XZIBIT...ANOTHA INTERVISTA

[myrealname]

Xzibit happens to be one of the most loved MC’s in the game. From that very first song, "Paparazzi," you knew he was special. Admit it. When he dropped his last banger, Restless, you cheered as one of the West Coast’s favorite sons finally got his just do. Allhiphop.com chatted with X while he visited New York shortly after the World Trade towers were annihilated in a colossal mound of steel, glass, asbestos and flesh. Somehow, X managed to make everybody around him feel good amid calamity. Let's go.


Allhiphop: Last year, you dropped right in the middle of the Christmas rush, and you did real well, obviously you did double platinum. How does that feel? Is this your first platinum album?

Xz: Hell yeah. (laughs.) Yeah!

AHH: Not only double, but just platinum period.

Xz: Yeah. Platinum period man. Being part of that whole Up in Smoke tour pushed me, the whole 2001, the whole Marshal Mathers, Snoop Dog. Man, all that shit was just a humongous push when I put Restless out. I mean, I love that album, but I definitely know that we can smash it harder than that. Because we was in the middle of recording Snoop’s album, promoting that, being on the road, doing tours, recording state-to-state. It was rough man, but we pulled it together, and I appreciate all the support I got from that shit.

AHH: Okay. What’s up with the DVD? I’ve seen little clips of it.

Xz: Well (coughs), the DVD spans from after Up in Smoke tour. And we took like eight months and just went behind the screens. That was the Anger Management tour, we went over to Europe and we just cracking.

AHH: Okay. So let’s talk about you from "Paparazzi," your first song, until now. How have you changed and evolved? Album-wise, I’ve seen you change. How would you describe that?

Xz: My first album was just me introducing myself to the game. I really didn’t have any real structure or guidance in putting that album together. That was just me, raw in the studio, here’s a couple cuts…put some shit together. My first real song that I put out was "Paparazzi." And that did exceptionally well. For the first impact, it was a big one. And after that, 40 Days and 40 Nights, I started working with the same producer consistently throughout the whole album. So say Jinx (DJ, producer from LA) stepped in and we made 40 Days and 40 Nights. That’s still one of my favorite albums. When Restless came in, it was still the same formula with Dr. Dre. And learning some stuff from him, and being involved as an artist. As I get older, as I experience life, I try to take my listeners through my process with me. I’m still working with Dr. Dre on Man Versus Machine (the new album), and it’s still cracking.

AHH: what’s the title of the new album mean? What’s that all about?

Xz: Man versus Machine, man… I thought it was fitting because I feel as though its all type of shit we up against. Not only as artist, not only as men, as individuals. I know I’m not unique in my situation, so everybody is they own person, and everybody has their own obstacles and shit like that. So that’s my way of looking at it. It’s a corporate world, corporate machine we got to battle. It’s a social machine we got to battle. It’s all type of shit, so I’m attacking it on that type of level.

AHH: In general, you got a lot of rappers are turning 30 now, like Jay, Puff. A lot of rappers are getting older. Maturing. You think the Hip-Hop industry is evolving with it?

Xz: Definitely. Man, we went from millions to billions. We went from BET to VH1. We smashing shit. You know what I’m saying. And it’s going to continue to grow. And I think that our generation has learned from the mistakes that our parents made. We control the music. We not lettingthe msic get taken off into some Disney Land type shit. Some people go there, (laughs), but for the most part, we control the majority of it. And that works for me and I feel comfortable with that. And hopefully the grabs don’t slip no time in the future. And we can continue to see it grow and be an important part of where this music goes. Because it’s like communication, for everybody. If you don’t watch TV, if you don’t get on the internet, if you walk outside-you gonna hear some music. You gonna hear something. So, it’s all like that. We gonna continue to be here. And even if something happened, I believe that hip-hop is so big and so a part of us that it could never be buried.

AHH: What about the song you did with Golden State. You said a lot of deep stuff on that song on the Training Day soundtrack. Does that represent something in terms of what the album is going to be about?

Xz: I always try to say something.

AHH: what is Open Bar entertainment all about?

Xz: It’s a joint venture with Columbia and Loud Records. We coming through. The first platinum album from Open Bar Entertainment is going to be myself, Ras Kass, and Safir - the Golden State project, the album is called The Coast is Clear. We are doing a lot of work on Man versus Machine to introduce the group.

