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- [00:00]
Danielle Fishel
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Bubba Sparks
Guaranteed Human Amazon Health AI presents painful
- [00:08]
Danielle Fishel
thoughts why did I search the Internet for answers to my cold sore problem? Now I'm stuck down a rabbit hole filled with images of alarmingly graphic sores in various stages of ooze. I can clear my search history, but I can never unsee that.
- [00:27]
Bubba Sparks
Don't go down the rabbit hole. Amazon Health AI gets you the right care fast. Healthcare just got less painful. Pool days call for cookouts and lots of laundry. This Memorial Day at Lowe's, save $80 on a Char Broil Performance Series 4 burner gas grill. Now just $199 plus get up to 45% off. Select major appliances to keep dishes, clothes and food fresh. Having fun in the sun is easy with us in your corner. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's, valid through 527, while supplies last selection varies by location. See associate or lowe's.com for details. What's up y'? All? Summer's got a different tempo. Everything's a little looser, brighter. One plan turns into another. You hear something, you stay a little longer. Next thing you know, you're somewhere you didn't plan to be. It's those in between moments. That's where the ideas hit. Conversations stretch out. Little memories sneak up on you. Sometimes it's just about what's in your hand. That color, that chill. The new Tropical Butterfly Refresher from Starbucks. Guava and passion fruit flavors with mango pineapple flavored pearls. Yeah, that feels like summer before you even taste it. Funny how one small stop becomes the best part of the day. Start your summer rhythm with Starbucks. Try the new Tropical Butterfly Refresher from Starbucks.
- [01:55]
Kal Penn
Hey everyone, it's Kal Penn. I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with my podcast, Hearsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Every episode I nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks available on Audible. It's the book club for your ears. Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or
- [02:19]
Bubba Sparks
wherever you get your podcasts. Give me money for cigarettes. I'll never leave your filthy bed. I stay the night and one night we can. Two or three years. The kids are not all right. But that's okay cause no one here is take me.
- [02:51]
Danielle Fishel
Hello and welcome to another installment of Teen Beat. I am your host, Danielle Fishel. Continuing to talk to interesting people who do interesting things. All about how their teenage years shaped who they are. Today. Remember getting your ears pierced at Claire's, picking up some Z Cavaricis from Merry Go Round? Or just hoping it's pizza day at the cafeteria?
- [03:14]
Bubba Sparks
I love pizza day.
- [03:15]
Danielle Fishel
Me too. Still, I love pizza day. And since my childhood, even the awkward parts were blasted onto millions of TV sets worldwide. It's time I turn the tables and find out what other celebrities were like at the most vulnerable time of their lives. I look at it this way. I gave you my childhood. It's time we hear yours. And this week I'm chatting with a legend of the South. He rose to attention in a mud pit, starring in one of the most exciting debut music videos of all time for his 2001 hit single Ugly, a track that not only pushed him front and center into the world of hip hop, but helped further change the face of the genre forever. His local troop County, Georgia buzz led him to super producer Timbaland during what could only be described as a run of a lifetime, pairing him with not only the hitmaker of the moment, but the legendary Dungeon family. Team captains organized noise as well, and that turned into his first major label release at Interscope Records, Dark Days, Bright Nights, an album that went all the way to number three on the Billboard 200. But it's his second album that's gonna get the flowers it deserves. Today on Teen Beat, 2003's Deliverance, a perfect mixture of rap and country, a gimmickless mashup that has been so poorly done ever since, featured Justin Timberlake, Sleepy Brown and Ryan Tedder, produced solely by Timbaland. And organized noise forced the Village Voice to say if Eminem is hip hop's Elvis, then he is its Greg Allman. But label. But label politics, in a strange climate for white rappers at the time, forced it to underperform when in reality it's a bona fide classic. I'm telling you, go listen to it now. I'll wait. He'd follow it up with 2006's the Charm, his first on Big Boy from Outkast's Purple Ribbon Records, an album that included yet another hit single, his biggest yet, Ms. New Booty, featuring the Yin Yang Twins and Mr. Colipark. But today we'll not only find out what he's up to now, but we are going to talk all about his past as an all region high school football player and get into how a kid raised half a mile away from his closest neighbor became an integral part of rap in the early aughts. Today on Teen Beat, it's a guest that I chose. He didn't choose me. But nonetheless, it's time to get ugly with bubba sparks.
- [05:44]
Bubba Sparks
Hello, Ms. Danielle. And I think congratulations are in order for you. Just made another successful lap around the sun. I did. Thank you. Happy birthday.
- [05:53]
Danielle Fishel
Thank you so much. It's. You know what? To make it to 45 is an honor. Aging is a privilege. I'm lucky to be here. I feel. I feel great. So thank you.
- [06:04]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah, it is a privilege, but it's still painful at times.
- [06:08]
Danielle Fishel
I know. I tell that to my knees. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. We are going to get into young Warren Mathis and how Bubba Sparks was born. But first, I wanted to start with the Ugly music video. I feel like that was such a moment that took the world by storm, and I wanted to hear about your experience with it. It was directed by Mark Classfield, and it is so ahead of its time. Do you remember first getting the concept for it?
- [06:39]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah, well, back in those days, it was a lot more of a production than videos are now because technology hadn't evolved as much. So basically, like, that whole crew of like 20 people came from LA to Athens, Georgia, where I was living at the time.
- [06:54]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [06:55]
Bubba Sparks
For like, two weeks. You know, I had a big budget. I was on Interscope. You know, I had the Timberland CO sign, and. And so they. They had all. All financial cannons firing behind me at the time. And I didn't realize what a blessing and gift that was until much later. But, yeah, I thought it was just what everybody gets, I guess.
- [07:13]
Danielle Fishel
Right, right.
- [07:14]
Bubba Sparks
But, yeah, and it was actually kind of a tug of war because I. I didn't want to go quite as. Look, real culture was captured in the video. But at times I felt it was a kind of a tug of war because I didn't want it to quite go as sticky, and I didn't want it to seem like we were making fun of country folks.
- [07:36]
Danielle Fishel
Right, right.
- [07:37]
Bubba Sparks
You know what I'm saying? So I wanted to present it in a much cooler way, you know what I'm saying? Like, and. And it was just kind of that tug of war, but I think it worked out in the end because I think if we had done it more the way that I wanted to do it, me kind of being too cool for school and trying to present like this, you know, just more serious.
- [07:56]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [07:56]
Bubba Sparks
You know, it really didn't fit the song, and I don't think it would have been as successful. But when I first saw the video, I remember I had went into Jimmy Iovine's office when they had the. The first. We first got the, the rough edit back.
- [08:10]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [08:10]
Bubba Sparks
And Doug Morris, who was the head of, like, the whole universal system at the time, was in there and. And he was watching. He was like, jimmy, what in the hell is this? And we were just all sitting there watching, like, wow. You know, it was just. Well, because it, it forced a response, you know what I'm saying? It was very, you know, you, You, You. You weren't just gonna watch that video and be like, oh, that's cool. You know what I'm saying? Love it or hate it, either way, it was gonna. It was gonna force a. A defined emotion about it. So, yeah, it was a cool deal and I was very grateful for that song. And once again, you know, I come into the industry with. With a record like that, you know, number one on TRL, number one on 106 in park, number one in urban radio, and I probably. It caused me to take that for granted moving forward and not understand just how precious that really was, you know? Yeah.
