as far as producers I work with, but I’m sure I’m leaving someone out, but I love them and I’m sorry.
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So you and Timbaland are still tight obviously?
Yea man, we’re real cool. We went a long time with out speaking; I knew it was always love. We went about a year not talking, and I just went down to Miami and spent about a week with him a couple of weeks ago, and it was great.
So you’re originally from G.A., LaGrange right?
LaGrange, Georgia
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What made you move down here a year ago, what was Tampa, what was it offering you? Man, I just wanted a change of scenery. You know I’ve lived in Georgia my whole life, and I will always belong to Georgia, but I just wanted a change of scenery man. I always had a good time every time I come to Tampa, and I just wanted a breath of fresh air, and Tampa was the right spot man. So you guys opened your studio here obviously, how much of the actual album was recorded at Twice on Sunday studios? I’d say about half, about half the album was recorded here, and the rest I did up in Atlanta. And you said that was going out in September right? Late September early October |
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When you do go back home, you know to the people you grew up with, what’s there take, do they change, are they like it’s Bubba Sparxxx, he’s back, or is it still a hometown?
The people that were really down, the people who were really close, nothing changes man. But you know, the people who were on the fringe, who were somewhat cool with you, or you just kind of knew, more such acquaintances, they might change up a little bit. But I don’t change man, I’m not a variable man, I’m consistent. Sometimes people just expect you to change, so that makes them change the way they perceive you.
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What’s your take on the state of the music industry right now, analysts are going back and forth saying music is going downhill, it’s going up, where do you think its going? It’s pretty much just like every other time man. I think the internet is, personally I despise the internet, I think it’s just made the world smaller. I think it’s so hard to amaze people anymore cause everything is so accessible on the internet. I mean the obvious impact it has made on the music industry, but to the world in general, I think it’s just made things so close to you, and at a fingers touch that nothing, nothings exciting to people anymore. Going and traveling to places, and doing this and doing that just isn’t exciting anymore because it’s so accessible to you on the internet. But as far as the state of music, there’s a lot of garbage, and then there’s people who are doing good things, so, I don’t know, I think that’s always been the case, it’s all dictated by the fans. What ever the fans like are what people are going to do. |
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Speaking of the internet, that’s the way people are getting their new tracks out real quick, do you see CD releases stopping and it all going to the internet? Possibly; yea. I think, T-Pain actually told me this a couple weeks ago. In 5 years he doesn’t think there will be any record stores, he thinks it will just all be handled digitally, and he’s got a valid point, it could very well be the case. I know you’re a busy man, your always traveling, you were in Cali or something the last week, what do you take on the road with you to keep you sane, what do you need at all times? My laptop, you know my laptop, and I just stay prayed up. I hit my knees every morning, hit my knees every night, thank the man above man for what I got, and just try and stay focused. That’s pretty much all we got, we thank you very much Just be on the look out late September, early October, Impolite Gentlemen, it’s my most complete album yet. My first album that I put together from beginning to end completely on my own, so I’m excited about it. If you’re a Bubba Sparxxx supporter I’m not going to let you down, if you’re on the fence, fuck with me! |
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To visit Bubba Sparxxx's MySpace page click here
By. Drew Zambrano