AHH: Let’s talk about some gang-related material. You got with Dub C on the remix of "Get Your Walk On" and you do quite a good Crip walk. So what’s the deal with you and the whole Crip thing? Are you a Crip?

Xz: No see, I ain’t gonna bring all that up into the game. I roll with Snoop. I’m from the West coast. Affiliated with both sides of the fence. I got people that red-rag it, I got people that blue-rag it. And I’ve walked that fine line, I never been affiliated with any specific Crip gang. And I’m not about to start crippin’ in my motherfucker 20’s. Like some of these niggas is tryna do. Niggas’ is 35 years old, starting to Crip. Ridiculous. But when I represent my shit, I’m definitely well endorsed, well taken care of.

AHH: So how has your life changed since you went double platinum? The chips started to come in?

Xz: Nah man….starting? Man, I would have been pissed if they just started to come in! (laughs) Nah, I’m good man, I’m good. For me, it really ain’t gonna change who I am. I can send my son to a nice school, I can pay my bills and I can provide a nice environment for my family. That’s all it is to me. Ya know?
AHH: What about Loud. Are they doing you alright?

Xz: Ok, next question. (laughs)

AHH: (Laughs) What do you think about all the terriosts attacks and anthrax that’s still going around?

Xz: Fuck man!! Fuck man!! Fuck!!

AHH: What?!? You don’t want to hear about that? (laughs)

Xz: Nah man! I’m stressed our about it. (laughs) let’s deal with it on our level. Because all the shit that going on is way over our heads. All that political shit. But you got us Americans, that’s raised off of hamburgers and video games. Then you got these motherfuckers, that’s raised off starvation, religion and living with AK’s and shit. And diving through rocks and shit. And getting bombed on since they were born. We are about to get fucked up! Cause they exposing us to a whole type of warfare that we ain’t ready for. I wanna bump my Jay-Z tape, I wanna fuck my girl. I don’t wanna fight! (laughs). These nigga over there, is like: JIHAD!!!…..ge-ge-ge-ge-…" (acting like he’s shooting a gun). (laughs). We not raised like them. Everybody over there been to the military. Everybody know how to cock some shit, and pop ya ass! Nigga’s like us know how to smoke blunts and shit. (laughs). And watch a Tupac movie and think they know how to shoot a gun! (laughs). "Nigga’s waz up!?!?!" (mocking a fake gangsta) "Waz up nigga??!?!" We need to figure out who’s speaking for us over there. Cause something’s getting fucked up in the translation. (room laughs)

AHH: you think Bush is handling it properly, with the bombing and everything?

Xz: I think Bush is picking up where his daddy left off because when he got into ofiice, he must have been like: "..alright pop, let’s go!…" (laughs). (makes bombing sound). I actually think that motherfucker had something to do with the cats coming over here and doing that shit. Or getting the timing right to do that shit.

AHH: A lot of people think that.

Xz: I’m saying man! I mean, we got Clinton back - he gettin’ his d*ck sucked….(laughing), everything cracking. (laughing). We partying, we having a good time. And then as soon as this nigga (Bush) get in the office, no sooner than when he took his hand down from oath-we at WAR! (laughs) WHAT THE FUCK!

[infinite59]

Great interview.. thanks patna

[jay]

"Xz: I’m saying man! I mean, we got Clinton back - he gettin’ his d*ck sucked….(laughing), everything cracking. (laughing). We partying, we having a good time. And then as soon as this nigga (Bush) get in the office, no sooner than when he took his hand down from oath-we at WAR! (laughs) WHAT THE FUCK!"

[Nima - Dubcnn.com]

nice interview. thanx! xzibit is a cool guy

[LyRiCaL_G]

LOL, DOPE INTERVIEW! ME AND MY NIGGAS HER ALL HATE BUSH, THAT FUCKER ONE CRAZY BASTARD. HE JUST WANT WAR WAR WAR........IM GONNA AV TO SHOW THAT INTERVIEW TO MY NIGGAZ BACK HERE MAN, TIS SOME SHIT TO LAUGH ABOUT MAN!

PEACE

[myrealname]

maybe he was HIGH as fuck.....
props to Xzibit for what he said.

[Sub-Z]

Great interview.. thanks patna

[AlerG]

they went way off topic...like i give a fuck what xzibit thinks about the shit that's going on around the world...i wanna hear more about his albums and more about his music career...ill leave the political shit to CNN, peace.

[Suga Foot]

props 4 tha interview homie