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Get the 411 on Xzibit
Xzibit was born Alvin Nathaniel Joiner in Detroit, Michigan, USA, otherwise known as the Motor City. X spent time in New Mexico and Arizona as a teenager, before relocating to California in the late 80s to try and make his name on the west coast rap scene. After a series of false starts he teamed up with the Likwit crew, making guest appearances on King Tee's King Tee IV Life and Tha Alkaholiks' Coast II Coast and going on the road with the latter. A recording contract with Loud Records was not long in following. His 1996 debut At The Speed Of Life featured production by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill and included the brilliant underground hit "Paparazzi," but failed to make much of a commercial impact. The follow-up's "What U See Is What U Get" set out Xzibit's manifesto, with the raw, earnest delivery marking him out as an old school rapper of the highest order. Xzibit's profile was subsequently raised by his work with Dr. Dre and the Aftermath crew, although the release of his third album was delayed by the media focus on Dre's newest protégé, the controversial white rapper Eminem. Dre acted as executive producer on Restless, which was finally released in December 2000. Despite three excellent collaborations with Eminem, Snoop Dogg and the veteran KRS-One, the album's relentless parade of guest artists tended to detract from Xzibit's own high quality microphone work. The rapper finally achieved his first mainstream US Top 5 hit, when his new album Man Vs. Machine debuted at number 3 in October 2002. |
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