Eagle News: Do you change up your set, based on the audience? In what way?
Bubba Sparxxx: Yes I do, absolutely. Well, especially if I go into a pop, contemporary crowd, I’ll go with up-tempo stuff, basically based on my past. But as far as my tours, what I’m doing right now a lot of times is more countryleaning stuff. I do all my hits, but I do new stuff, but more the country-related stuff.
EN: I know all the performers here tonight are Southern-based—
Sparxxx: Yeah, but Southern doesn’t always equal country.
EN: Right. I’m curious how different artists have influenced you.
Sparxxx: Well, I’ll tell you, both of these artists here have influenced me. Juicy J and all of Three Six Mafia’s stuff I grew up on. And Ludacris is probably the same generation, as far as emerging from out of Georgia around the same time… I spent ten minutes talking with Luda, and we just reiterated how we believe in a lot of the same things, musically. But, I just happen to come from a lot more country culture – he grew up in Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio, you know. I grew up in LaGrange, Georgia. I’m a country-ass dude, now. Real country, like, not just the concept or idea. I grew up hunting and fishing in LaGrange, but I just love hip-hop music. So, that shines through in the music. EN: You had your big break out in, 2007, was it?
Sparxxx: 2001. I had my first number one record in 2001, which was “Ugly.” My second number one was “Ms. New Booty,” which was 2007. EN: Coming off of those, where did you feel like you had to go from there?
Sparxxx: Well, at that time, I so addicted to drugs, that it didn’t really matter where I went, you know what I mean? I had to go through a lot of personal soul-searching around that time. Had to stop doing drugs, and that’s what I did. Like, I went to rehab and just got off drugs. I still drink. I’m pretty drunk right now. I actually reached the point where drugs have no purpose in my life. That’s what went on around that time.
EN: So, having conquered those demons, where do you see yourself going now?
Sparxxx: I just put out an album, Oct. 15, “Pain Management.” That debuted in the “Top 40” in both the hip-hop and country charts, because the label I’m signed with is out of Nashville. I just think that honestly, I’ve got a new video, “Country Folks” with Colt Ford, that, in less than three months, it’s got like, 800 thousand views. It’s going back to what my second album was about, “Deliverance,” which was very, very country-centric—
EN: Well, with a name like “Deliverence—”
Sparxxx: Exactly. So, that’s the direction I’m going in. I’m going all the way country. You know, keeping with hip-hop. Hip-hop will always be attached to my hip, but I’m going in the country direction.
EN: So, getting back you your roots, but keeping the influences you’ve picked up.
Sparxxx: Absolutely. I’ll never stop being hiphop, first. If I’m country, or urban, or whatever, I’m hiphop, first.