XZIBIT INTERVIEW by Joanna Chaundy
XZIBIT TALKS ABOUT HIS ALBUM, 8 MILE & ANNE ROBINSON!!

After seven years and three albums, Xzibit is back with ‘Man Vs machine’. The album shows a side to Xzibit that people haven’t seen before and is probably his best yet.
It features production from heavyweights such as, Rockwilder, Bink, Ric Rock, Erick Sermon, DJ Premier and none other than Dr Dre who also served as Executive Producer on Xzibit’s group, the ‘Golden State Project’ (aka Ras Kass, Sincere and Saafir).
I’m at the Grovesnor House hotel in Mayfair to interview the man himself.
As I step out the lift, the potent smell of weed leads the way to the room (this is after I’ve been told by the record company that he’s cut down on smoking!)

Xzibit is sitting in a suite with one of his boys, drinking tea! Not a sight I expected to see, but hey, at least he’s feeling at home.

He’s a lot smaller then I imagined and surprisingly quiet compared to the Xzibit we know and love on record. The interview starts off a little drily. It’s hard to get him to say more than just, “yes”, “no”, “mmmm” and the occasional nodding and shaking of the head. I’m starting to think that X certainly doesn’t stand for ‘Xcitement’. But after breaking the ice, I seem to draw more and more blood from the stone and he warms up completely.

He’s been touring the UK and seems to be having a great time. “Glasgow! Them muthafuckas know how to drink, man!” he says with enthusiasm.
I mention the first track of the album, ‘Release Date.’ Produced by Rockwilder, to me this track is lyrically superb and by far the best. “It took me about two hours to write that rap,” he says modestly. “Release Date is usually what people say around the release of an album but I wanted to take a deeper meaning to that.” For those of you that can’t guess, ‘Release Date’ is about the day he gets released from prison. But is this based on personal experience? “Naaah nah nah hell no! I aint good behind bars,” he states. “I don’t function well.” So I ask if he has taken experiences from others. “Yeah, I got a brother that’s been locked down for ten years, so a lot of lingo, a lot of mannerisms of convicts, you know, are gonna come across on this song. So for you to pick up on that, that’s tite!”

Rockwilder, who has produced tracks for artists such as Red and Meth, really seems to be smashing it this year. “We always gon’ continue a good working relationship with Rockwilder. All the producers I work with, I’ve got some kind of connection with along the line.”

I have to ask why the track produced by DJ Premier was put on a bonus CD rather than the actual album. “It was just a selection process. We had about forty songs from Man Vs Machine and could only select sixteen. You try to shuffle it around,” he laughs. But I stick to my guns in saying that it ‘IS’ Premier. Xzibit laughs and I now feel more relaxed with him.

Every successful artist seems to have his or her own record label nowadays, so why should Xzibit be any different? ‘Open Bar Entertainment’ will see the release of Xzibit’s group, Golden State Project’s debut album. “I think it’s gonna be a good move. We’ve been waiting a long time to get it out and now that it’s comin’, it’s gonna be a real strong push for the Westcoast.” You may also notice that Xzibit has become very Eminem- affiliated. Not only is Paul Rosenberg his manager now as well, he also stars in the highly acclaimed ‘8 Mile’ (due for release in January), alongside Eminem, who is tipped for an Oscar! “That’s beautiful, good for him man,” he says with complete sincerity.

I ask him how he found acting. “It’s easy, cause it’s basically like being in the studio, doing take after take after take.” But Xzibit doesn’t seem too keen on being one of those rapper turned actor types. “I don’t wanna play no stereotypical shit! ‘I’m a gangsta’ bla bla bla” he says, mimicking holding two guns. “I wanna play something that’s gonna take me outta the genre I’m already in.”

On that note, I mention the fact that he took part in the ‘Hip Hop Weakest Link’ special, in the States. Yes, you did hear correctly, Xzibit joined artists such as, Nate Dogg, DJ Quik, B-Real, Young MC, Da Brat and Jermaine Dupri, to be verbally abused by our very own Anne Robinson. Word on the street is that she winked more at Xzibit than anyone else. “She was hittin’ on me man! She was eyeballin’ me. I was like, ‘are you seeing this Nate Dogg?’. Nate Dogg was right next to me”.
So who was the weakest link? “JERMAINE DUPRI”! he shouts. “The weakest of weak of the weakest link.” Then his mate suddenly says, “for the WHOLE week!” Hysterical laughter fills the room and I get the feeling they think Jermaine Dupri is not the sharpest tool in the box.
We discuss the fact that hip hop artists are starting to cross over to mainstream. For example, Christina Aguilera’s new single features Redman. At this, a look of disgust is shared between Xzibit and his friend. So I ask what he thinks about the single. “DON’T TRY IT!” he warns, we’re not here to talk about Redman and Christina Aguilera.”

I detect some hostility there, but who knows? I rephrase in asking if ‘he’ would do a single with her, which was abundantly followed by “NO! Cause I didn’t like what she had on at the VMA’s man! There was no consideration!” he says sarcastically. Xzibit isn’t the type to do a single with a pop artist just for the money like some. “I don’t even live in that world.”
As we conclude the interview, he asks me to teach him some English slang. We get on to the phrase ‘The Dogs Bollocks’, which Xzibit finds absolutely hilarious. So much so, that he has a coughing fit while repeating it over and over. "I’m gonna say that on stage tonight! But if I get boooed, I’m gon’ find you!” he laughs.

To my absolute surprise, that night at the Forum in Kentish Town, the man opened his show, by yelling, “LONDON! YOU’RE THE DOGS BOLLOCKS!” for which I rated him. The show was completely rammed and Xzibit tore the roof off. I am yet to see a bad performance from Xzibit live and I am pretty sure I never will. Ten out of ten for the gig; he certainly lived up to his newly-learnt English slang.

http://www.so-urban.com/xzibit