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Xzibit |
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Booking >> |
After seven years and three albums you'd think you know
someone. You'd figure you've been checking his rhymes and
diving deep into his flow, and would have some insight into
his mind.
One would think, but when it comes to Xzibit, one would be
dead wrong. That's because on his fourth album MAN VS.
MACHINE (Loud/Columbia), the West Coast warrior blows the
lid off preconceptions of what an Xzibit release should and
can sound like.
Featuring production from heavyweights like Ric Rock, Bink,
Rockwilder, Erick Sermon, DJ Premier and Dr Dre, who also
served as Executive Producer, and boasting cameos from the
Golden State Project (aka Ras Kass, Sincere, and Saafir),
Snoop Dogg, Dre, Anthony Hamilton, M.O.P., Nate Dogg, and
Eminem, MAN VS. MACHINE is Xzibit's assault ratcheted up
several notches. Tough, smart, focused, bass-blessed,
funkdafied, and full-out hardcore, MAN VS. MACHINE is not
only a side of Xzibit that he's never exposed, it's also the
hottest album of his career.
The title is a signal that Xzibit has something new up his
sleeve. "MAN VS. MACHINE embodies what I think struggle is,
"Xzibit explains". My personal life and what the industry
expects of me and what I want to do. "Machine" seemed the
best word because it represents everything I go up against
and struggle with, as an artist and a man. There's a
tremendous amount of growth on this album, because if you
don't show growth you run the risk of losing momentum and
after the success of “Restless” (2000), I didn't want to do
that. So this time, I experimented. I have a soul song. A
song that uses opera. I just got real personal, because I
can't rap about the same shit I did when I was 18. I'm
trying to grow with my audience."
The creativity that can rise out of growth and struggle is
evident in the way Xzibit has divided the album up into both
"Man" and "Machine" elements. The "Man" side gives Xzibit an
opportunity to lace fans with hard-hitting beats and
close-to-the-bone sentiment. When asked why he waited so
long to showcase this more introspective aspect of his
persona, Xzibit is honest: "Because it was important for me
to hold back until I had the audience's attention. There's
nothing worse then saying something important and not being
heard. After the success I've enjoyed I knew that I had the
support to give fans a glimpse of what makes me tick."
Xzibit's growth is heard on tracks like the soul drenched "Gambler"
(produced by Bink), featuring vocalist Anthony Hamilton and
the emotional "Missin' U," produced by Ric Rock and
featuring Andre Wilson. "Missin' U" speaks about the death
of Xzibit's mother and the choices he had to make. "I was so
young when my mother passed and I know my life could have
had me on either some destroyed shit or made me stronger.
Thank God, it made me stronger."
Another facet of the "Man" side is the rugged "Release
Date." Produced by Rockwilder, "Release Date" breaks down
the gritty day-to-day realities of a man serving a five year
bid in the California prison system. Like "Missing You,"
"Release Date" was drawn from reality, taking its
inspiration from Xzibit's brother who has been incarcerated
for ten years. And speaking of "the man," "What A Mess"
teams Xzibit up with the legendary D.J. Premier. A perfect
blend of Xzibit's rough and ready rhymes and Primo's deep
grooves, "What A Mess" is another indication of Xzibit's
maturity. "This was the first time I’d travelled to the East
and worked with producers there," Xzibit says. "They
embraced me what I was trying to do and it was all lovely
since everyone came together and complimented each other."
The "Machine" makes its presence felt on cuts like "Symphony
in X Major." Featuring Dre, the track, laughs Xzibit, is "Crazy!
It's gonna fuck people up!"
Equally bananas is the up-tempo and bouncy "Break Yourself"
and "Harder," which gives Xzibit's group Golden State a
chance to shine. As one might expect from a Who's Who of Los
Angelinos talent "Harder" is pure Cali chaos and seriously
off the hook.
After doing time as an unsigned hero of the LA underground,
Xzibit got his first taste of mass appeal when, in 1995, he
toured with Likwit Crew, an ad hoc group that included Tha
Liks, Defari and King Tee. The following year Xzibit signed
to Loud Records and released “At the Speed of Life” which
gave folks access to his uncut artistry and mic technique.
His sophomore CD “40 Dayz and 40 Nightz” followed in '98
while the video for the single "What You See Is What You Get"
held the #1 position 6 weeks consecutively on BET's "Rap
City," breaking the network's record. Xzibit followed that
up with an attention grabbing cameo on Snoop Dogg's "B
Please," and the Dr Dre-produced track helped take Xzibit to
the next level.
That level was “Restless” (2000). Yet another project with
Dre, the RIAA platinum-certified “Restless” would become the
biggest selling CD of Xzibit's career and the video for the
explosive single "X" became a staple on both BET and MTV.
Xzibit's singular "slanguage" also caught the ear of his
fellow artists and lead to several high profile
collaborations with Eminem, De La Soul, Fred Durst, Erick
Sermon and Korn's Jonathan Davis.
Xzibit also took his skills to the stage and participated in
the hugely successful "Anger Management" and "Up In Smoke"
tours. After getting off the road, Xzibit spent time with
his son and then focused in on the task at hand: recording
MAN VS. MACHINE. With expectations running high, Xzibit made
sure his mind and body were prepared for his next move. "I
spent time bettering myself. I got on some crazy workout
shit, limited my drinking and smoking and dropped 25 pounds.
I trained for this album like I was training for a fight. I
haven't had this much energy since high school. I feel
good."
If Xzibit feels good, he's sounding even better. Armed with
a new determination and bolstered by the respect he's earned,
Xzibit re-enters the ring packing punches that will make
your head nod and your body rock. Xzibit will embark on a
sequel to the Anger Management tour next fall with Eminem,
Papa Roach, and Ludacris. Asked how he views MAN VS. MACHINE,
Xzibit is forthright: "I love this album. I take my music
very seriously and to heart."
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DJ Blackmusic