New Xzibit interview at Allhiphop

[NillerTheKid]

http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2010/03/08/22142319.aspx

Xzibit has been a staple in on the West coast Hip-Hop's landscape since he hit the scene even though he was born in Detroit, and lived for a time in New Mexico. Since his 1996 debut At the Speed of Life  X to the Z has been speeding along with 40 Dayz and 40 Nightz, the platinum-selling Restless, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and his last album, 2006’s Full Circle.

Nevertheless, with all of his Hip-Hop accolades, he's most widely recognized around the world as Mr. Pimp My Ride. While there aren’t many that want to see X’s return to reality TV, his core fans are certainly clamoring over his return to rhyme. MMX is the new album and he’s also plucked a new management team, Stampede Management. AllHipHop recently crashed a video shoot, produced by Skee.TV and breakout director, Matt Alonzo, for his upcoming videos, "Hurt Locker" and "Phenom" to see what the new decade brings Xzibit.

AllHipHop.com: It’s been eight years since I last interviewed you. You were about to release Man Vs. Machine. I was re-reading our interview and your head was in a place of determination like you had something to prove and I got a glimpse of that with the scene you just shot. Tell me what’s your state of mind going into this latest project.

Xzibit: My state of mind right now as far as the determination, that’s still the same. I think as long as I'm breathing I'm always gonna have the same drive and as long as I can physically keep up with my drive I think I'll be in good shape. But my life has taken a few different turns since 2002 and you know a lot of things have happened that were unexpected, you know? The movies, television was something that I never thought about it was different time back then but music is the best way I can communicate and I feel like if I can make all of them work than more power to me.

AllHipHop.com: I admit although I'm not mad at you as an emcee I think I like you as an actor because I'm usually surprised when I see you in a role, you play some different characters?

Xzibit: Yeah, I like to keep ‘em guessing. I' think one of the best things to ever happen to me and my career was underestimation. You give me enough lee-way and I take a mile not an inch. But I like when people don't expect me to do things because when I do it, its looked at on the value of my performance and that’s all I want to be judged on.

AllHipHop.com: You had already kinda established your self as a rapper and then MTV comes along with “Pimp My Ride,” how did that change the game for you?

Xzibit: I mean it was so unexpected, no body knew “Pimp My Ride” was gonna do what it did. I'm still amazed by the demographic that show reached, in how many countries and how many people identify with that show.

AllHipHop.com: I think we both know Hip-Hop can be pretty critical, do you think doing that show took some of your Hip-Hop cred away?
Xzibit: To a degree, but I believe that different people are held to different standards and I appreciate that. I come from a street based introduction to the game and that’s how I carry myself. This is where I come from but because I come from an urban or whatever environment you want to say is street, doesn't mean I can’t translate it to being a human being and be able to articulate myself. And be a common man and be able to identify with the masses, so it doesn't matter to me when people say, “Oh he’s not this because he's not doing that,” ya know? I don't know anybody on this earth who doesn't want to change or do better.

AllHipHop.com: Can you really be a “common man” and be a public figure?

Xzibit: Yes you can, because I've been through real life scenarios. I've been humbled greatly from a time where I thought everything was great and on top of the world when really I was [actually] neglecting and not taking care of what was really supposed to be important. So a lot of things have changed around and made me grow up as a man, as a father and that’s what its all about. Knowing who I am.

AllHipHop.com: So what is your new music telling us about who you are right now?

Xzibit: Right now it just feels good to be making music period, the energy from that initial start off is what your hearing now but the album is consistent with my other albums in that I always give a lot of myself and its very personal. Very insightful [but] it’s not just a bunch of party records although it has that energy to it. I know I have to be competitive. The album is called MMX which is the Roman numeral for 2010 and it’s a very timely album for me because its been a couple years since I've put out a studio album.

AllHipHop.com: Its not an easy transition going from the old way of doing things to the new landscape of Hip-Hop especially when you take a break from it, do you find its tougher to find your footing?

