Bubba Sparxxx, the southern rap veteran behind the 2001 hit “Ugly”, threw down the gauntlet, stating his desire to record a track with Slim Shady within the next year. He also remembered a heartfelt encounter with Marshall in the early 2000s.
Bubba recently revealed on “B High Atl” that this one meeting with Em left a lasting impression. Back in 2003, during the Anger Management Tour, Bubba met Eminem at a post-show gathering. This was the prime 50 Cent era, so the atmosphere was electric. Imagine Bubba walking into a room full of hip-hop royalty – Dr. Dre, T.I., Bizarre (who actually appeared in Bubba’s first video) – and then getting pulled aside to meet Eminem himself!
Security for Em was intense, and after navigating multiple layers, Bubba found Eminem listening to a Tupac song, specifically a reworked version of “Hail Mary”.
After the song finished, Eminem dropped a line on Bubba that’s stuck with him ever since. Here’s how Bubba described it:
He said something… one of the most complimentary things anybody’s ever said to me. And it took me a while, days, to really put it in perspective and understand exactly what he was saying. He said, ‘I got nothing but good things to say about you”. I said, that’s mutual, man. I said, I really appreciate it. He said, “Look, if there had never been a me, I don’t know if you would have made it. But you deserve to make it whether there was ever a me or not”. Something like that. I forgot what the exact word he said. But I remember he said it in a way where he kind of had me messed up for the rest of the night. ’Cause I was like, what is he saying though? I don’t feel like he was disrespectful. But what was he saying?
Bubba went on to explain that Eminem acknowledged the industry’s perception – that Bubba’s success might be attributed to the rise of white rappers. However, Eminem flipped the script, essentially saying:
Look, if there had never been a me, I don’t know if you would have made it. But you deserve to make it whether there was ever a me or not.
This encounter left Bubba pondering his place in the rap game. While initially confused by Eminem’s words, Bubba eventually realised it was a powerful compliment. He understood that Em was recognising Bubba’s talent and potential, independent of trends or comparisons.
It hit me when I was able to get that moment of clarity. He was saying that like, “Yeah, everybody might say that you made it because of me, ’cause they started signing up white boys. But whether there was ever me or not, you could have been me”.
Would you be excited about the Eminem x Bubba Sparxxx collab? Leave a word in the comments!
