Bubba Sparxxx
Bubba Sparxxx | |
|---|---|
| Born | Warren Anderson Mathis March 6, 1977 Troup County, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Hip hop artist |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Known for | "Ugly", "Ms. New Booty" |
Warren Anderson Mathis (born March 6, 1977), professionally recognized as Bubba Sparxxx, is an American hip hop artist. His 2001 hit single, "Ugly" featuring Timbaland, climbed to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which led to a recording deal with Timbaland's Beat Club Records, a subdivision of Interscope Records. His first studio album, Dark Days, Bright Nights (2001), achieved both critical praise and commercial success, reaching number three on the Billboard 200 chart.
His sophomore album, Deliverance (2003), was met with strong critical reception. The third release, The Charm (2006), issued through Big Boi's Purple Ribbon Records, an imprint under Virgin Records, included the track "Ms. New Booty" featuring Ying Yang Twins and Mr. Collipark, which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. This project marked his last major-label album before he transitioned toward a focus on the country rap style.
Early life
Raised in rural Troup County, Georgia, near LaGrange, Mathis is of French ancestry. His father worked as a school bus driver while his mother was employed as a grocery store cashier. His introduction to rap music came through mixtapes from New York City shared by a neighbor. Initially drawn to hip hop via groups like 2 Live Crew, he later embraced West Coast gangsta rap artists such as N.W.A and Too Short, along with Atlanta-based group Outkast. Although rapping was initially a pastime, he excelled athletically in high school football playing tight end and linebacker positions, earning All-Region recognition during his senior year. Among his teammates was future NFL offensive lineman Steve Herndon. In 2007, Mathis moved to Tampa, Florida.
Career
In 1996, Mathis relocated to Athens, where he caught the attention of industry professional Bobby Stamps, who subsequently introduced him to Atlanta producer Shannon Houchins.
Together, Houchins and Stamps helmed the production of Sparxxx's debut commercial album, Dark Days, Bright Nights, released in 2001. The record achieved regional popularity and attracted the interest of Jimmy Iovine from Interscope Records, resulting in Sparxxx signing with Interscope. He collaborated with producers Timbaland and Organized Noize, alongside Houchins. The album's major-label re-release under Timbaland's Beat Club Records debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.
In 2002, Sparxxx appeared on Archie Eversole's track "We Ready," which gained popularity at sports venues. His follow-up album, Deliverance (2003), earned critical acclaim but did not meet commercial expectations.
After signing with Virgin Records in 2004, he released The Charm, featuring singles such as "Ms. New Booty" and "Heat It Up". Subsequently, he established his own imprint, New South Entertainment, distributed by E1 Records, through which he released the mixtape Survive Till Ya Thrive in 2007.
In 2012, Sparxxx joined Backroad Records—a division of Average Joes Entertainment owned by Shannon Houchins and Colt Ford. He contributed the song "Country Boy Coolin'" to the compilation Mud Digger Vol. 3 and prepared for the release of the album Miracle on Gamble Road.
During 2013, he unveiled music videos for "Splinter" featuring Crucifix and "Country Folks" featuring Danny Boone and Colt Ford; both were produced by Houchins. His album Pain Management was released on October 15, 2013.
In March 2016, Sparxxx signed with Slumerican, the label founded by Yelawolf. On October 7 of that year, he put out The Bubba Mathis EP. This was followed by his album Rapper From The Country, released September 16, 2018 via New South Entertainment (E1).
On November 11, 2020, Sparxxx dropped the EP Crickets in collaboration with Hosier. Shortly after, on December 4, he released his seventh studio album King of Crap through New South Entertainment featuring the single "Bird Dawg". In May 2021, WorldStarHipHop premiered the official music video for "Bird Dawg".