- [09:10]
Danielle Fishel
Well, right before it becomes a success, there you are. Your first song's about to come out on Interscope, and you are racing tractors with Missy Elliott.
- [09:19]
Bubba Sparks
Oh, yeah.
- [09:19]
Danielle Fishel
When is the moment you knew this is gonna be big?
- [09:24]
Bubba Sparks
Probably that day when I actually saw the video because I was so green to the, to the, to the whole experience, you know, I'd never shot a video before, and I remember being so nervous the morning, like, because, you know, back in those days, like, it was like a full, like, maybe two and a half day shoot, like, starting at like 6am and going till like 10, 11 at night. And. And I just remember just. It was also cluttered in my head. You know, I didn't really. I just. I knew we did some cool stuff, but I just couldn't imagine what it would look like. And I was so nervous about how I would look on camera. You know, it's kind of like the compounded version of, like, when you hate your voice when you hear it, you know, it's like you're definitely gonna hate the way you look. Okay. Especially me, you know, I was. I was kind of heavier back then. And you know what they say, the camera adds about 50 pounds, and then
- [10:20]
Danielle Fishel
you get to stand in a mud pit with wild pigs.
- [10:23]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah, well, that, you know, I did grow up on a farm and. And we did have pigs, so that, you know, once again, we embellished it a little bit. Running around, chasing. I mean, it was just. But that was really my crew and. And we Had a good time doing it. And we had bizarre from D12.
- [10:39]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [10:40]
Bubba Sparks
And that. That. That actually helped the video a lot too, because. Because he. They were hottest firecrackers at the time, you know, Eminem, D12, obviously. And. And I know a lot of people were probably wondering how Eminem was going to embrace it. And, And. And having him in that video, you know, was. I think it. It that. I think he was our only celebrity. Well, we had Timberland, obviously, and Missy, but as far as, like, outside Enrico way, God bless the dead from Organized Noise was in the video, who was a mentor of mine and one of my heroes. And, And. But as far as, like, people not in our camp, you know, I think. And that was cool. He came down there and just did it, you know, and. And once again, I just thought everybody in the industry was that cool. You know, me and Bizarre super were super cool to this day.
- [11:33]
Danielle Fishel
Oh, man, that's such a great story. How did life change for you once the video hit trl?
- [11:41]
Bubba Sparks
Man, it was crazy. I remember the first time I had like a. Like a what the hell is going on? Moment. It was somewhere around that time because I. I was in New York for about six weeks around that time. They just had me based there because most of the media outlets are, you know, are in New York. And yeah, we were doing all kind of stuff. And I remember Georgia was playing Tennessee and football. You know, I'm. I'm a huge University of Georgia football fan. And. And it was like. We went to our hotels right around Times Square, but we walked to the TGI Fridays in Times Square, and. And we're sitting there, like, at the bar or whatever, watching the game, going crazy. And we're just all in our. Like, me and the guy that was my assistant at the time, guy named Jeremiah. Man, shout out to Jeremiah. And. And we're sitting there just watching the game, and we're, like, in fan mode. We're not even thinking about Bubba Sparks or anything like that, you know, and we. We're walking back to the hotel, and, you know, there's always just bustling, you know, pedestrian traffic in Times Square. And somebody said, that's him. And I just remember hearing that, but it didn't register at the time. Right.
- [12:56]
Danielle Fishel
You know, who's him?
- [12:58]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah, exactly. I'm looking around like, who they talking about? And. And then somebody said, yeah, that's Bubba Sparks. And my boy's like, they're talking about you. And I was like. And people just started chasing after me. I didn't have security. I Got security after that, but I didn't have security. I wasn't even, you know, it's such a surreal deal, you know, like, and, and, and, yeah, it was crazy, you know, and, and just that, because I really did come from where I presented myself as having come from, you know, I was really transplanted from a, you know, a, a dirt road to Times Square. And so it was, and I, and I didn't handle it the best, you know, I, I, I don't, I don't know how many people would be able to handle such an abrupt transition, you know, with grace. I, I, it wasn't a humility issue. I just didn't, There were just a lot of hard lessons that I, I had to learn about the music industry and life and just, and, and, and, and I was kind of learning on the fly, you know, but it was an incredible time. I wouldn't trade it for anything. And it almost, you know, it's 25 years ago, you know, I almost, it almost seems like another life sometimes, like another lifetime, you know, but, but it was really cool, and I'm extremely blessed to have been able to, to travel that path.
- [14:22]
Danielle Fishel
You were a star tight end and linebacker on the football team when you were in high school. Was it your dream to play for the NFL?
- [14:32]
Bubba Sparks
I wanted to play college football at a big school. My, like my, my childhood best friend, he was a great football player. I was a good high school football player, you know, but he was a great, one of the, the top 100 most highly recruited players in the country, you know, in high school, the year he came out, could have went anywhere. Ended up going to Georgia and, and, you know, I guess I kind of always, you know, to, to kind of start touching on, like, the team experience for me. I always kind of felt like maybe I was in his shadow a little bit. I was never jealous or envious. I always celebrated his success, and I think that prepared me for my own success journey later, just learning how to, how to pom pom other people, you know what I'm saying? And, and, but, you know, I always, I was a good high school football player, but I, you know, when you kind of, that's, that's known as my best friend. And football, High school football is so serious down where I come from. It's Friday Night Lights.
- [15:32]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [15:33]
Bubba Sparks
Vibes and, and, yeah, football is probably still, to this day, my first love. Honestly, if I love music as much as I love football, we might be having a different conversation right now, you know, But I was just, I loved music. Don't get me wrong. But I was just really good at it. It just came natural to me, and I always kind of wished that football. It came that natural to me, but, you know, that just wasn't in the cards, and it was what it was, and the journey is. Is. Is. Is. Is the journey. So.
- [16:04]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [16:05]
Bubba Sparks
But, yeah, I love football. I really do. Like, it's a cultural. Like, it's so ingrained in the culture, like, growing up where I grew up, and, man, I love it. I still keep up with my. My high school football team, like, shoot, even baseball, like, they're. They're in the state baseball playoffs right now. And I was. I caught myself, like, it was the Braves playing or something, checking the score, you know, the other day. Yeah. You know, but that's just kind of how we grew up.
- [16:31]
Danielle Fishel
You know, how rural is Troup County. I know it's near lagrange, but I'm trying to figure out how much you're even hearing rap music as a kid.
- [16:40]
Bubba Sparks
Well, lagrange itself, especially at this point, less so when I was growing up, is a town of about 50,000 people. There's only like 60 miles from Atlanta.
- [16:51]
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
- [16:51]
Bubba Sparks
So the actual town. But see, you have to remember I grew up on. In the suburbs of Lang, so I grew up about 20 minutes north of La Grange out in the country.
