Xzibit

Xzibit is a West Coast rapper known just as much for his brawny, larger-than-life presence on the mike as he is for the charismatic personality he exhibited as the host of MTV's 2000's car makeover reality show Pimp My Ride. He moved from underground hip-hop circles in the '90s to commercial success with albums like 2002's Man vs. Machine, which reached the number three position on the U.S. Billboard charts. As time went on, Xzibit became a multi-faceted celebrity more than just a rapper. Starting in the 2000s, he appeared in multiple films and television projects, as well as becoming a radio personality and a producer for other artists' music. All the while, he continued working on his own vision of rugged rap excellence, releasing new music of his own like his 2025 album Kingmaker.Born Alvin Nathaniel Joiner on September 18, 1974, in Detroit, MI, Xzibit began his rap career as part of the Likwit Crew, a loose-knit collective of California rappers including King T, Defari, and Tha Alkaholiks. Early on, he was featured on songs by King T and Tha Alkaholiks' and he signed to Loud Records in 1996 for the release of his solo debut album, At the Speed of Life. Xzibit's second album for Loud, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998), was a bigger success on all counts. Often considered the rapper's best album, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz spawned a Top 50 single, "What U See Is What U Get," and features extensive production work from Sir Jinx, who had previously worked at length with Ice Cube, among other significant West Coast rappers. Following the acclaim of 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz, Xzibit made several high-profile guest appearances in 1999, most notably alongside Snoop Dogg on his hit "B Please" and on three tracks of Dr. Dre's 2001 album, including alongside Eminem on the hit "What's the Difference"; also that year he was featured on Kurupt's Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha, Prince Paul's A Prince Among Thieves, Sway & King Tech's This or That, and Tash's Rap Life. Xzibit's third album, Restless (2000), was executive produced by Dr. Dre, who worked on three songs, including the Hot 100 single "X." Restless features an illustrious list of guests and producers -- among them Snoop Dogg, Eminem, KRS-One, Nate Dogg, Erick Sermon, DJ Quik, Sir Jinx, Rockwilder, Scott Storch, Rick Rock, Soopafly, and Battlecat -- and marked the zenith of Xzibit's popularity as a rapper, passing the platinum sales mark easily. Man vs. Machine (2002) sought to duplicate the success of its predecessor, once again featuring a roll call of well-known talent, including Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nate Dogg, and Anthony Hamilton. However, despite debuting at number three on the Billboard album chart (his first time breaking into the Top Ten), Man vs. Machine spawned no major hits and barely reached gold sales status, let alone platinum.Weapons of Mass Destruction (2004) also sold disappointingly, and consequently Xzibit began diversifying his portfolio, turning toward acting instead of music. He had previously appeared in the films The Wash (2001) and 8 Mile (2002), along with numerous videos, so it wasn't much of a stretch when he acted in the Hollywood films Full Clip (2004), XXX: State of the Union (2005), and Derailed (2005). Furthermore, in 2004 he began hosting the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which quickly became one of the network's most popular, carrying on for many seasons (with Xzibit) and eventually being spun off internationally (without him). Full Circle (2006) marked Xzibit's return to the music marketplace. No longer signed to a major-label recording contract, Xzibit released the album via Koch Records, and consequently it sold only a fraction of what his previous few albums had, despite some first-rate production and the rapper's newfound status as a TV celebrity. Pimp My Ride was canceled in 2007 and Xzibit focused for a time on his acting career, doing small roles in an X-Files movie, television roles as well as a cameo appearance in the concert film Tha Alkaholiks: Live from Rehab. Financial troubles plagued the actor/rapper in this time, and he dealt with the repercussions of both tax evasion and multiple bankruptcy filings during this phase of his career. In 2012, after a long musical hiatus, he returned with full length album Napalm, assisted by friends like Dr. Dre and Wiz Khalifa on the album's party-friendly hip hop. Throughout the next decade, Xzibit did more acting than rapping, with roles in various movies, cameo appearances in reality shows, and a steady role in the series Empire. He also got into radio hosting and production in this time. In 2024, Xzibit signed with the new label Greenback Records, which released his 2025 album Kingmaker. The rapper's first studio album in over a decade included guest spots from B-Real, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, and many others.
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