Xzibit

Background

One of the West Coast’s most illustrious rappers, Xzibit began his career as a promising underground rapper with a West Coast hip hop collective, the Likwit Crew. Collaborating, touring, and contributing to this group, Xzibit soon joined them, inking a record deal and putting out his first album in 1996. His start was promising, and it showed in his next album. “40 Dayz & 40 Nightz” was a huge success, coming in at #58 on the Billboard Top 100.

The inspiration for his music stems from his hard-knock childhood, which began in post-civil war Detroit. His mother passed away when he was nine, and he moved in with his father and stepmother. But because he was a problematic child, Xzibit was already in state custody by the age of 14, and he wasn’t released until he was 17— a full three years later. By this time, he was already expressing his feelings through song lyrics and decided to use his talent. He migrated to Los Angeles to make it big in the music business and after a series of fits and false starts, managed to connect with members of Tha Alkaholiks, a West Coast rap group. Xzibit collaborated and contributed to the group’s album under the moniker ‘Exhibit A,’ eventually signing as a solo artist with record company Loud Records in 1996. Two years later, “40 Dayz & 40 Nightz” was charting, and Xzibit’s star saw a meteoric rise. Dr. Dre, famous for sponsoring upcoming talent in the rap world, took Xzibit under his wing and introduced him to other legends in the rap world. Xzibit followed up his past success with several high-profile collaborations and appearances in fellow rap legends’ music, including ‘What’s the Difference’ with Eminem.

He continued to release music while making debuts in movies, including “The Wash” (2001) and “8 Mile” (2002). Then, in 2004, he began hosting MTV’s reality show, “Pimp My Ride,” which quickly became popular, lasting several seasons and spawning spin-offs and remakes in different countries. Xzibit also became an independent artist during this time, putting out albums that might not have had the glitzy popularity a big label commanded but were still music gems. The cancellation of “Pimp My Ride” and reduced revenue from lower album sales led to Xzibit filing for bankruptcy in 2009 and 2010. He has since released more albums, launched a world tour, and starred in various movies and television shows, even becoming a cast member of the hit drama series “Empire.”