- [17:02]
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
- [17:03]
Bubba Sparks
And honestly, the town itself is. It's kind of suffered from some of the. The same ills that. That, that America, you know, particularly kind of impoverished areas. There's a lot of. There's violence there now, gun violence. Not just like, you know, meth addicts shooting their, you know, their brothers or something like that, but like street gang violence, you know, and because where I grew up was basically 50% black, 50% white, and really nobody much had anything except for, like, that small percentage of the people that owned everything, you know, type deal. Yeah, but. And I think that's probably a lot why we took so much pride in football, too, because it was one of the things that, you know, allowed us to escape that. That. That perception of that existence, so.
- [17:57]
Danielle Fishel
Right.
- [17:58]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah.
- [18:04]
Danielle Fishel
I know most people are surprised to learn what OCD really is, because pop culture has spread the idea that it's just about being super neat and organized, but that's not accurate at all. My husband has ocd, and I can tell you it is so much more than that. Real OCD is a serious condition where you get unwanted, distressing thoughts called intrusive thoughts. They're stuck on repeat in your mind, often focusing on people or things we care about like relationships, identity or character, making them hard to ignore. And then you feel driven to do certain behaviors called compulsions to try to make the anxiety stop. This obsession and undying desire to make it go away can completely derail you. For decades. Jensen ruined his own life and the happiness of those around him purely because he couldn't make the repeated worry go away. But he'd eventually learn it doesn't have to be that way, because OCD is one of the most treatable mental health conditions once you get the right kind of specialized therapy. OCD needs ERP therapy. That's exposure and response prevention, which is proven to be the most effective treatment. Regular talk therapy isn't recommended and can actually make OCD worse. NOCD is the world's leading OCD treatment provider and all of their licensed therapists specialize in ERP therapy with no CD is 100% virtual, covered by insurance for over 138 million Americans and includes support between sessions so you never have to face OCD alone. To learn more about starting OCD therapy with no CD, go to nocd.com and book a free call with their team. That's no c d.com Amazon Health AI
- [19:48]
Bubba Sparks
presents Painful Thoughts why did I search
- [19:52]
Danielle Fishel
the Internet for answers to my cold sore problem? Now I'm stuck down a rabbit hole filled with images of alarmingly graphic sores in various stages of ooze. I can clear my search history, but I can never unsee that.
- [20:09]
Bubba Sparks
Don't go down the rabbit hole. Amazon Health AI gets you the right care fast. Healthcare just got less painful.
- [20:16]
Bowen Yang
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- [20:54]
Kal Penn
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- [22:00]
Danielle Fishel
Your dad was a school bus driver.
- [22:01]
Bubba Sparks
He was. Everybody knows Jimmy Mathis. That's. People come up to me all the time. I rode your daddy's school bus.
- [22:08]
Danielle Fishel
Oh, that must be so special to like, meet people who knew your dad.
- [22:13]
Bubba Sparks
Well, what's special is because, you know, we've, we, we've always had a, you know, traditional southern men type relationship. You know, didn't talk much about feelings or, and, and when I talk to people, they say, he would play your songs. He had so much. He was so proud of you. And I hear that and that, that makes me feel good because, you know, he's never really voiced that to me. You know, I mean, he said he's proud of me, but I'm saying, like, as far as he would never reveal to me that he was ever that excited about anything I did because he didn't, he didn't agree and with good reason. He didn't agree with, with me pursuing a career in music. You know what I'm saying? Because I mean, come on, I grew up where I grew up when I grew up there. And me being a white boy from the country, that was, that was telling people he was gonna make it as a rapper. They would have sooner believed, believe me, if I had told him I was going to be an astronaut and be the first human to walk on Pluto. You know what I'm saying? It would have been more believable.
- [23:10]
Danielle Fishel
Right?
- [23:11]
Bubba Sparks
And so, so yeah, he kind of felt like it was a, a fool's errand to some degree and that I should, you know, he, he really wanted me because I, I would, I would have been the first person in my college, in my family at the time to get a college degree. So he really Wanted me to get that. I guess that generation kind of just thought that a college degree, like, earned you. You know, that was like a. A ticket to, like, the club or something, and you were gonna be straight for life or something, you know, and we know now that's not the case.
- [23:41]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [23:41]
Bubba Sparks
And plus, I. I didn't know. I didn't have a plan, you know, so it's kind of tough when you try to go to. I went to some junior colleges and stuff, and when you. When you try to, like, you know, do the college thing, but you really don't have a vision for it. Like, I was kind of just going in circles, and then. And then, you know, the music thing happened and kind of bailed me out.
- [24:02]
Danielle Fishel
Your mom was also a grocery store cashier. Were either of them musical? How did you decide to start rapping?
- [24:11]
Bubba Sparks
All right, so I did come from a. I have my. My mother and father each had a boy and a girl from a previous marriage.
- [24:20]
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
- [24:20]
Bubba Sparks
And then they got together, and I was the only they had together. But the. The. My mother's son and daughter that she brought to the situation lived with me and my other brother. They lived with their mom in Atlanta, so. And I saw them pretty regularly. But. So I had one brother who was. Iron Maiden is his favorite band of all time. He loved, like, eight, like, heavy metal, and I mean, like, passionately now.
- [24:51]
Danielle Fishel
Right.
- [24:52]
Bubba Sparks
And shout out to my brother Russ, and. But he never spoke to me. Like, I would try to get with. I step and watch Headbangers ball with him on Saturday nights on mtv, you know, and I would try to. Because he was my older brother, and I. I wanted his. His approval, and I wanted his validation. And so, you know, I would. I would try to get with it, but it just never really spoke to me. Then my other brother that lived in Atlanta, that was my dad's son, he was into, like, Parliament Funk, like, just as. Just as intensely, you know, George Clinton, Cameo.
- [25:27]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [25:28]
Bubba Sparks
And my father loved traditional country. Like, George Jones is his favorite singer ever. Conway Tweety, you know, Waylon James, people like that. And. And I have great memories of. Of certain songs now when I look back, you know, in retrospect, at growing up and me and my dad in the hay field, you know, or going for a ride on Sunday, and I hear songs that we used to listen to, and it sparks nostalgia now. But at the time, it was just like, turn this shit off. Yes, yes. But to be honest. And my mother and my sister were kind of just pop music fans, but my mother loves to dance. Like, she loves to dance. So maybe that's where I got, you know, some of the rhythm from. But music never mattered to me until I heard NWA, you know, end of that. That era, 2 Live Crew, it just spoke to me in a whole different way. But when Outkast came out, you know, they were really. They were no really to it. They were the first group. Them, the Dungeon Family. That was the first. First movement that really just encapsulated Atlanta and even in a greater sense, Georgia. And I was like, wow, that's how you represent Georgia from their perspective. How do I need to represent Georgia from. From my perspective, you know? And so I started on the journey to tinkering and just trying to figure it out.
