Issue 29 / July 2011
Issue 31 / September 2011 EXCLUSIVEINTERVIEW XZIBIT
The hip-hop heavyweight, actor and Pimp My Ride star will be touching down in the UK in October. Ahead of his visit we got the low down his new album and more.
HIP HOP / RNB
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Oshi @
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How you doing? Yeah, I am good! I just got back from Norway.
You’re over in London for a show on the 23rd right.. look- ing forward to that? Of course, every time I come to the UK there’s always love. I shot a vid- eo there; there’s a guy on my new record who’s actually from there. He’s called the Beat Butcher, I don’t know if you’ve heard of him?
Not yet, but he’s from London? Yeah, he’s on my new album. He did a song called ‘State Of Hip-Hop Versus Xzibit’. It’s a banger! In fact I perform it on the tour.
So many people over here know you from Pimp My Ride, and that seemed to last a very long time. Did you ever think it was going to blow up like it did? I had no idea that the TV show would do what it did. I’m glad that so many people enjoyed what we did on that show. It made them laugh, it made them happy, but that’s not who I am all the way around. I think people are satisfied to pigeonhole you, or to see you in one place, but I do many things. It’s not just about pimping cars or whatever. You may
know me from that but as an artist, as a man, as a father, there’s many facets, many sides to Xzibit. So I feel good if that’s what you know me for, but that’s not all of who I am. People come to the shows not knowing what to expect, and I think you’ll be quite surprised with the new music and the new material.
You’re a legend in your own right; you’ve been through many eras in hip-hop. Can you tell me about any particular time that stands out? Oh my god, that’s like asking me which one of my kids I like the best! In hip-hop there’s simple things that I can point out as highlights of my career. My debut album in 1996, that was a big step for me. It was a transition from me being in the street to having millions of fans around the world. Going into releasing with Dr Dre and Eminem and going on the Up In Smoke tour was the second most impor- tant thing that ever happened in my career. Coming out with ‘Bitch Please’ with Snoop Dogg, that was definitely my first time coming out with a single that hit the way it did, and being with my old G Snoop... C’mon man, it don’t get much better than that! These things, they kinda shaped and focused what my goals were and something I could shoot for, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.
You’ve got a new album com- ing now, but it’s been a minute
though...Is that what Holly- wood does to you? It’s a combination of family and per- sonal matters that I had to deal with. I had some things that I had to deal with my family, and I’ve taken 10 years out of my life and given it to you guys. I don’t think coming and giving a couple of years to my fam- ily is that big of a deal when they needed it.
That’s of course what makes you the all-round person, do- ing it all... Exactly. It’s definitely important and the people that understand that, they get it, and they’ll be able to hear where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing when they listen to the music. But the people who don’t understand that, I couldn’t care less about. I don’t have time to make you feel the maturity and the real life that I’ve been through. You can’t please them all, so I’m not worried about the people who don’t get it. I’m worried about the people that do.
You’ve been in huge movies with big stars; how has that changed you? Yeah. I definitely feel that though I’ve done a lot in film, I haven’t worn out my welcome. I refuse to do [Soul] Plane 2, or 4, or whatever the hell they’ve got going. It’s about
making good choices, and right now I think my choice has got to be the music because it’s the catalyst that makes all this other stuff work. I don’t need to do any more co- starring or guest appearing roles. I want ownership. I want to be able to go out and say, “I built this, I made this, this is what I envisioned in my mind’s eye, and this is my interpre- tation of what a film should be like.” I think that’s my next progression step in film making. I don’t need to do anymore co-starring or whatev- er, even though it groomed me and it gave me a lot of insight on how to film and what to do.
You can still pull out your iPhone and call up your home boys like Nicholas Cage and Eva Mendes to come help too. Well, I can call Nick but I can’t call Eva Mendes, I don’t have her num- ber... haha!
To give us an exclusive, have you got ideas for a film right now? That’s for me. I can’t give you my ideas; that would be foolish, right? Right now I would rather work on the film stuff on the side and focus on putting this music out the cor- rect way. I am about to start moving about the planet again and I want to have new music in order to do that. Detox is 99% finished; I’ve been over there working with Dre for the last few weeks, listening to what he
had. He’s in a really good place. I believe that this is the year that we are going to see a lot of good music coming from the West Coast, and for hip-hop, period. I believe in the music that I’ve been creating as well, so it’s a good time all the way around, for all of us.
The last time I saw you was in Miami; it was a crazy show out on South Beach. Where is your favourite place to tour? Some of the best places I’ve been are definitely in Europe. Coming out and doing the Anger Management tour with Eminem and Cypress Hill and having 250,000 people, three days in a row... I mean, who does that? It’s been crazy.
Are we going to hear you on any of those mad cross- over tunes like David Guetta, house-y kinda stuff? David who?? haha! No! I don’t get it, I don’t understand it. I don’t need to be any more popular to fulfill and impress the people who are already on the line. I don’t need to get more popular, I just need to do good shit now.
You’ve got people like Dre in your corner. Exactly, and he ain’t doing no Tech- no records!
Nice! So you’re on that Detox album.
I’m not going to say that, but I have definitely had some input. I defi- nitely feel that he’s in a really good place and that the album is definite- ly coming along the way it should!
If you could have a swimming pool filled with anything, what would it be? Hennessey.
If you could have one super power, what would that be? Time travel...
There’s not much you would change about your life though, right? No, not at all!
Anything to say to the UK fans before you come over here? You got to get your tickets, get it together and see the new Xzibit music. Come see a good show. We definitely enjoy what we’re doing and I definitely have a lot of love for my UK fans that have been sup- porting me since I’ve been coming over there. We gon’ do a little bit of the old and a lot of the new, and I can’t wait to see you guys when we get there!
You can catch Xzibit play at IndigO2 on 23rd October. For more information check out
www.xzibit.com
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