Exclusive Xzibit Interview

[Wes_Belvy]

Since his last album Man Vs. Machine, blue collar lyricist Xzibit has laid relatively low. There were persistent rumors that he would never rap again after he was allegedly slashed with a broken bottle.There was the constant chatter ranging from Defari to Suge Knight.

Suddenly, Xzibit's grind has resurfaced partially with the visibility of a hit new show on MTV, "Pimp My Ride." But under the surface, he's been doing some of the best Hip-Hop available in the wild, wild West with The Strongarm Steady gang - Krondon, Mitchy Slick and Phil Da Agony.

In this part 1 of four series with S.A.S., we talked to X about his new hustle, the rumors and the bright future.

AllHipHop.com: First of all, can you talk about this show with MTV, Pimp My Ride? It's one of their highest rated shows.

X: We taking $500-$900 dollar cars and putting like $20,000 worth of sh*t in it. Then we give it back to the kid and its like Christmas on a cupcake for these motherf*ckers.

AllHipHop.com: : How did you get this show in the first place?

X: We pitched the idea and MTV picked it up , bought 10 episodes from first season just like that. N*ggas is really not waiting around. We are being proactive in our careers and its just time. Anything and everything is possible that we can do to make this sh*t better that's what we do. It aint like n*ggas work in 7-11 or Mcdonald's and got to do something else at the end of the day. This it it , you put your nose to the grind stone and keep it going.

AllHipHop.com: : So What's going on with Strong Arm Steady?

X: Okay well the "Strong Arm" DVD is kind of late, like you know we are in the age of multimedia so we are introducing the fellas through a DVD and along with the mixtape circuit and along with guest appearances. We showing a personality to these guys before they even get a chance to get pushed in that light. We're taking a real grassroots effect with the product. Mixtapes and everything we are putting out along with the mainstream aspects that I could bring to the table being the artist that I have become. You know what I am saying? So I believe in these and whatever avenues that are available to me, I make sure are available to them. The DVD was just a step in that direction just to showcase who everybody in the Strong Arm is, why we got together and what we plan to do together.

AllHipHop.com: : How did you get hooked up with those guys?

X: I've known these guys for ever, and when it came to doing the group, it was like they pushed me with it. They was already doing the mixtape thing and then they approached me with it and was like you know we got to do this. We got to do this. And I was like okay. Take yall n*ggas up out of here, cause I don't have a problem validating hard work. If you gonna get off your ass and move, and not expect that the world is going to be handed to you, I'm all for that. More power to you and that's exactly what it is.

[Wes_Belvy]

AllHipHop.com: : You have been a part of all the mixtape CD's?

X: I mean I hit them off with exclusives, I hit them off with Golden State that we were going to use, and of course I did freestyles with them and my main focus is not on bigger things, but the more important things that have to do with the movement, you know what I'm saying? It's not just about making mixtapes, it's hitting those meetings, it's making those records, making sure that everything is organized, before we make this big push for the West to get it. You know, making sure that all of our ducks are in a row on the business side and on the music side so we can keep going with it.

AllHipHop.com: : How is it different for some of your other affiliations, like say Liquid or maybe after Dre's camp or whatever? How is this organization different than those others?

X: Well I mean working with Dr. Dre, working with the whole Aftermath/Interscope camp, I mean I'm not an Interscope artist, you know what I'm saying. So I mean there is only so much I can do in that area. You know what I'm saying? The affiliation with Dr. Dre and all that stuff, that's never gonna change, that's my dog, that's my homie, you know what I'm saying? We are still going to make records together, but still that's not the only part of the West coast that needs to flourish. It's good and fine and respectable, you know what I'm saying? But there's producers and MC's out here that need that shine, that need that light also and that's exactly what I'm trying to do. By no means have I finished with working with Dre, that's sh*t. If it aint broke, don't you know what I'm saying? But with these guys, I believe in them also and it's only right that if I can bring right to a situation just by being involved , that's what I'ma do.

AllHipHop.com: : Does this take you back to your earlier years of when you were on the grind real heavy?

X: You better believe it man. You gotta be hungry, you gotta stay hungry, and you gotta stay wanted, and you gotta have the desire to do it and really believe it. If you don't believe it, you're not going to be able to achieve it. My n*ggas is here everyday waking up to this Strong Arm Steady sh*t. I have nothing but respect for that so when I get up and get involved in it, I don't feel like I'm the only one carrying the weight, I don't feel like I'm the only one that's believing or want to see us succeed so it works out. It feels good. It definitely takes me back to the first time when I started putting out my records.

[Lost Angel]

thanks for posting

[Wes_Belvy]

AllHipHop.com: : Your next album is called Weapons of Mass Destruction?

You just got to wait and see. I'll put it like this. I been making records since '96 and definitely understand the ins and outs of being an artist and the changing times of the music. I think it's time to make some real stand out music from the West coast. It's not just about being regional because it moves around. I think its time. I think the national gravitation towards the West is about to take place and it feel good. We got nothing but talent and real music to show this time. It aint a gang of time, it aint a gang of bullsh*t involved. We really about to hit them hard and show the creativity and the talent that's out here.

AllHipHop.com: On the DVD I saw part of it where you were talking in terms of your career not being over sort of like, there was sort of a negative tone to your career. Do you feel like you hit a dry patch on the last album and do you feel the need to so called " Come Back?"

X: Nah , I don't feel like it was a dried patch at all. You sell a million records aint nothing dry about it. I feel like after years and years of putting out records, cats lose the lust and lose the drive behind making good product. I got a lot more sh*t to say , I got a lot more sh*t to do. Its all working out for the best so a n*gga ready to just come out and explode on it and really just take it to another level, so that's what I meant by that.

[Wes_Belvy]

AllHipHop.com: What's up with you and Rhyme Night?

X: The rhyme night is something that we doing out here to give some light to the artist out here that really don't get any. The underground scene gets pushed around to that certain extent to clubs. I don't really go out but for the simple fact that there's no unity out here. When I say unity, for instance, like that club that I used as a platform to come out and broadcast. This is the club that used to bring out crews from the East coast and then bring them out to the West and let them shine when nobody was bringing Wu-Tang out here and nobody was bringing the underground cats to let them see the West coast underground. It's kind of like we got to keep fueling that. I throw some thing called Rhyme Night and once a month cats come through and pack the house. We let them do like one or two songs and we got a main act that comes out and smashes it. Whether it be a n*gga that's from in town or we bring somebody from out of town. The next one we gonna do we just gonna blow it out and keep it going. We just gonna make it bigger and bigger and bigger.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of people want to know what was the situation with the incident with Mexicans with you getting cut?

X: I and I am gonna say it one time and everybody hear it. It was some coward sh*t. It was two motherf*ckers and nothing got punched , nothing got kicked, nobody got hit, nothing . A motherf*cker threw a bottle at my face and that was it. They were three feet away from me and threw a bottle. A n*gga aint gonna go out like that. All I'm saying is I'm glad I aint have my pistol in my pocket. That's all I got to say.

[Wes_Belvy]

talks a lil bout snoop........


AllHipHop.com: Last time I talked to you, your relationship was some what strange with Snoop. Do you still have a mutual relationship with him anymore?

X: It is what it is. I aint got nothing negative to say about Snoop Dogg. That brother dealing with his own trials and tribulations. A n*gga like me is trying to push this West coast sh*t and keep Xzibit cracking.

AllHipHop.com: There's a lot of West coast dudes claiming the new west . Why do people feel the need to say that in that way?

X: I put it like this. If you happy with the way the West coast has been perceived and heard right now, then something is wrong. That aint where it's at. We got so much sh*t out here and it feels like the rest of the world is bent on only supporting one side of this sh*t. It's stereotyped out to the fact that if you don't come a certain way or your not associated with a certain name then motherf*ckers aint gonna listen to you or they think that if its not behind a f*ck track or we aint talking like ( funny noises) then n*ggas don't feel like its West coast, which is bullsh*t. We got a lot to say and a lot to be heard and I don't mind being an underdog. Being an underdog or being underestimated has been some of the best things that have happened to me in my career because just when you think I aint I swing and knock that motherf*cker off the fence and take motherf*cker off guard and sh*t. I always come out looking victorious because just when you think I can't, I can playboy.

AllHipHop.com: Is it getting too real? I saw yall with some heavy gunplay in the video too. I know it was all in the shooting range type of situation, but is it getting too serious out there?

X: It's always been serious out here. That's why that all star sh*t, that sh*t aint go down out here. Them motherf*ckers wasn't playing out here. N*ggas came out here (for All-Star) with all they ***els and all that sh*t and got laid down player. Don't even think about it. N*ggas aint have no videos cracking, n*ggas aint have no super rap crews rolling through here. N*ggas out here is hungry.

[Wes_Belvy]

AllHipHop.com: All that sh*t about cats getting robbed is true?

Yea , Don't let motherf*ckers come home with all that sh*t . That sh*t went down playboy.

AllHipHop.com: Cats came here (NY) and came home and was like that sh*t didn't happen.

X: Yea, Ok. Don't let n*ggas start taking pictures with their ***els and sh*t and start putting them up on the Internet. N*gga you don't want that. Just go on and take that L and keep it moving. It aint nothing to laugh about because I would hate for n*ggas to try that sh*t anywhere else. Its just bad business all away around. All I'm saying with that is that its motherf*cker out here too that need to be heard and need to be exonerated just like everybody else and that just comes with putting out good music. F*ck all the bullsh*t aside, We gotta come out with the good music and just really rock the world like we did before because it seem like it starts here. Everything moves in different cycles and if you look at the music at how its changed and evolved , It was kind of like everybody was trying to be from the West at one point. Then it moved to the South , now everybody tying to rep from the South. It moves in cycles. Everybody wanted to be Jay-Z at one time. I think its just time to turn it on.

AllHipHop.com: Will Strong Arm Steady come out under your imprint Open Bar? Is that through Columbia?

X: Yea , We gonna work it out like that. It's gotta come in order for it to make sense.

AllHipHop.com: What's up with Dafari? I know he had a lot of stuff to say about you. Have yall mended those things?

X: Man , Defari been in my house several times. N*ggas is brothers. The best way I can sum it up even with Snoop Dogg, is at the end of the day even when brothers fight, thrown down, lump each other up , we still brothers and that's always gonna work out and that's how I feel about both them cats.

Strong Arm Steady the gang/Deep like the Wu-Tang/Crazy, swing like an Orangutan/Yall motherf*ckers cannot hang/Lets Go!

[bugzfreak]

it was MUCH reading.. but thnx for posting!
pz

[evil-webby]

thanks

[kdiddy845]

Very very long, but thanks.,....Awesome Interview.... I kind amiss X, he was the man. I wanna hear some newww shit

[tameracuja]

Thx. very interesting!

[Wes_Belvy]

no prob y'all

[Wes_Belvy]

anyone noticed where x hinted at cam & the rest of dipset gettin jacked?

[Big L]

X to tha motherfucking Z !!

Thanks man, interesting..

[Kenny]

I miss X