Bubba Sparxxx

Sparxxx negotiates his blue-collar background with his stature as the South's premier Caucasian emcee (sorry, Paul Wall), delivering rhymes that range from introspective identity meditations ("Nowhere") to quirky bursts of bravado ("Deliverance") to narratives that nod towards Mississippi Delta mythology ("She Tried"). Bluesy and blustery, Bubba is at his best.

For the mountains above and the mud below--especially the mud below ("Comin' Round," "Take a Load Off"). (Grade - ***)