- [27:00]
Danielle Fishel
You know, I love that in your family, you had three boys and three. Those three boys all had very distinct musical sounds that they loved so much, that they were all so passionate about. You know, that's really special. And then your dad, I guess technically four. Four men in the family and your dad and each of you had your own love and.
- [27:21]
Bubba Sparks
But no one else is. Like, my brother's music. The guy that looked the one that loved heavy metal, he repulsed the. The greater home community. But when I started playing somebody say, hey, we was. It kind of went to new heights, you know, people being like, turn that off.
- [27:43]
Danielle Fishel
How did you come upon the name Bubba Sparks? And did it always have three X's?
- [27:51]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah, well, all right. So me and a guy from the. So Bubba was kind of something that people just called me. It's kind of like in the south, it's like dude or like, you know, you know, it's just. It's just a general term, you know, And. And. And I felt like that name kind of. It just kind of encompassed everything that I was trying to. Trying to represent. Because, you know, people. Some people have tried to imply that there's like a negative racial connotation to it. I know more black bubbas than brothers, you know what I'm saying? Like, so I felt like it was a balanced representation. And so. And then we couldn't. I. I knew. I remember thinking, like, names endure. Like, full names endure. I think more than if I just came up with a name like Soda. Soda Pop or something, you know, like. You know what I mean? Like, yep. I mean, not to say that there are plenty of iconic people. Ice Cube, too short, but.
- [28:53]
Danielle Fishel
Yep.
- [28:53]
Bubba Sparks
I was like, I, you know, already feeling like maybe people were not going to take it as serious. I wanted to just. I don't know. I just always envisioned it being like an actual first and last name.
- [29:04]
Danielle Fishel
Yep.
- [29:04]
Bubba Sparks
And. And me and Shannon Houcher is the guy that was. That had 11th hour, which was the initial production company I was signed to when we signed with Interscope. He and I are trying to figure out and remember the old Rodney Dangerfield movie. Wally Sparks.
- [29:23]
Danielle Fishel
Yes.
- [29:25]
Bubba Sparks
So his kids had a bunch of DVDs. This is back during, like, the DVD DVR era. And so he's just going through DVD and he says, what about Bubba Sparks? It came from Wally Sparks, the Rodney Daniel movie. And then I was like, yeah, but what's better with three X's? I wasn't thinking about the triple X, you know, pornography angle of it. I was thinking more about three X's. Represents, like fire. That's like the. The. Like the best of the best. Moonshine.
- [29:57]
Danielle Fishel
Okay. Yes. Yeah, yeah. Like three skull and crossbones.
- [30:03]
Bubba Sparks
Correct.
- [30:10]
Danielle Fishel
I know most people are surprised to learn what OCD really is because pop culture has spread the idea that it's just about being super neat and organ, but that's not accurate at all. My husband has ocd, and I can tell you it is so much more than that. Real OCD is a serious condition where you get unwanted, distressing thoughts called intrusive thoughts. They're stuck on repeat in your mind, often focusing on people or things we care about, like relationships, identity, or character, making them hard to ignore. And then you feel driven to do certain behaviors called compulsions to try to make the anxiety stop. This obsession and undying desire to make it go away can completely derail you for decades. Jensen ruined his own life and the happiness of those around him purely because he couldn't make the repeated worry go away. But he'd eventually learn it doesn't have to be that way, because OCD is one of the most treatable mental health conditions. Once you get the right kind of specialized therapy, OCD needs ERP therapy. That's exposure and response prevention, which has proven to be the most effective treatment. Regular talk therapy isn't recommended and can actually make OCD worse. NOCD is the world's leading OCD treatment provider and all of their licensed Therapists specialize in ERP. Therapy with NOCD is 100% virtual, covered by insurance for over 138 million Americans and includes support between sessions so you never have to face OCD alone. To learn more about starting OCD therapy with no CD, go to nocd.com and book a free call with their team. That's n o c d.com Amazon Health
- [31:53]
Bubba Sparks
AI presents painful thoughts why did I
- [31:57]
Danielle Fishel
search the Internet for answers to my cold sore problem? Now I'm stuck down a rabbit hole filled with images of alarmingly graphic source in various stages of ooze. I can clear my search history, but I can never unsee that.
- [32:14]
Bubba Sparks
Don't go down the rabbit hole. Amazon Health AI gets you the right care fast. Healthcare just got less painful.
- [32:22]
Bowen Yang
This is Bowen Yang from Lost Culture Research with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. We all know the feeling when life gets really busy. Taking care of yourself can feel impossible. That's why Premier Protein shakes are my go to. They have 30 grams of protein, 160 calories, no added sugar and they taste amazing. So they're a healthy choice you'll actually want to make. It's not just for fitness, it's for getting after life. The 30 grams of protein gives you the fuel you need. It's not just for intense gym sessions, it's just for life. With the wide variety of flavors from cafe latte to cake batter, it never feels boring. There's a flavor for everyone. I personally love the peaches and cream, but maybe you're a root beer floater cinnamon roll kind of person. Premier Protein empowers me to say yes to more Find your favorite flavor@premier protein.com that's P R E M I E R protein.com or at Amazon, Walmart and other major retailers.
- [33:21]
Kal Penn
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your project prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures.
- [34:28]
Danielle Fishel
So when does Jimmy Iovine hear your music? And then does he fly you out to LA to sign you? What was that?
- [34:35]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah, my first ever plane ride. I couldn't sleep tonight. I didn't sleep a wink the whole night before. I was so nervous. Not about going to meet with Jimmy I Beam, but about getting on an airplane. Yeah, and that's what the intro to my first album is, is partially about. You know, just. It's called takeoff. And it's like just talking about those nervous feelings, but also like, as being a metaphor for like having those same feelings about taking off in this. In that industry. But yeah, so Gerardo Mejia, Rico Suave. Yes. Was the first ever artist released on Interscope Records with Rico. Yeah. Yes. And. And he, he went double platinum and that kind of got him in the door, you know what I'm saying? That guy got them a foothold in the industry, where they continue. And so Jimmy was always very. He took care of Gerardo and was always, you know, always paid that well up until a certain point. But they don't ask me to hear him there, but. So he was specialized more in Latin music, like Enrique Iglesias. He signed Enrique Iglesias to Interscope. Couple other things. And so he had gotten my project and he was a champion of it. He loved it. But he. The only thing is, is when he's trying to take it to him, you know, to the, to the higher ups. Like, not necessarily Jimmy, but more. Steve Stout was kind of the hip hop gatekeeper, the head of black music at that time. And, and, and he just didn't. Nobody was really checking for, oh, you know, another white rapper quite that soon after Eminem. But also, you know, Gerardo was just more known for Latin music. So they're like, why are you trying to bring hip hop back? And. But eventually he went straight to Jimmy with it, and Jimmy got it pretty much instantly, you know, and when I signed and they flew us out and. And made an offer and it was, it was, it turned out because, you know, it's kind of like once the industry learns the Interscope offered this white rapper a deal and then you're back in those days, your lawyer would shop all these deals. Then the word starts getting out and everybody wants to. Wants you. You know, I remember we went to DreamWorks back when DreamWorks was. Was. Was. I don't only think that's. They're. They're actually active as a record label anymore, but. And, and we went over there and they made a lot of sweet promises and offered A lot more money. And I was like, I want to sit down here, you know, I'm telling the guys I'm with, you know, and. But they're like, no, we're gonna go to New York. We're gonna meet with all these other people. And so we met with Def Jam and Loud and Sony. I mean, we met with everybody and everybody was in. And Interscope had the lowest offer. And everybody hated on Interscope because they were like, they're just gonna. They're just trying to shelf you because, you know, to make sure you're never a threat to Eminem. And I'm like, that just doesn't make sense to me. I was encouraged because that showed me that the success they had with Eminem showed me that they knew how to do it and they weren't scared, you know, And. And so. And plus, I felt. I felt indebted too, because Jimmy was the first person. And Jimmy believed in me far, far, far greater than he was ever rewarded. You know, I. I used to. I didn't. I didn't understand why he believed in me the way he did, but he really did it up. And I'm forever indebted to that, man. Even though things didn't necessarily work out on the level that we all had hoped for, man, that guy believed in me and he gave me every opportunity. And I. I probably didn't earn a lot of those opportunities, especially like, you know, I. I was struggling with addiction at that time, and, you know, I just probably didn't fulfill my end of the bargain in a lot of ways. But, man, that guy loved me and believed in me for sure. And he connected me with Timberland.