Xzibit: No I think its great because it gives the power back to the artist, the middle man is essentially cut out of the way and I like that. I like the power being put back in the hands of the artist, now its up to us to be more active our careers and take advantage of all the free publicity and media and take advantage of the way people spread music.

AllHipHop.com: What have been some of your biggest lessons along your journey?

Xzibit: Wow. That life is short.

AllHipHop.com: Absolutely, I was sorry to hear about the loss of your baby and even as I re-read our past interview you spoke so highly of your oldest son and how you attribute all that you do to him and for him so I would imagine that was one of your humbling lessons you mentioned before, correct?

Xzibit: Yes. Definitely the passing of Xavier was something that was unnatural for me and my family. It’s never a good thing to lose someone, but for a parent to bury a child that’s just not a natural occurrence.

AllHipHop.com: That was a horrible for time especially for you and King-T who had also lost his daughter around the same time.

Xzibit: Yes, it was around the same time me, Tela could identify and Dr. Dre had just lost his son at the same time too may they rest in peace, it was tough.

AllHipHop.com: Is that what made you take some time away?

Xzibit: It was a combination of things. You know I’ve been making music for over a decade so I felt like it was ok for me to take some time out for my family and make sure everybody was alright and take some time for myself. And gather my thoughts and not come out here all scatter brained and say something that can be perceived incorrectly or say something out of anger or spite or just plain not being in the right state of mind.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of the past decade that you've been rapping, when you started it wasn't just Xzibit.

Xzibit: It was Xzibit A, and I used to rap on KUNM. It was a college radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico and all they used to do was play instrumentals and let people rap and that’s what I did.

AllHipHop.com: That’s funny, but I was thinking of a time when it was you and Rass Kass and Saafir or even the Likwit Crew. How are you with everyone now?

Xzibit: Me and Rass are still very close. I talk to Saafir all the time too, we're still very close.

AllHipHop.com: Saafir was so dope.

Xzibit: Saafir is still dope although I haven't heard any music from him in awhile but we talk on the phone a lot, I'm still cool with all of the people I've made music with and made moves with.

AllHipHop.com: The Alkaholiks?

Xzibit: Yea we speak, that’s important to me. We don't speak often but we speak.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think there was a time when things were at their peak that you changed as a person?

Xzibit: Oh yeah! Come on, man. I was 25 when I made my first million dollars. I was rapping since I was 13 years old and had Dr. Dre produce my record, and I was on the radio every 5 minutes. I was on 50 records and “b***h Please” was playing all over. We were on tour and I was riding a low-rider across the stage, ni**as was taking pictures and I had my own two buses, cell phones, man. Of course I was a d**khead, ya know what I'm saying?  You believe the world is your oyster and you are cracking!

AllHipHop.com: So what was your reality check?

Xzibit: First of all, when you're on top of the world and you feel like success is happening and you're doing well there’s always something that brings you back down to earth. And that thing for me was my family and a lot of things happening with my father's health and money can’t help you when you sitting in the hospital. And things are tough and you got people in your face asking for pictures and you just crash like, “Come on, man, this is not the place or the time, I need this time for my people.” And also just doing Pimp My Ride and really [I just] wanted to do my music, it all happened so fast.

AllHipHop.com: when you approach music do you approach it conceptually at first or is it built around the music.

Xzibit: Nope when I approach music is totally different then when I used to approach it on my other albums its a whole new formula a whole new format. Musically the way i write is the same because sometimes i write with a beat w/o a beat but I always writ it on paper. I'm not one of these new fangled rappers who don't have to write sh*t down or put it in their blackberry I'm old school. Whats gonna happen in the Hip-hop Hall of Fame when rappers have to put their blackberry's in because they never wrote stuff down on paper (laughs) I want lyric sheets.

AllHipHop.com: What about producers, do you pick specific producers to tell a particular story?

Xzibit: Nope, you don't need a name. You need a beat.

[Invincible]

Cool interview. +1

[you gon always be my latin queen bitch]

he said the same stuff in this 1 that he has n others....