Producers: Timbaland, Organized Noize For ONP, Inc.

Recorded at The Dungeon and Zac Recording, Atlanta, Georgia; Manhattan Center Studios, New York, New York; The Hit Factory, Miami, Florida; The Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Personnel: Bubba Sparxxx (vocals, background vocals); Timbaland (vocals, programming, drum programming); Sleepy Brown (vocals, background vocals); Brandon Bennett, Kiley Dean, Attitude, Big Rube (vocals); Bill Pettaway, Paul Blake, Tomi Martin, Ben Kenney (guitar); Austin Clark (steel guitar, fiddle); Matt Cappy (trumpet); Jeff Bradshaw (trombone); Parris Bowen (keyboards); George "Spanky" McCurdy (drums); Tye Tribbett & G.A. (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Jimmy Douglass; Timbaland.

Recording information: Hit Factory Studios, Miami, FL; Manhattan Center Studios, New York, NY; The Dungeon, Atlanta, GA; The Studio, Philadelphia, PA; ZAC Recording Studio, Atlanta, GA.

Photographers: Estavan Oriol; Anthony Mandler.

"A lot a y'all was thinkin' that Bubba'd probably disappear," Bubba Sparxxx says on "Hootnanny," one of the better cuts from his sophomore effort, Deliverance. "In due time, but there's business left to tend to/I need another farm to bequeath my next of kin to." He goes on to suggest other things haters might have had him doing after his unlikely 2001 success, like buying a second pig, or relaxing in a brand new double wide. All of this plays out over typically skittering Timbaland beats that feature the added spice of regional colloquialism. Like swampland oozing from cracked city pavement, or a still set up under the steps of the 42nd Street subway station, Tim and fellow producers Organized Noize continuously recast Deliverance's songs of the South in their particular brand of shimmering, percussive urbanity. Ultramodern beats flatten out under harmonica, acoustic guitar, and fiddle; "Comin' Round" even integrates the plaintive chorus of Yonder Mountain String Band's "To See You Coming 'Round the Bend" into its pattering patois of beats and bumpkinism. Of the Organized Noize tracks, the brassy funk of "Like It or Not" -- featuring that crew's Sleepy Brown -- is the standout. It rolls on a razor-sharp '70s-collar vibe, and relates the tale of a typical Saturday night cruise into the ATL. For his part, Sparxxx is still a skilled, yet limited MC who too often lets his beats do the talking. 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. He seems to have plenty to say; Bubba's newly slim in the album's bowie knife-brandishing photo spread, which might account for the numerous mentions of how much action he's been getting. But mostly, Sparxxx still brings it in his particular Southern playalistic style, with his "fishin' pole and bottle of 'shine." Deliverance works best on the title track, "Comin' Round," and the family shout-out "Jimmy Mathis" -- as long as Sparxxx is trumping up his "New South" mantra, he might as well keep Timbaland's decks out on the front porch, where the beats can gleam in the humidity, and further his folky, funky flow. ~ Johnny Loftus

Athens, Georgia's first superstar MC, Bubba Sparxxx, returns with this highly impressive offering. Under the guidance of producer/mentor Timbaland, Bubba's follow-up to 2001's DARK DAYS, BRIGHT NIGHTS finds the white rapper elevating his game to a whole new level. While this can most obviously be attributed to Timbaland's stunningly inventive fusion of country and hip-hop, credit also goes out to Bubba himself. Focusing on more sobering subject matter, Bubba proves that an MC can be frank and honest yet still maintain an air of hardness. "Comin' Round," "She Tried," and "Deliverance" find Bubba exploring matters of lower-class conflict, including fatherhood and lost love. Outkast collaborators Organized Noize provide electrifying backup tracks on "New South" and "Back in the Mud," two anthems that showcase Bubba's ability to speak for an entire culture. With such strong performances by Bubba and Timbaland, DELIVERANCE is a work of two artists at their musical prime. A new South, indeed.