Bubba Sparxxx

There's the Dirty South, and then there's just the good ol' South. With his 2001 hit "Ugly," Albany, Georgia's Bubba Sparxxx represented hip-hop for every Skoal-chewing Southerner who drove a John Deere and loved 2Pac. With production duties on his first two albums handled by Timbaland, Sparxxx arrived with built-in credibility; however, his skilled flow and authentic persona proved that he was more than just a novelty. In 2006, Sparxxx teamed up with Outkast's production squad, Organized Noize, for the album THE CHARM, released on Big Boi's own Purple Ribbon label.

• pop
• hip hop/rap