Thursday, March 16, 2006

Bubba Sparxxx Responds To 'Booty' Controversy

Rapper Bubba Sparxxx has responded to the growing controversy surrounding his new video and single, "Ms. New Booty."
A videoclip for "Ms. New Booty," which features The Ying Yang Twins, recently premiered on BET's 106th & Park countdown show and quickly entered into the Top 10.
The song was produced by Mr. Collipark, the hit producer who has crafted hits for Lil' Jon, The Ying Yang Twins,
Young Jeezy, David Banner and others is currently #5 on Billboard's Hot Rap Tracks single's chart.
The video features Bubba Sparxxx as a Home
TV spokesman and door-to-door salesman "for a miracle new product" that enhances a woman's "booty."
"Ms. New Booty to me, is about a woman who exudes confidence and does her thing with a swagger that's unique to her and only her," Sparxxx explained to AllHipHop.com. "You take a woman, she's a flower waiting to bloom. Sometimes you meet a woman, a woman that maybe most people don't see her beauty. You know with some adjustments you can bring her beauty out."
Sparxxx explanation comes amidst criticism of the song and an accompanying website that was being marketed, www.msnewbooty.com.
The site allowed 18-and-up fans of the song to enter into a seven-week contest seeking to award "Ms. New Booty" with a part in a new Bubba Sparxxx video.
The site, which is currently down, allowed users to upload pictures to a "Booty Gallery" for viewers, who could vote for "Ms. New Booty," as well as access Sparxxx's official site.
A widely read statement titled Radio: The New Child Predator by Paul Porter and Lisa Fagers of IndustryEars.com was circulated, criticizing the video.
IndustryEars bills itself as "consortium of entertainment and broadcast industry professionals, dedicated to promoting justice in the media."
The statement labeled the song and the marketing of the website as "another conduit to sex, pornography and misogyny aimed at children."
"The government fails to arrest or acknowledge these corporate child predators," Porter and Fagin wrote. "The Federal Communications Commission states, 'It is illegal to broadcast sexually explicit content between 6am -10pm daily.' Meanwhile the 'Ms. New Booty' contest is promoted on radio between the most listened to times for 12-17 year olds (6pm-10pm). The internet has pornographic websites, now radio stations that target the youngest demographic help and direct children straight to them."
Porter and Fagin urged those offended by the video to contact FCC commissioner Kevin Martin and voice their dismay.
"Ms. New Booty" is taken from Sparxxx's upcoming New South/Purple Ribbon/Virgin album, The Charm, scheduled to drop on April 4, 2006.
The album features production by Timbaland, Organized Noize Productions, Purple Ribbon label head and OutKast member Big Boi, Heatmakers, Mr. DJ & Slimm Jim, Basement Beat and Mr. Collipark.
So So Def CEO and Virgin's President of Urban, Jermaine Dupri, weighed in on the song.
"People are just really overreacting," Dupri told AllHipHop.com. "It's just feel good music. We at Virgin are in no way promoting sex or whatever these media outlets continue to print."
Sparxxx agreed with Dupri's assessment.
"It's for the clubs. It's for females to feel good about. It's for men to feel good about. There's nothing negative going on about it. I'm a little hurt that anyone could take offense to this song. It's all about that new chick that's been hurt and making her the best she can be. You put the word 'booty' on there and every body says it's disrespect."