Xzibit Interview

http://illuminati2g.com/site/2012/09/16/xzibit-interview/

I remember first hearing Xzibit on Tha Liks 2nd album, Coast II Coast. I was and have been a fan ever since so this interview definitely is a special one for me. Xzibit is back with a new album, Napalm, his new solo album and first since Full Circle in 2006. He talks in depth about Napalm, Serial Rhyme Killaz, Likwit Crew, his vast catalogue of music and how Clint Eastwood stood in the way of X having a monster hit record.

I2G is here with Mr. X To The Z, Xzibit. How’s it going?

What’s good, how you doing?

Good. You have your new album entitled Napalm dropping October 9th. Tell me a little bit about the album and how it came together for you.

I started this album about a year and a half ago. It is my 6th studio album and I felt it was time to make new music because I was feeling it. I put the album together with the people that I really wanted to work with and the music came out really exceptional so I am excited about it.

Now I know there was a rumor or annoucement that you were going to sign with Hoo Bangin. Is that still in the works or are you putting this out only on Open Bar?

Nah that deal never came to fruition. This is coming out through Open Bar Entertainment, which is my label, and I revived it and ran all my albums through it. It’s distributed through EMI and I have distribution throughout the world.

Now is it just you on the label or do you have any other artists coming out on the label?

Nah I am only fucking with Xzibit. I signed him because I know he is always going to show up (laughs).

Laughs. You just recently dropped your new single entitled Up Out The Way featuring E-40 and dropped the video for the title track Napalm. Tell me what has been the reception so far for the singles.

The way we are dropping this album is different, the times are different. We using the social media sites and a non traditional method outside of just radio promotion. We will eventually get go radio, we have alot planned with Power 106 and the sister stations, but it is important for me to reach out to my fans and the web is a perfect tool for that. We dropped Up Out The Way and just recently dropped the Napalm single and video and it has been getting a huge response.

I think the video has been out for about 48 hours and it has over 200,000 hits and it is only going stronger. If you look at the temperature of today’s market, that is a good start.

Is there any plans of dropping a video for Louis VIII? I know it got a great response from people when it leaked about 2 weeks ago.

I was not happy with the leak because it is not even the finished version, and I was unhappy with the way it got out, but that is neither here nor there. The people like it and eventually we are going to get some visuals to it.

I just wanted to go over with you your catalogue and find out some of your favorite moments or tracks from each album. First album is At The Speed Of Life.

I would have to say Paparazzi. That was one of the first songs I ever recorded so that song is always going to have a special place in my career. That was one of the special moments for me, and the single went gold first in Germany.

Next album and it is actually my personal favorite is 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz.

From that album I believe my dad is on the outro of that album.

Yeah he is.

I got to work with Sir Jinx on that album, he did Chamber Music and that was a big record for me.

That album had my favorite track, 3 Card Molly on it with Goldyn State Warriors (Ras Kass, Saafir, Xzibit). Any possibilites of you guys doing more tracks together?

We actually did some songs together at Rock The Bells, but I don’t know, it depends on the fellas. Everyone needs to agree on it, but Ras is doing his thing right now and Saafir is getting his health back together. We all got down at Rock The Bells and I personally will never say never.

Restless

Yeah man, working with Eminem, working with Nate Dogg, coming off the Up In Smoke tour, it was a really live time in my career. That was a real strong moment musically for me at that time. And Restless sold 2 million copies, don’t leave that out (laughs).

Oh absolutely, it’s a west coast classic.

I also forgot until now to say that motherfucker sold 2 million copies! (laughs)

Man Vs Machine

I think that was the first Sony/Columbia release if I am not mistaken. Because Loud Records went over to Sony and that was the first one we released over there. That one was good, it was alright. I just remember touring alot, and alot of good records came off of that album.

Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Yeah LAX was on there. The original version was done by Sir Jinx and Linkin Park. It originally had a Magnum Force sample to it that never got cleared by Clint Eastwood, so we used an alternative version. But that Linkin Park one…., maybe I will put it out of the vault one day and release it, but man I wish that song would have started off the album but there were alot of great records on that album as well. Cold World, man I like that record.

It’s funny you mentioned Cold World, that is my favorite track of that album. The new Napalm video reminds me of that song because you shot the video in Iraq and the 3rd verse of that song you were talking about the war in Iraq, Basra and 9/11.

Yeah, ok cool man, I really appreciate that.

Yeah that was a dope record.

Thank you.

Full Circle

My favorite moment was working with Keith Shocklee. I went to New York to work with him and Public Enemy is my favorite group of all time along with Ice Cube. To work with one of the Shocklee brothers on one of my albums, that is working with the people that I grew up listening to. Working with Dre, Cube, Snoop, being in the studio with them, that was one of those moments for me.

Napalm- Even with the records you have already dropped so far, they are all diverse. What’s your favorite track off the new album Napalm?

Umm, I am going to have to say 1983 so far. It is a track that features my mother’s voice. She is not singing or anything and she passed away in 1983 and the only recording of her voice is a cassette tape that my uncle gave me. I took excerpts of that and made the song 1983, man it was a crazy recording experience because I have not heard my mother speak in over 20+ years.

The song is written as if you are having a conversation, it is a deep song, Ron Fair worked with me on that record and arranged a 38 piece orchestra that is playing behind the song. Let me rewind that, Insane Wayne did the original track and Ron Fair added the orchestra, so we have 2 different versions of 1983 on the album, one with the beat behind it and the other is the orchestral version with a piano. That song is really special to me, so I cannot wait to share that one with the world.

King T recently said in a dubcnn interview and it was asked of him whether the Liwkit Crew would reunite and put together a compilation. Do you think that is going to ever come to fruition?

Again I am never going to say never, but organization and timing is the key. I think if we put the work in and we come together with some sort of game plan, I think it will work. Same way I feel about Goldyn State and the work and effort really needs to be there for it to turn out dope.

Could we say the same holds true for the group Serial Rhyme Killas with you, B-Real and Young De?

We actually have that album done, and I feature some of the records that we did a while ago on Napalm. We will see then what the response is, but yeah we got that in the chamber ready to go if it is called for.

Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates?

Yeah you can go to www.xzibit.com and we will start posting the promo tour dates. I have a tour called Collateral Damage starting the top of next year.

Alright well that is all the questions I have for you, appreciate you getting down for the interview. I must say that I have been a fan of your music since I first heard you on Hit & Run on Tha Alkaholiks 2nd album. I am definitely looking forward to hear this new album.

Well I am not going to disappoint you, and I will say this, lets do another interview when you listen to the whole body of work and lets see what you have to say about the new album.

Ok, most definitely we will do that.