| The Charm | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 4, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | 2005–2006 | |||
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| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 45:58 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Bubba Sparxxx chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Charm | ||||
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The Charm is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artistBubba Sparxxx fromGeorgia. It was released on April 4, 2006 viaPurple Ribbon Records andVirgin Records, a follow-up toDeliverance. Unlike the previous installments, it is the first album to have very little input fromTimbaland, with production being handled and provided byMr. Collipark andOrganized Noize, andBig Boi serving asexecutive producer on the album. The guest appearances featured on the album were fellow rappersCool Breeze,Petey Pablo, Duddy Ken,Killer Mike and theYing Yang Twins, and singersFrankie J, Scar andSleepy Brown.
The album received a generally positive reception but critics found it uneven in its amalgam of mainstream hip-hop songs and serious internal tracks.The Charm debuted at number 9 on theBillboard 200 with 51,000 copies sold in its first week released[1] and spawned twosingles: "Ms. New Booty" and "Heat It Up".
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 66/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| The A.V. Club | A−[4] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[5] |
| Los Angeles Times | [6] |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10[7] |
| PopMatters |  [8] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| Stylus Magazine | B[11] |
| Vibe | [12] |
The Charm garnered favorable reviews butmusic critics were divided by Bubba's decision to leave Timbaland for Big Boi and change his production and lyrical content. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received anaverage score of 66, based on 18 reviews.[2]
Nathan Rabin ofThe A.V. Club praised the production work from Organized Noize and Bubba for still being able to deliver strong philosophical lyrics with bits of humor in them, concluding that "Sparxxx will probably never move enough units to justify his early billing as rap's next great white hope, but creatively, he continues to exceed even the loftiest expectations".[4] Soren Baker of theLos Angeles Times also praised Organized Noize's production for making Bubba sound commercially viable while allowing him to add more lyrical depth to his repertoire.[6] Justin Cober-Lake ofStylus Magazine felt that the change in production fromDeliverance didn't hamper Bubba's ability to continue delivering aggressive lyricism over club tracks.[11]
Pitchfork writer Tom Breihan, despite finding some tracks that demean women, praised the upbeat and energetic production for allowing Bubba to lace them with introspective lyrics and funny punchlines, concluding that he "wants to become a pop star, and he probably won't succeed, but he hasn't lost his heart".[7] Justin Monroe ofVibe said that despite mainstream tracks like "Run Away" and "Ms. New Booty", Bubba maintains his tendency to bring sharp lyricism to his rhymes, concluding that "While his hedged bets reduce both risk and reward, his rural raps restore at least some of the magic inThe Charm".[12] Steve 'Flash' Juon ofRapReviews felt a little disappointed with the album, finding most of the material filled with either both strong production and tight lyricism or sub-standard beats and deflated delivery, concluding that "Bubba still has that potential and does come with some good tracks, but it's a short album you can finish in under an hour that compared to his prior works sounds and feels vaguely unsatisfying".[9]
Michael Endelman ofEntertainment Weekly was mixed towards the record, saying that crunk tracks like "Ms. New Booty" dour the experience after tracks like "Ain't Life Grand" exhibit Bubba's true talents as a rapper.[5] Jeff Vrabel ofPopMatters felt that the lack of Timbaland and presence of Big Boi as executive producer throughout the album allowed for dull and meandering beats for Bubba to use to deliver uninspired brag raps without any creativity, calling it "one of year's most disappointing belly-flops".[8] Peter Relic ofRolling Stone criticized the record's production and Bubba's lyricism for feeling generic and lacking in charm like his previous efforts, concluding that "Though newly aligned with Big Boi'sPurple Ribbon stable, Bubba Sparxxx appears only able to follow for now".[10]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Represent" | Organized Noize | 3:36 | |
| 2. | "Heat It Up" |
| Mr. Collipark | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Claremont Lounge" (featuringKiller Mike andCool Breeze) |
| Organized Noize | 4:08 |
| 4. | "As the Rim Spins" |
| Organized Noize | 2:59 |
| 5. | "That Man" (featuringSleepy Brown and Duddy Ken) |
|
| 3:53 |
| 6. | "The Otherside" (featuringPetey Pablo and Sleepy Brown) |
| Organized Noize | 3:57 |
| 7. | "Ain't Life Grand" (featuring Scar) |
| Big Boi | 4:47 |
| 8. | "Run Away" (featuringFrankie J) |
|
| 4:00 |
| 9. | "Wonderful" |
| Organized Noize | 3:43 |
| 10. | "Ms. New Booty" (featuringYing Yang Twins and Mr. Collipark) |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:40 |
| 11. | "Hey! (A Lil' Gratitude)" |
| Timbaland | 3:59 |
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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Bubba Sparxxx – The Charm atDiscogs (list of releases)