- [38:52]
Danielle Fishel
And what was that like? Did you two get along immediately?
- [38:54]
Bubba Sparks
See, Jimmy. Jimmy knew he was onto something with the Eminem and Drake thing. You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, you take. Because people have a whole different view on what a white rapper means at this point in time. If you remember that climate back there, you know, I know you know somebody who was a rapper, a white rapper on Interscope.
- [39:15]
Danielle Fishel
I do, I do.
- [39:17]
Bubba Sparks
And. And so, you know, it was. It was just a whole different environment. People. After kind of after the Vanilla Ice thing, there was like a 10 year period where nobody was checking for white rappers.
- [39:31]
Danielle Fishel
Right.
- [39:32]
Bubba Sparks
You know, and so then Eminem comes and it's like, what? But as a white rapper, you kind of look at it like, well, there's only gonna ever be one more, you know, and he just did it and they did it perfect.
- [39:43]
Danielle Fishel
Exactly. I can't top that.
- [39:46]
Bubba Sparks
But Jimmy knew he was onto something. We'll find the credible black producer and have him stamp the white, white rapper. Make sure they can see my pretty face. And I think. And so, yeah, he. And he tried to put me with Swiss beats first. Oh, you know, he. He was kind of shopping the white boy, you know, and Swiss was super cool. We made some. Some decent music, but we just didn't really have that chemistry. I don't think he quite understood culturally what I was going for and being from New York, and he. He appreciated the fact that I was a true MC and that. That the hip hop side, but I don't think he understood the. The country cultural side of it. You know, what I. And then, you know, I was always very close with Organized Noise with Rico Wade, Sleepy Brown and Ray Murray. You know, they. They're. They're were the producers of Outkast, and they were home team, but they were kind of going through a transition, and I worked with them and they. They produced songs on every one of my albums. But, yeah, I. I probably would have loved for them to have been the Stampers, you know what I'm saying? But. But they were just transitioning in. In different ways at that time, and it really wasn't feasible. And then he said, what about Timberland? He said, I'm meeting with him tonight. I said, jimmy, that would be perfect. That would be perfect. Like soul. You know what I mean?
- [41:15]
Danielle Fishel
Yes.
- [41:16]
Bubba Sparks
And. And then, you know, he. He called me about two or three hours later, and he was like, you need to get out here first thing in the morning. Tim was like, you ain't no white. Clear in the background. You ain't no white boy. And I was like, what is he talking about? He's like, he doesn't believe you're white. He's gotta see you. And I was like, all right, I'm on the way. And the rest was history. When I got out there, he was like, that's crazy. That's crazy that you make the sounds out of your mouth, but you look the way you look. That's crazy.
- [41:48]
Danielle Fishel
So you guys just hit it off right off the bat.
- [41:51]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah, we did. Especially musically. You know, Timberland is just. And then once again, you know, that. That's another guy that believed in me, you know, when. Before. I really couldn't see it, you know, it's like I. I'm a recovering alcoholic and addict, and part of, like, what the disease of addiction is all about is like, as addicts, we kind of carry around this emptiness inside of not feeling like we're worthy or, you know, feeling like we just don't fit in, or if people knew the real us, they wouldn't like us. And I think me being a white rapper, even though, double time to try to always make sure that I was portraying authentically who I was and. And where I was from, what that was all about, because I felt that to be in line with the core principles of hip hop, you know, I think that it kind of just fed into the imposter syndrome. And I just. It's like, not like, as far as, like, my talent or what I'm doing, but if. If these people knew the real me, they would know I'm a fraud. Wrongs like. Like, as a human, not as, like, yeah, you know, my talent or, like, what I'm representing or anything like that. But I just, you know, I kind of always carried those. Those feelings around. And unfortunately, drugs and alcohol became a solution that kind of quieted that beast for a long time until it. Until it turned on me in a major way. And. And, yeah, but. But Tim is. He was great, man. You know, he was. And once again, I probably let him down a lot of ways also, but. But we did some great things, and. And, man, I'll be eternally grateful. Nobody could have ever taught me more. There's not a studio session that I have today where at some point I don't reference something that. That Timberland told me or taught me, you know, and the same could be said for Rico Wade also, and Mr. K. Park, who produced Miss New Booty later on. Yeah, I. I was just blessed to, you know, Polo the don. There's people that I worked with that just are real giants in this thing, like, the real deal. Like, there's a lot of people get propped up by publicity and, you know, but I was blessed to really be around some guys that was a genuine article when it comes to really being talented and really being committed to their craft.
- [44:07]
Danielle Fishel
I love that you are now so open about your struggles with addiction, and I want to talk about how you're giving back now, but when you. When did drug use or alcohol become a problem for you? At what stage of your career did that start to happen?
- [44:22]
Bubba Sparks
You know, and we were talking about the teen years. What's funny about that is I played football, and me and my best friend, who's also a recovering addict, the guy I've been talking about that played for Georgia, he played in the NFL for seven years. And. And we. We looked down on people that did drugs, you know, like in high school. And drank and partied on weekends because we were so serious about football. But I remember spring break, my junior year of high school. We went to Panama City Beach, Florida, the Redneck Riviera, and. Which is like four hours from where I grew up. And that was like our, what do you call it, our rite of passage, you know, like, and we get down there and we're like, we might as well drink. Everybody's drinking. We might as well drink. And we each funneled 12 Zimas. Oh, and oh my gosh, I spent five or six hours, you know, like in the bathroom praying to the porcelain God sleep, you know, passed out in my own vomit. Yeah, that happened. But I remember a 30 minute window, maybe an hour where it was like all those feelings subsided. You know what I mean? Like, I felt peace, I felt connected. I felt like, wow, I get it. We were the lanes, we should have been doing this the whole time, you know, and it just kind of gradually went from there to the point where you know, even, even into my 40s, you know, I've had a, a back and forth journey with recovery.
