The journey of Xzibit is one of the more interesting industry anecdotes. Nearly a decade ago, he broke into the game with an underground following and a pair of critically acclaimed LPs. His fanbase was small, but vocal, and they hoped that eventually, heads would stop sleeping on the man with the raspy, spitfire flow.
X was brought in by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg to drop a guest verse on 1999’s Bitch Please single. The song, which arguably saved the careers of Snoop and Dre, was a smash hit and propelled Xzibit onto the A-List of Hip Hop acts, virtually overnight. From there, he popped up on a few tracks from Dr. Dre’s 2001 album and the anticipation for X’s next album began to build.
And, then a funny thing happened”¦
Those same loyal fans who’d been riding with Xzibit when no one else was listening, almost unanimously rejected his Restless LP, released in December 2000. Make no mistake, it was a commercial success, but, apparently, therein lies the problem. It was too commercial, so they said. It was also an excellent album and deserving of all the radio and MTV rotation.
And, then another funny thing happened”¦
Xzibit turned to the legendary Dr. Dre to serve as the executive producer of his follow-up album, Man vs. Machine. Released in 2002, it was a pretentiously overproduced mess that all of his fans, both hardcore and casual, collectively ignored.
So, with nothing left to lose and plenty of post-music projects to fall back on, X to tha Z returns with Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The album begins with a State of the Union address from President George W. Bush. It’s one of those audio spliced pieces that has “W” owning up to his (alleged) role in the downfall of America. A cute little opener, but no longer interesting after the initial listen.
Fortunately, things pick up with LAX. Sir Jinx gets co-production credit here, as a grinding guitar-laced, up-tempo beat backs Xzibit’s “everyone’s hatin’ on us” material. While the theme may sound tired on the surface, the accompanying drums and thunder seemingly invigorate everything in its path”¦including The X-Man:
Renovate the game, new n*gga that you love to hate
The left hand lands and the right hand devastates”¦
Things slow down on Cold World. Only the half-assed hook matches the mediocre board work by Jelly Roll, but this time it’s Xzibit who’s carrying a track. Simple formula here: Three verses and three separate stories. Minus a few points for originality, but he gets them back with interest as he depicts the fates of three young, tragic figures”¦pay particular interest to the third verse, about an Iraqi man and the concept of collateral damage.
The mood changes again for the first of three crazy hot party anthems. Saturday Night Live has a much better Jellyroll beat (and hook, for that matter) and seems ready-made for the clubs with its bass-heavy backdrop. Listen for a rare sighting of another artist whose career Dr. Dre ruined, as well. In addition, there seems to be a very sly reference to X’s infamous beatdown at the hands of Mexican gang members a few years back.
Muthaf*cka features a Rick Rock beat that’s just as knife-edged as SNL. While it’s another paean to the parties and drops a unique “descending” drum n’ synth approach, all the gun talk makes this one a little less radio-friendly. Which is probably what Hey Now is here for.
Timbaland is on the beat for that one and it sounds nothing like his usual computer keyboard approach. It’s another great club cut, only helped by Keri Hilson’s hook-work.
And where do you go after a Saturday Night in the club”¦? Well, X takes it to church on Judgement Day. Call it a gospelly-flavored track that hits the “old-school” vibe Snoop Dogg’s been trying to target for years. Then, it’s back to gangsta on Criminal Set, which samples Ice Cube’s classic Amerikkka’s Most Wanted cut. Battlecat has the beat here and flawlessly blends the old school, with the new school:
I’ve heard the OG’s, they don’t hit”¦
And, I’m the only one left
From the West
That you can’t f*ck with
Of course, the goodness can’t last forever as Xzibit hooks up with the Strong Arm Steady crew for the album’s few fast-forward moments. Crazy Ho and Beware of Us cover familiar subjects in familiar ways and should be buried with Suge Knight in his Death Row time capsule, someday. The same can be said about the Strong Arm-free Ride or Die. While, the thug version of Busta Rhymes slogs down Xzibit’s strong lyrical effort on Tough Guy.
Gotta end with high note, though, so make sure you stick around until Scent of a Woman. By itself, it’s a very strong track that begins as an anti-love song. However, amid all the rejection of women and commitment, it doubles back on itself and eventually paints a clearer picture about relationships, love and the roles men and women play. Just a terrific track all around.
