Xzibit (Alvin Joyner, born September 18, 1974) is a rapper, actor, and television host. Originally hailing from Detroit, Michigan, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and finally ended up in Los Angeles as a teenager, where he started rapping at the age of fourteen.
After getting noticed as an associate of the alternative rap trio The Alkaholiks, Xzibit released his first album, At the Speed of Life in 1996. The album is most known for its lead single "Paparazzi," which notably criticized rappers who were only making music for money and fame. The album received critical acclaim for his ability to mix hardcore rap with detailed, personal storytelling, a style which would continue throughout his rap career.
While both his debut and its follow-up album 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz were critically acclaimed, he didn't catch mainstream attention until he was featured on Snoop Dogg's 1999 single "Bitch Please." This began a longtime working relationship with Dr. Dre, whose support helped his star-studded third album Restless go platinum.
In 2004, Xzibit would become the host of Pimp My Ride, which greatly spread his fame outside of hip hop. In spite of still being a successful and acclaimed rapper, he would become more well known for the "Yo Dawg" meme, which referenced how the show would install items related to the owner's personal interest that served no other functional purpose. Xzibit would later express regret about Pimp My Ride, which he felt made a mockery of his image.
Following his 2006 album Full Circle, Xzibit went on a hiatus from rap, instead focusing on acting until his 2012 album Napalm. It was later revealed that he and his wife had a baby born prematurely who died after 11 days in 2008, which affected his career decisions. He would briefly touch on this in his song "1983."
Xzibit has been been a member of numerous rap groups and collectives throughout his career, including the Likwit Crew (with The Alkaholiks and King T), Golden State Project (with Ras Kass and Saafir), and most recently the Serial Killers (with B-Real of Cypress Hill and Demrick). He was also among Dr. Dre's inner circle in the early 2000s, but was never part of Aftermath Entertainment, and aside from a single guest appearance on Dre's 2015 album Compton, the two have not collaborated on music since Xzibit's 2002 album Man vs. Machine.
Solo Discography
- At the Speed of Life (1996)
- 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998)
- Restless (2000)
- Man vs. Machine (2002)
- Weapons of Mass Destruction (2004)
- Full Circle (2006)
- Napalm (2012)
With Serial Killers
- Serial Killers Vol 1 (2013)
- The Murder Show (2015)
- Day of the Dead (2018)
- Summer of Sam (2020)
Xzibit exhibits the following tropes:
- Age-Progression Song: "Carry the Weight" and "1983" are both autobiographical.
- The Alcoholic: Subverted in "Alkaholik" which isn't about a dependence on liquor, but being associated with the rap group The Alkaholiks.
- Boastful Rap: Many of his lyrics have a pattern of bragging about being a good rapper followed by dragging down unspecified, lesser rappers.
- Celebrity Is Overrated: The subject of "Don't Approach Me."
- Finger on Lips: Used to censor the word "shit" in the video for "What U See is What U Get."
- Gearhead Show: He's the host of the Pimp My Ride series, where he and the GAS crew take the most trashy, beat-down cars their viewers can show them, and convert them into luxury custom machines.
- Hardcore Hip-Hop: His genre.
- Kinky Spanking: "Choke Me, Spank Me, Pull My Hair." It's right there in the title.
- Magic Mushroom: "Shroomz" is about a bad trip.
- Never Gets Drunk: From "Get Your Walk On"I can drink a whole Hennessey fifth
Some call that a problem, but I call it a gift - New Sound Album: In spite of being a west coast rapper, Xzibit didn't start diving into G-Funk until his third album, Restless.
- The Oner: While not actually being one long shot, the "What U See is What U Get" music video is edited to look like this.
- Paparazzi: The name of his first hit single, which laments rappers who are only in music to get famous and make money.
- Rhyming with Itself: From "Multiply"I got a sixth sense, that tells me you ain't worth six cents
I'm sick with my sixth sense - Unflinching Walk: On his way to the store to get milk in "What U See Is What U Get," Xzibit walks by explosions, car crashes, and robberies without flinching. He does take a bit of time to hop on stage and perform the chorus at a concert though.
- Wham Line: From "Recycled Assassins"Visitors day, my younger brother came down
Put the toys down excited about the first round
He bust; I was crushed to finally see
The solution to the problem could've started with me - Wretched Hive: "Los Angeles Times" doesn't portray his city in a very flattering light.
- "X" Makes Anything Cool: Aside from his rap name, "X" is also the title of one of his hit songs.
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: Why he changed his rap name from Exhibit A to Xzibit.