- [45:49]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [45:50]
Bubba Sparks
But yeah, it ended up, you know, it's, it's crazy. I look back at like the, the kid I was, you know, and it's like I kind of robbed him a lot of ways. But, but also I don't know if I would have been able without alcohol and, and drugs to, to some degree. Even though drugs bring about just maximum unmanageability in your life. Like it's, you know, there are no social crack smokers, there are no social meth users or heroin addicts, you know, there are social drinkers, you know, and you know, I, I'm not sure that without alcohol specifically I would have been able to overcome the self centered fear I was talking about and done all the things that I, that I was able to do, you know, with my, with my career. But it's a double edged sword because later in life I also, everything that, that, that I earned or was, you know, given to me, I ended up giving it back to drugs and alcohol. So, you know, it is what it is. But, but you know, I'm just grateful to have, have peace in my life today because that's really all I've ever been looking for.
- [47:03]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. How do you think you juggled fame while also battling addiction?
- [47:11]
Bubba Sparks
Well, my addiction most of like the last 15 years, I'd say even though I've been sober a year and a half this time.
- [47:20]
Danielle Fishel
Congratulations.
- [47:21]
Bubba Sparks
But thank you so much. That's a big deal for me. Yes, and, and, and it is, it is by God's grace, I can assure you that. But my addiction had isolated me to such a degree more. What I went through with, with my addiction was just being isolated from family and friends. I went two years without talking to anybody in my family. My best friend I've been talking about this whole time I went, I talked to him like four times in 10 years. And, you know, that's just, that's what it does, you know, as the, the progressive nature of the disease, you know, just further, further isolates you, you know, and, and, and lot of time a lot of people could speculate about what I was doing because they didn't see me, or I might not look the best when you did see me, but I got off the grid, you know what I'm saying, to do my thing. So it's not like I was one of those artists that was just out here driving around and just, you know, and, and, and doing. I did have some public. I had a public arrest in Florida that was pretty embarrassing at a Hooters, coincidentally. And, you know, that. That was probably the most public thing that ever happened to me in my addiction. But, but yeah, like I said, I was just. I like to get the hell out of the way, you know, when I, When I was doing my thing. And yeah, so that probably cut down on, on a lot of the, you know, the, the fame colliding with, with, with the struggles I was having. And most of my worst struggles, to be honest, were past the period of my mainstream notoriety, you know, so to speak. And, you know, because, like, during the ugly times, like, you know, my first two albums, I was. There were some repercussions and consequences of, of my drinking and using some, you know, career wise, but for the most part, it was still just the party stage. Okay. You know, I'm experiencing all these great things. I'm having a great time. Then when he got to the new Booty time, I had developed an opiate addiction and, and the, the isolation period had commenced and, you know, a lot of great things, you know, performing on the Jay Leno show, you know, that was such a big record too, the new Booty thing. And, you know, just. I had all my. I had kind of cut my crew down to like, my real friends at that time, and they're out there having a blast. You know, we're hanging out with the entourage, you know, in LA and just, you know, but I'm. I'm being a weirdo. My hotel room, because I'm so tweaked. Or whatever, you know?
- [50:08]
Danielle Fishel
Right, right.
- [50:08]
Bubba Sparks
And because I went to treatment for the first time shortly after that, you know, the new booty time. And so like, oh, wait, and, and it was from. From there I just kind of slowly started like, fading from the. The mainstream conscious. And, and it, it directly coincided with, with the progression of my. Of my addiction, you know, so it was, it was. The reason I was fading was because of my addiction and because of drugs and alcohol in large measurements. But it also, the fact that I was fading made me less of a topic than anybody wanted to focus on. So I kind of just, you know, the more the significant the fade was, the more piece I could just have and go do my thing, you know? So, yeah, yeah,
- [51:07]
Danielle Fishel
I know. Most people are surprised to learn what OCD really is because pop culture has spread the idea that it's just about being super neat and organized. But that's not accurate at all. My husband has ocd, and I can tell you it is so much more than that. Real OCD is a serious condition where you get unwanted, distressing thoughts called intrusive thoughts. They're stuck on repeat in your mind, often focusing on people or things we care about, like relationships, identity, or character, making them hard to ignore. And then you feel driven to do certain behaviors called compulsion to try to make the anxiety stop. This obsession and undying desire to make it go away can completely derail you for decades. Jensen ruined his own life and the happiness of those around him purely because he couldn't make the repeated worry go away. But he'd eventually learn it doesn't have to be that way, because OCD is one of the most treatable mental health conditions. Once you get the right kind of specialized therapy, OCD needs ERP therapy. That's exposure and response prevention, which has proven to be the most effective treatment. Regular talk therapy isn't recommended and can actually make OCD worse. NOCD is the world's leading OCD treatment provider and all of their licensed Therapists specialize in ERP therapy with NOCD is 100% virtual, covered by insurance for over 138 million Americans and includes support between sessions so you never have to face OCD alone. To learn more about starting OCD therapy with no CD, go to nocd.com and book a free call with their team. That's n o c d.com Amazon Pharmacy
- [52:50]
Bubba Sparks
presents Painful Thoughts of course I see my co worker in line at the pharmacy. Can you tell I'm picking up prescription hemorrhoid cream?
- [53:00]
Bowen Yang
I'm probably standing weird.
- [53:02]
Bubba Sparks
Why is he smiling? He knows he's gonna call me Hemroyd Lloyd tomorrow. I know it. I gotta quit my job. Next time avoid awkward conversations and get fast free delivery with Amazon Pharmacy Healthcare just got less painful.
- [53:19]
Bowen Yang
This is Bowen Yang from Lost Culture Stuff with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. We all know the feeling when life gets really busy. Taking care of yourself can feel impossible. That's why Premier Protein shakes are my go to. They have 30 grams of protein, 160 calories, no added sugar and they taste amazing. So they're a healthy choice you'll actually want to make. It's not just for fitness, it's for getting after life. The 30 grams of protein gives you the fuel you need. It's not just for intense gym sessions, it's just for life. With a wide variety of flavors from cafe latte to cake batter, it never feels boring. There's a flavor for everyone. I personally love the peaches and cream, but maybe you're a root beer floater cinnamon roll kind of person. Premier Protein powers me to say yes to more Find your favorite flavor@premierprotein.com that's P R E M I E R protein.com or at Amazon, Walmart and other major retailers.
- [54:18]
Kal Penn
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures.
- [55:25]
Danielle Fishel
I want to talk about Deliverance because I will hoot and holler about this album to anyone willing to listen. What was your mindset going into Your second album, were you nervous at all about a sophomore slump type of situation?
- [55:41]
Bubba Sparks
Let me tell you something. Had it been up to me, Deliverance would have never existed because, well, you gotta think now Ugly comes out. It's a huge club, urban record. I wanted to. My second album, because you gotta think that I had. We ready with Archie. I had. I had the Jadakiss record. So I'm kind of, like, on more of a trajectory to do something that. That maybe Eminem hadn't even done. I was very clear on the. The pecking order at that point, but I was like. Eminem never really, like. Like, had club hits and was doing his thing, you know, like. Like in the hood, you know, people were actually, you know, riding around, bumping my. In the hood, you know, at that time.
- [56:29]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [56:30]
Bubba Sparks
And. And being from Atlanta, that meant a lot. I was very accepted, and, you know, I grew up outside of Atlanta, but the Atlanta community had accepted me and embraced me. You know, that meant a lot. And so I wanted to continue on that path. And still to this day, looking back on it, I think we probably would have been more commercially successful with the second album had we. Had we gone that direction. I was thinking, this one, Little John's going crazy. I'm thinking, I'll get Timberland, produce half the album, get a few from organizing the ones, get Lil John to produce two or three, and go and get features from TI and, you know, and go more in that direction, which short term would have been the better route to take, I do believe. Yeah, but one record changed it all that Timberland basically just made Goofing Around. It's called Coming around, and it's a sample of the young See you Coming. It's a sample of the younger Mountain String Band. And. And we did that record in Jimmy Math. This, I think, was the other one where we kind of first stumbled into that sound. And Tim being the mad genius that he is and just really enjoying, he was just, like, geeking out on it, on the trick of making this country be jamming, you know what I'm saying? And. And once he realized after we did Coming around that I could. That I could paint the perfect pictures over those tracks. And then it was like, man, this could be really big, dude. Like, you know, this could be like. Like, this is our shot to sell 10 million.
- [58:08]
Danielle Fishel
Yes.
- [58:09]
Bubba Sparks
You know, but. And so we went with it. You know, we went with it and abandoned the hoe. That's why, if you'll notice, that that album was commercially unsuccessful. We got fired from Interscope for A variety of reasons. Then I go over here, do this big deal with Big Boy and Virgin. You know how I came back the next time? Like, I was like, I'm not making that mistake again.
- [58:31]
Danielle Fishel
Yep.
- [58:33]
Bubba Sparks
You know, like, mama's got a house. You know, like, we gotta go.
- [58:36]
Danielle Fishel
And that is when you release Ms. New Booty, technically your biggest song. And, man, it still gets played so much now for all new generations to enjoy. You had been through so much at this point and you are still writing and putting out another smash. Did that record always just feel big?
- [59:02]
Bubba Sparks
I knew the night we recorded it what it was, and I'm grateful eternally because it was a survival mechanism, trust me. Like, I. I had put out two singles that a Timberland record and an organized noise record with Petey Pablo and Sleepy Brown on it, as seen, like, as kind of like tester singles prior to putting out Miss New Booty. And they didn't. And, you know, back then it was so. People take for granted the fact that now it's so easy to access such a. Such a vast array of fans and to access your audience directly. Back then, if you weren't on the radio, like, literally there were four ways people received and consumed music. Live shows, CDs, the radio, and. All right, maybe there's three. I don't know.
- [59:57]
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
- [59:58]
Bubba Sparks
All right, so there's one more, though. But anyway. And OMTV and bet. Yep, that was the fourth one. And so if you couldn't make, you had to make music that. And you think at any given time, what are there, 40 songs that are, like, viable.
- [60:15]
Danielle Fishel
Right, right.
- [60:16]
Bubba Sparks
So if you didn't have one of those songs, then chances are you weren't going to be played on. On MTV or bet.
- [60:23]
Danielle Fishel
Right.
- [60:24]
Bubba Sparks
And so you had to make it fit. And that's where we lost with Deliverance. Deliverance is a test. Deliverance, the single, the single success is a testament to how great the record was and how powerful Interscope was, you know what I'm saying? Like, the fact that they made that record go top 10 at a time when the whole world is crunk, Deliverance is coming on in between Get Low by Lil John and the Yin Yang Twins and, you know, and. And 50 Cent, you know.
- [60:53]
Danielle Fishel
Yep. Yeah.
- [60:54]
Bubba Sparks
And so, you know, and it stuck out like a sore thumb. So the fact that it even performed as well as it did commercially is just mind blowing at that time. It could have been very boutiquey and very, like, underground, you know, like. But then. So when it was time to go back in, and like I said, I had Two. I was too. They gave me like a million dollars at Virgin and Big Boy. A million dollars. And then we still had like a million dollars to make the album with.
- [61:26]
Danielle Fishel
Wow.
- [61:27]
Bubba Sparks
But we were two strikes down because back then, you know, you would put out a single. Now you just throw out a song every, every Friday or whatever. But back then it required a little more. So we put out these two songs and we're two strikes. We're in a two strike hole.
- [61:40]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [61:40]
Bubba Sparks
And it's like, this is like my last shot in the industry, you know what I'm saying? Like, there was no, go be independent and put. Put out your own music. Then it was like back to the factory in Troop county, you know, and, and so. So Eddie Weathers, Skeeter Rock, who. Jermaine Dupree had taken over black music at Virgin at this time. So they kind of came up with the idea for me to go in with Mr. Khalid park with DJ Smurf, you know, who. Who produced all the Yin Yang Twin stuff. And man, I am eternally grateful to that man and to the twins because he and I come up with this song the first night we go in the studio with this idea and he's like, we gotta get the twins on this. And they were hot as like, yeah, the middle of the sun at that time, you know what I'm saying? And I was like, if they'll do it, man, you think we could? You think we could? Yeah. And I kind of felt like it was a hit like just the night we did it and we had the basic idea down. But then when the twins got on it, it was like, so. Oh man. But also I didn't, you know, when you do things for. To survive out of survival, it's a little bit of a double edged sword because I didn't know that my. Obviously I couldn't have predicted at that time that my life was going to completely come unglued in the period following that song. And that that was going to end up even above Ugly and Deliverance. Like in a pop culture sense, that was gonna be the song that I was kind of defined by, which is a little tragic to me, you know, because the story is. Is so much more, you know, and that. And I feel like if I had been able in a place where I could have just come back and followed up with another record, you know, that it would just be a chapter rather than like kind of looked at to some people. And, you know, I'll tell you the funny thing about New Booty is initially, when we did the song. It was. It was based on the Movie Players Club. And New booty was like. Ms. New Booty was like the new girl working at the strip club. And that was. That was what the song was originally created from. From the spirit of that. But then what happens over the. The 2000 teens and into the 2000s, actual new booties, BBs, it starts to become a thing. So that gave it, like, another life. Life, you know, so it's crazy. I mean, that song is just as culturally relevant today as it was 20 years ago. And it's. It's. It's amazing.
- [64:15]
Danielle Fishel
You know, when you hear Jelly Roll or Shaboozi or Post Malone now, is it crazy to see how connected country and rap has become? And do you still see yourself as ahead of your time as I do?
- [64:30]
Bubba Sparks
Well, I don't think any. I mean, Jelly Roll has a history as a rapper, but I don't. I don't really, you know, a list of top country rappers that had Jelly Roll number one and had Shaboozi number two. And I was like, like, Jelly's a hell of a rapper. Like, he has a history as a rapper, but what has made him successful is not rapping. He does not. There's no hip hop involved in it at all.
