By: Sean R. Grogan



"Is The Third Time A Charm?"

You know you're a Redneck when you're the illegitimate offspring of Jeff Foxworthy and Ludacris. And Bubba Sparxxx is as redneck as you can get in the hood. He walks the line on The Charm and exchanges the country twang that made Deliverance so popular with a smooth hip-hop flow in an attempt to reach a broader audience then country generally allows. The result is a record that sounds like a compilation of a variety of hip-hop genres, as the rapper can't seem to decide which part of the scene he'd prefer to join. From slick lyrics and ballads to gangsta bustin' raps, Sparxxx is all over. Some tracks sound like they should be on Eminem's Shady Records while others ring like he overdosed on Lyrics Born. But, despite how campy the record is, it works, partially because in an effort to pump up his street cred as a serious MC, Sparxxx recruited major players like the Ying Yang Twins to chew it up and spit it out on the album. The crunk twins star on first single, "Ms. New Booty," a track guaranteed to be the next club anthem (especially in clubs featuring the talented Bambi and Candy). Though Sparxxx is not quite the serious poet he yearns to be, he's rolling in the right direction. The third time may not be a charm but he's getting close.