Warren Anderson Mathis (born March 6, 1977), better known by his stage name Bubba Sparxxx, is an American rapper. His 2001 single, "Ugly" (featuring Timbaland) peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and led him to sign with Timbaland's Beat Club Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Dark Days, Bright Nights (2001). Met with critical and commercial success, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.
Mathis grew up in Troup County, Georgia in a rural area near LaGrange, Georgia. He is of French descent.[1] His father was a school bus driver and his mother was a grocery store cashier.[2] His closest neighbor, who lived half a mile (0.8 km) away, introduced him to rap music through mixtapes mailed from New York City. The music of 2 Live Crew was his introduction to hip hop; he began listening to West Coast gangsta rap such as N.W.A and Too Short and the Atlanta duo Outkast. With rapping as a hobby, he was a tight end and linebacker for his high school's football team and earned All-Region honors in his senior year.[1]Steve Herndon, a former offensive lineman for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos, played football with him during high school, according to an interview with Down-South.com.[1][2] In 2007, he moved to Tampa, Florida.[3]
Career
In 1996, he moved to Athens, Georgia where he met industry veteran Bobby Stamps. Stamps noticed him rapping after a University of Georgia football game and later introduced him to Atlanta producer Shannon Houchins.
Bubba Sparxxx in 2002
For two years, Houchins and Stamps worked together to produce Sparxxx's first commercial release, Dark Days, Bright Nights, which released in 2001. The debut album saw some success in Georgia and caught the attention of Jimmy Iovine of Interscope Records. Sparxxx signed to Interscope and began working with record producers Timbaland and Organized Noize, as well as continuing to work with Shannon Houchins.[1] The major-label reissue of Dark Days, Bright Nights, released via Timbaland's Beat Club Records imprint and which now included five collaborations with Timbaland and two with Organized Noise, debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200.
In 2002, he had a minor hit being featured on Archie Eversole's "We Ready", which became popular for being played at sporting events, such as American football and basketball games. In late 2003, he returned with his second album, Deliverance, which was critically acclaimed but sold poorly.[1]
Sparxxx signed a recording contract with Virgin Records in 2004; under Virgin, Sparxxx released The Charm with singles "Ms. New Booty" and "Heat It Up".
Bubba Sparxxx performing in 2010
He left Virgin to establish his own label, New South Entertainment, which is distributed by E1 Records. In 2007, he released a mixtape with DJ Burn One titled Survive Till Ya Thrive.
In 2012, he signed to Backroad Records, a subsidiary of the independent label Average Joes Entertainment owned by Shannon Houchins and Colt Ford, and recorded the song "Country Boy Coolin'" which was featured on Mud Digger Vol. 3, a compilation album released by Average Joe's on June 12, 2012. He stated in an interview that he planned on releasing an album to be called Miracle on Gamble Road, in 2012.
In January 2013, Sparxxx released the video "Splinter" which featured Crucifix. In July 2013, a video for his single "Country Folks", which features Danny Boone of the band Rehab and Colt Ford and produced by Houchins, was released.[4] The album Pain Management was released on October 15, 2013.
In March 2016, Sparxxx signed to Yelawolf's Slumerican records imprint.[5] On October 7, 2016, Sparxxx released his first release under Slumerican The Bubba Mathis EP.[6] Sparxxx released Rapper From The Country on September 16, 2018, through New South Entertainment (E1).[7]
On November 11, 2020, Sparxxx released an EP, Crickets with Hosier. On December 4, 2020, Sparxxx released his seventh album King of Crap through New South Entertainment which had the single "Bird Dawg". In May 2021, WORLDSTARHIPHOP released a video for "Bird Dawg".
