S. Samuel
With artists like Dr. Dre recently discusses plans to hang up the microphone, SOHH hit up re-emerging artist Bubba Sparxxx to get his take on hip-hop retirement.
Despite his passion for rap, Bubba said he does not envision himself following the same path as artists like Ice Cube and Jay-Z by dropping new music after age 40.
“I’m really more on that [A&R] stage these days,” Bubba told SOHH when asked about his views on retiring from rap. “Music is just something that I enjoy doing and I have a lot of fans, I really do. I have a lot of fans that really support me and have been wondering where I’ve been and they want to hear something from me. I still enjoy making music but I don’t feel any pressure to make [music] to provide financially. I’ll never say never, but I don’t think I’ll be making music in my 40’s. Dr. Dre is about to put out an album now but he hadn’t put out an album in ten years. So he was in his 30’s the last time he put out something, and I will never say never, but I think I’ll be in a different [state of mind]. I’m in my early 30’s now and I feel like I’m already at such a different place and I know the spirit travels in cycles, but just for me, myself, I don’t see me doing music into my 40’s. Maybe up until my 40’s.” (SOHH)
Recently, Dr. Dre said he saw the upcoming release of his next solo album, Detox, being his final benchmark as an emcee.
“I don’t ever see myself retiring totally from music, because I have a genuine love and passion for it,” he said. “But as far as me going into the mic booth, that sh*t is over. I’m always going to talent scout and try to find new artists to work with. But, yeah, that’s it. I don’t see myself doing it the way I’m doing it now. I’m in the studio at least five or six days a week for 16, 18 hours. I think I’m going to back off a little bit and spend some time with the family.” (XXL Mag)
Earlier this year, The LOX’s Styles P opened up about wanting to eventually evolve from rapping.
“I’m still in the [rap] game but eventually I gotta pass the baton but eventually I’ll be out of the relay. It’ll be all on them and I can just spot check when I want to. I think a lot of rappers and emcees forget to pass the torch and open the door for other people. So when I do do that and I’m not playing the whole game, I wanna do something where I ‘can’ play the whole game — around six, seven more years so I can relax and do the whole book thing…” (Mr. Peter Parker)
Sparxxx’s career was sparked by the release his 2001 Timbaland-produced hit, “Ugly.”
No doubt the first of his kind, Bubba Sparxxx dumbfounded the hip-hop community — and soon after, the mass market — when he emerged out of nowhere with Timbaland in late 2001. When his debut single, “Ugly,” hit urban radio, it was unmistakably a Timbaland production — the “Get Ur Freak On” samples being a sort of trademark stamp. This drew initial attention to Sparxxx, who many initially thought of as yet another Dirty South rapper, albeit one lucky enough to be the flagship for Timbaland’s start-up Beat Club label. (All Music)
Since 2001’s Dark Days, Bright Nights debut, Bubba Sparxxx has released Deliverance (2003), The Charm (2006) and his Miracle On Gamble Road EP (2010).
Check out Bubba Sparxxx’s “Ugly” below:
