Deliverance | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Bubba Sparxxx | ||||
Released | September 16, 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2002–03 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 61:56 | |||
Label |
|
|||
Producer | ||||
Bubba Sparxxx chronology | ||||
|
||||
Singles from Deliverance | ||||
|
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 82/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
The Guardian | |
HipHopDX | 3.5/5 |
Rolling Stone | |
Stylus Magazine | A |
USA Today | |
Vibe | 4/5 |
Deliverance is the second album by American rapper Bubba Sparxxx. It was released on September 16, 2003, by Beat Club and Interscope Records. It was produced by Timbaland and Organized Noize. The album debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 with 64,500 copies sold in the first week released. Although this album was only moderately successful, selling around 350,000 copies, it is regarded by many critics such as The Source, Hip Hop Connection and more mainstream magazines such as Q to be something of a landmark in hip-hop music. The album's main strength according to critics was that it embraced Sparxxx's grass roots, with production heavily influenced by country music and similar musical styles. This influence is evident on tracks such as "Comin' Round" which sampled its chorus from a track by the bluegrass group Yonder Mountain String Band, leadout single "Jimmy Mathis" which is led by a catchy harmonica tune from the Area Code 615 track "Stone Fox Chase", and "She Tried" led by a washboard rhythm section and a mellow fiddle sound.
Deliverance spawned two hit singles, "Back in the Mud" and "Deliverance". In 2010, Rhapsody included it in its list of "The 10 Best Albums By White Rappers". "Back in the Mud" was also featured on the Madden NFL 2004 soundtrack.
Deliverance received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 17 reviews. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic said, "Sure, his collaborators have some of the best beats in the business. But they can't always take up the slack when Bubba's raps start to wither in the heat." Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club said, "Mixes hip-hop and country with ease and grace." Michael Endelman of Entertainment Weekly said, "A sober rumination about life in the poor, white, rural South." Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian said, "An intense, brooding piece of work." Matt Cibula of PopMatters said, "He and his producers have constructed a monument to this New New New South. And you don't really have to believe in it in order to appreciate what a great record this is."