Bubba Sparxxx and DJ Greg Street: The New South

For The New South Bubba Sparxxx and DJ Greg Street compiled some of the scene’s brightest acts (and gave Sparxxx nearly 1/3 of the disc for his cuts). The result is a coherent and well-sequenced mix, but it’s not revelatory. Whether it’s fortuitous or carefully calculated, Sparxxx provides the highlights here — aside from the dud “She Got Me Like (Ahh S***)” — leaving his shadow over the up-and-comers he’s promoting. Fans of the New South sound will find plenty to enjoy here, but this disc certainly isn’t a compendium of future superstars. Most of the tracks are highly functional and there’s little worth skipping here; there’s also not enough that’s going to break anyone. Producer Looney Tunez provides one of the best beats, but Hustle Boy and Jim Jones blow it with dull, acquisitive rhymes. That said, there are a few artists and tracks to keep an eye on, particularly J. Money (“1st Name Last Name”) abd 6’6″ 240 (“Up to No Good” featuring Playboy, with a restrained beat from 95). The compilation makes a nice sampler for the target audience, but it’s not as memorable as you’d hope.