- [64:54]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [64:56]
Bubba Sparks
And. And much respect to Posty and Shabuzi. I don't know if he used to be a rapper or whatever, but I do country hip hop. And there's not. Still to this day. There's not a lot of other people doing that. And what it really should be called is hip hop. Country, because the hip hop comes first.
- [65:12]
Danielle Fishel
First. Yeah.
- [65:14]
Bubba Sparks
And. And, you know, you talk about, like, Big Crit, you know, Bun Beat Up, Yellow Wolf, Ritz. I mean, well, Struggle Jennings. Those are some people that do something similar to what I do. You know, people that represent some country culture, but also are, like, truly care about the craft of MCN and. And the founding principles of hip hop and where hip hop comes from. Yeah, yeah. And Post the. I love Post Malone. I just don't like his country music, but I respect his right to do it.
- [65:49]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [65:49]
Bubba Sparks
You know, do what you want to do. You know, I don't. I'm not. I'm not judging that. But also, as a consumer and as a fan, I can say. Or. You know what I'm saying?
- [65:59]
Danielle Fishel
Yes. Not for me.
- [65:59]
Bubba Sparks
Congratulations. This is what I like. Yeah.
- [66:03]
Danielle Fishel
Well, you are still performing and releasing new music all the time. What is the biggest difference in the way you approach your art now?
- [66:12]
Bubba Sparks
Well, now I'm trying to, as I've gotten sober, you know, and, and I've got music industry trauma, you know, that spills over into like just my broader view of music in general. So I was slow to kick start my creativity again when I got sober. It's getting a lot better. I kind of just decided that I was just going to focus on sobriety and, and trust that process, you know, the 12 step process and all that. And, and, and kind of leave the other stuff up to the universe or God or however you want to look at that. And it's, it's worked well for me. You know, I do, I'm grateful and blessed to be able to still do, you know, a good number of shows and make a pretty good living doing that. And that's kind of just like living off the old stuff, you know what I mean? Which is cool because there's really no pressure in that. It's kind of like I just go watch a movie, you know, when I go through it. Because I work in a treatment center. I work at a treatment center here in, in Utah where I live. And yeah, I'm very active in, in service out here and trying to, you know, carry a message of hope to, to, to addicts and alcoholics who are still suffering. And, and that means a lot to me. And that's probably my first mission in life right now and. Because it was about me for a long time. Time. Yeah. You know, and it, and it being about me kind of just didn't turn out too well for me. And it works better when I seem to like, think about others and think about what I can do to pack into the stream of life and maybe help somebody else. It's weird how it works because that kind of ends up helping me and, and yeah, but, but I still am. You know, when I, when I go to create now, I don't like even up to like 40 something years old. Like I woke up every day thinking about creating music, you know, and it was easier to do that in addiction. It's like when I'm, when I'm in active addiction, my whole life is burning down around me.
- [68:28]
Danielle Fishel
Right.
- [68:29]
Bubba Sparks
And people are so worried about me, but I'm at peace because, because I'm inspired creatively. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, but then the flip side of that is because, but the whole, you know, unfortunately we need the rest, the other parts of our life, you know, your health and money and, you know, we need those things. And, but then I get sober and every other area of my life is Blossoming. My spirit is blossoming, but I'm. I'm not inspired creatively, you know what I'm saying? So it's just kind of. And so I've just been striving to try to find that balance, you know, it's so. So when I. I don't really wake up every day. And plus I just aged out of it to some degree. Even though I am a lifelong music man. Like, it's in me, not on me. But I enjoy taking trips to, to Louisville, where my. Where my manager and. And a person I create music with. Dusty Lee lives. And he has a studio at his house. I enjoy going there once every three or four months and locking in for a few days and working on music and trying to, you know, get re. Inspired with it. That's fun. It's like going on vacation or something, you know, Whereas that's really not the core of my life at this point, you know.
- [69:45]
Danielle Fishel
How long. What's the longest period of time you've ever been sober?
- [69:48]
Bubba Sparks
Right now? Well, no, I was actually sober for 17 years.
- [69:53]
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
- [69:54]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah. And then I turned 17.
- [69:59]
Danielle Fishel
Right. Okay. Those first 17 years. I get it. You know, I do. I want to tell you because I, as someone who hasn't had a sip of alcohol in eight years, it took me a long time, probably four years, four to five years of not drinking anything before I felt like I knew who I was in social situations and fun situations without having that crutch. And it was like every time there was a wedding to go to and I would think people go to weddings sober or whatever the event was. And, and it just. Yes, it took some time. So what I'm thinking as I'm hearing you talk is I think you will find that creative inspiration and that creative spark when you have. It's just going to take longer than you'd expect.
- [71:00]
Bubba Sparks
Yeah.
- [71:00]
Danielle Fishel
It's just not going to be there.
- [71:02]
Bubba Sparks
And I'm at peace with it and I'm in the process with it. And it is what it is. I'm kind of surrendered to. I'm not in the results business, you know what I'm saying? Like, I don't control results and outcomes and that. That's a tough pill for somebody as. As much of a freak for the illusion of control as I've been in my life. But we really don't control the, the results. All we can do is focus on the process, you know, and chances are, if I care enough about the process, each stop step of the way, I'm gonna have something at the valuable at the end of it because I cared about it so much all the way through the process that it just may not, the value may not be what I envisioned it was going to be, you know, but there will be value, you know, and just being cool with that, you know, like, you know, I, I, obviously we, as people, we don't, we really don't even know what we want want, you know, so. And we damn sure don't know what we need. You know what I mean? So it's like, you know, I'm just gonna try to take care of the small stuff day by day and, and, you know, try to live a good life. And, and, and I just believe that something good is going to come from it, you know, and, and if I, if I never find, I, I know the creative spark will return. I'm almost welcoming it being in some other area. Yeah, you know, I, you know, I always want to be. I owe so much to hip hop music and culture. I will forever be tapped in and connected to it. But it's been a long, long road, you know, and I'm, I'm completely open to being redirected towards something in another as far as, like, what my main source of creative inspiration is. Yeah.
- [72:52]
Danielle Fishel
Ooh, I wonder what it's going to be. I can't wait. I can't wait. I'm excited. I'm excited to watch your journey unfold.
- [72:58]
Bubba Sparks
Thank you, Daniel.
- [72:59]
Danielle Fishel
I'm not letting Bubba Sparks just walk off like that. I've got more to ask and a listener's embarrassing story to play. So check out a bonus episode this Friday on the dedicated Teen Beat feed. Because he is sticking around. All you have to do is search for Teen Beat wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe. That way you never miss another episode. And don't forget to check out teenbeatpod.com for a wide array of Teen Beat merch. Teen Beat is an Iheart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sudbaksh. The theme song is by Mark Hoppus. Yes, that Mark Hoppus. Follow us on Instagram. Teenbeatpop Pod.
- [73:47]
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Danielle Fishel
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