Bubba Sparxxx

Mathis grew up in a rural area near LaGrange, Georgia. His father was a school bus driver, and his mother was a grocery store cashier. His closest neighbor, who lived half a mile away, introduced him to rap music through mixtapes mailed from New York City. The music of 2 Live Crew was his introduction to hip hop; he began listening to West Coast gangsta rap such as N.W.A and Too Short and the Atlanta duo Outkast. With rapping as a hobby, he was a tight end and linebacker for his high school\'s football team and earned All-Region honors in his senior year. Steve Herndon, a former offensive lineman for the NFL\'s Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos, played football with him during high school, according to an interview with Down-South.com. In 2007, he moved to Tampa, Florida.\n', '

In 1996, he moved to Athens, Georgia, where he met industry veteran (and now manager and business partner) Bo…