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Rankings | Certifications (sales criteria) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
US Rap |
US Country |
NZ | |||
| Dark Days, Bright Nights |
|
3 | 3 | — | — | — |
|
| Deliverance |
|
10 | 9 | — | — | 30 | |
| The Charm |
|
9 | 3 | 2 | — | — | |
| Pain Management |
|
— | — | — | 40 | — | |
| Made on McCosh Mill Road |
|
— | — | — | 49 | — | |
| Rapper From the Country |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |
| King of Crap |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |
| Life Is Serious (Deluxe) (with Los Ghost) |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |
Mixtapes
| Title | Details and Release Information |
|---|---|
| Survive Till Ya Thrive | Released on August 17, 2007,
Label: Not specified |
EPs
- The Bubba Mathis EP (2015)
- Crap Gawd (2021)
Collaborative EPs
- Crickets (with Hosier) (2020)
- Life Is Serious (with Los Ghost) (2021)
Singles
colspan=9 style='font-size:90%'|'–' indicates titles that did not chart or receive certification.| Year | Song Title | Highest Chart Positions | Certifications | Album Name | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
US Rap |
UK |
NZ | |||||
| 2001 | "Ugly" (feat. Timbaland) |
15 | 6 | 6 | 7 | — | rowspan=2 | Dark Days, Bright Nights | ||
| "Lovely" | — | 77 | — | 24 | — | ||||
| 2003 | "Jimmy Mathis" | — | 98 | — | — | — | rowspan=3 |Deliverance | ||
| "Deliverance" (feat. Timbaland) |
101 | 107 | 22 | 55 | — | ||||
| "Back in the Mud" | — | — | — | — | 3 | ||||
| 2005 | "Hey! (A Lil' Gratitude)" | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan=4|'The Charm' | ||
| "The Otherside" (feat. Petey Pablo and Sleepy Brown) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Ms. New Booty" (feat. Ying Yang Twins and Mr. ColliPark) |
7 | 7 | 3 | ||||||
| |||||||||
| 2006 | style="text-align:left;"|"Heat It Up" | 103 | 57 | 24 | — | — | |||
| rowspan=2 | 2008 | style="text-align:left;"|"I Like It Alot" | — | — | — | — | — | Best of Bubba Sparxxx | |
| style="text-align:left;"|"She Got Me Like (Ahh Shit)" (feat. Ray J) |
— | — | — | — | — | rowspan=2|'The New South' | |||
| 2009 | style="text-align:left;"|"Beatin Down the Block" (feat. Dirt Reynolds) |
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2012 | style="text-align:left;"|"Country Folks" (feat. Danny Boone and Colt Ford) |
— | — | — | — | — |
|
rowspan=2|'Pain Management' | |
| 2013 | style="text-align:left;"|"Splinter" (feat. Crucifix) |
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2014 | style="text-align:left;"|"Made On McCosh Mill Rd." (feat. Danny Boone) |
— | — | — | — | — | 'Made On McCosh Mill Road' | ||
Guest singles
| Year | Title | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "They Ain't Ready" | Jadakiss, Timbaland | Ryde or Die Vol. 3: In the "R" We Trust |
| 2002 | "We Ready (Remix)" | Archie Eversole | Ride wit Me Dirty South Style |
| 2012 | "Wylin'" | The Lacs | 190 Proof |
Guest appearances
| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Rearranged (Timbaland Remix)" | Limp Bizkit | New Old Songs | ||||||||||||
| "Bubba Talk" | — | The Wash (soundtrack) | |||||||||||||
| "White Gutz" | Dungeon Family | Even in Darkness | |||||||||||||
| 2002 | "PHDream" | The Crystal Method | Blade II (soundtrack) | ||||||||||||
| "Oh My God" | Haystak | The Natural | |||||||||||||
| "Hungry" | — | Undisputed (soundtrack) | |||||||||||||
| "Oops (Oh My) [Amended Version]" | Tweet | single | |||||||||||||
| "Right for Me" | Justin Timberlake | Justified | |||||||||||||
| 2003 | "Club Hoppin'" | Jamelia | Thank You | ||||||||||||
| "Dat Look" | Turk | Raw & Uncut | |||||||||||||
| "Shenanigans" | Timbaland & Magoo | Under Construction, Part II | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | "Get on Dis Motorcycle" | Petey Pablo | Still Writing in My Diary: 2nd Entry | ||||||||||||
| 2005 | "Oh No" | Big Boi, Killer Mike | xXx: State of the Union (soundtrack) | ||||||||||||
| "Claremont Lounge" | Purple Ribbon All-Stars | Got Purp? Vol. 2 | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | "This Is Our Song" (Remix) | Colt Ford, The Lacs, Demun Jones, Rehab | Mud Digger Vol. 2 | ||||||||||||
| 2012 | "Show Some Skin" | Lil Wyte | Still Doubted | ||||||||||||
| "Wylin" | The Lacs | 190 Proof | |||||||||||||
| "The Labyrinth" | Crystal Seth | District XXIII | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | "Project X" | Shane Dollar and the Sense + Wody | Life, Love, and Hip Hop | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | "Outlaw" | Shane Dollar |
-"Baby Wussup" |
Ricky Young | Feels Damn Good |
- |
"Try Harder Than That" | Meghan Linsey |
- |
2016 | "Take a Ride With Me" | Twang & Round | Take A Ride With Me | ||
| 2017 | "Born in Fire" | Boondox with Jamie Spaniolo & Struggle | The Murder | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | "Beautiful Day" | Mike Smith and Jonathan Hay | Jail Tattoos | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | "Chrome on the Wheels" | Landon Sears and Young Buck | All Men Lie |
Video game appearances
Bubba Sparxxx appears as a playable character in the video game Def Jam: Fight for NY.