Xzibit has spoken to NME concerning the making of his new album ‘Kingmaker’, how he almost retired, and the way the “range in hip-hop is missing”.
The rapper-turned-actor is gearing as much as launch his eighth studio album in early 2025, marking his first in 12 years. ‘Kingmaker’ will function the follow-up to 2012’s ‘Napalm’ which featured the likes of E-40, Wiz Khalifa, Prodigy and extra.
NME sat down with the 50-year-old in London, the place Xzibit (actual identify Alvin Joiner) sported his returning signature – an indication that he’s as soon as once more “able to go” and “feels all highly effective like Samson”.
Now, the Detroit-born, LA-raised rapper has launched ‘Play This At My Funeral’ – the lead single for ‘Kingmaker’ – which Xzibit stated is his “state of the union”.
“It’s a morbid title however I believe ‘Play This At My Funeral’ has nothing to do with me dying,” the rapper defined. “This can be a snapshot of the place I’m mentally, bodily, emotionally. Some finite statements are made in there. I believe it’s actually dope to have the ability to come again and present individuals the place I’m, what I’ve been doing, what I’ve achieved, so it solutions plenty of questions.”
Joiner additionally acknowledged that ‘Kingmaker’ “has nothing to do with him being royalty or sitting on the throne and being part of some type of hierarchy”, however an indication that he wished to share his information of “the great, the unhealthy, the ugly, the ups and downs” he’s confronted all through his life and profession that he attributes to “making him profitable”.
“Music is what I do the most effective, naturally,” Xzibit stated whereas explaining why he determined now could be the time to launch an album. “I do plenty of different issues – plenty of totally different movies, plenty of totally different TV stuff – however music is the catalyst to what makes every thing work. So, I felt the music had come to a degree the place it wanted to come back out.”
He continued: “I’ve been engaged on music off-and-on for the final 10 to 12 years however I didn’t really feel prefer it was what I wanted to place out. I didn’t really feel prefer it was totally different sufficient. [I was] in a position to hear one thing in myself that I hadn’t heard earlier than, so it made it straightforward to know [it was time to release the music].”
On ‘Kingmaker’, Joiner is about to travel with hip-hop heavyweights in addition to a few of LA’s most promising new expertise. When requested what led him to decide on such a spread of collaborators, Xzibit stated he labored with these whose craft he “believed” in.
“After all, I work with the legacy artists I’ve already labored with earlier than,” he stated. “Some individuals I haven’t labored with earlier than on this album. [For example,] I’ve by no means achieved a tune with Ice Dice.
“It’s all about vitality. Whether or not it’s the brand new artists or the legacy artists: once you get in there and you’re feeling it popping out the audio system, you realize it’s proper. So, I actually admire the best way individuals stepped up and received in on the album so it’s dope.”
Each one in all Xzibit’s albums has charted on the Billboard 200 chart (his 2000 magnum opus ‘Stressed’ is licensed platinum) however he advised NME that he felt no strain to recreate previous success whereas making ‘Kingmaker’ and “simply must do what he does very well.”
He added: “I don’t care what’s occurring within the business. I don’t care what individuals are doing or following traits. I don’t want to do this. I simply must do what I do effectively.”
Nonetheless, he revealed that he was beforehand considering the concept of retirement after releasing ‘Kingmaker’.
“After I first began making this album, this was the concept like, ‘OK, let me put another out into the universe,’ however the best way this album got here out, everyone round me is telling me that this isn’t my final album,” he admitted. “I’m not gonna say that is my final album however let’s see how this does.”
Final month, Xzibit signed with Dollar Data – a brand new file label launched by MMA fighter and former UFC double champion Conor McGregor. Regardless of McGregor “not being a file man”, Joiner stated: “It’s dope as a result of one factor I do know is that he’s a critical businessman. He has a imaginative and prescient.”
Xzibit defined how the enterprise occurred: “He approached me to come back to work with him. He’s received an important workforce of individuals round him and he’s critical. These issues made me really feel safe [enough to sign with the label]. I convey credibility to the label being the primary album that they drop. I’ve an extended historical past within the music business that I really feel like they respect my music and are going to place [their] 100,000 per cent behind it.”
This has been an eventful yr for hip-hop music, notably with the intricate feud of Kendrick Lamar and Drake making headlines all through the summer season. When requested whether or not he agreed 2024 has been a outstanding interval for the style, Xzibit stated, “I believe yearly is a good yr for hip-hop”.
He continued: “You must bear in mind, hip-hop has simply turned 50. It’s a pretty new style within the scope of music. All the things goes in cycles: it began within the ‘70s and graduated right into a lyrical-type factor after which gangster rap and actuality rap got here into play and it goes by way of cycles.”
Xzibit then defined why trendy hip-hop differs from the period he blew up in as a result of “individuals have these entry to one another like by no means earlier than.”
“I’m not gonna be the man to be like, ‘Oh these younger whippersnappers don’t know what they’re doing.’ I’m right here to be a constructive a part of the answer, not a part of the issue. It’s only a totally different time and [the younger generation] goes by way of an entire totally different set of points that we weren’t going by way of.”
Joiner additionally expressed his gratitude that “hip-hop music is flourishing, feeding households, [and] giving people who don’t have levels or school educations an opportunity to achieve success and be recognized.”
Nonetheless, Xzibit stated that he does have some qualms about trendy rap – notably how “range in hip-hop is missing”.
“Variety in topic, range in creativity, manufacturing: everyone seems to be making an attempt to do the short hit and no person’s taking possibilities,” he stated. “There’s multiple technique to get to the success you need. I need individuals to take a look at how totally different the panorama was.
“No one appeared like one another and everyone was striving to be distinctive, particularly once I got here out. It was like, ‘Yo, I wish to have my very own mark’. I believe that’s what’s lacking out of hip-hop.”
He praised Kendrick Lamar for his star-studded Juneteenth ‘Pop Out’ celebratory live performance again in June, the place the rapper was joined by the likes of Dr. Dre, YG and his fellow Black Hippy members Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock in an unforgettable celebration of West Coast hip-hop.
“It was like I used to be watching the Tremendous Bowl,” Xzibit advised NME. “It was one thing actually magical about that. No matter all of the noise with the meat stuff and all that, what that younger man has been in a position to accomplish along with his profession – touching so many individuals and having a worldwide impression – is wonderful.”
After gaining reputation on the flip of the millennium with ‘Stressed’, Xzibit went on to host the notorious MTV automobile makeover present Pimp My Journey. Many would consider Xzibit is bored with being requested concerning the extremely fashionable collection that ran for six seasons within the ‘00s.
Nonetheless, Xzibit stated “it issues not how he feels” about being regularly requested concerning the present 20 years after it first aired. “Individuals are going to do it anyway. I believe I’ll be 90-years-old and someone’s gonna be like, ‘Hey, ain’t you the man from [that show]?’ Or they’ll attempt to speak to me about some automobile they received exterior. I’d be like, ‘I actually don’t give a shit about your automobile, however thanks’. It’s a blessing.”
He went on to say: “In case you have a look at the present and actually analyse what made that present profitable, it was [that it was] about want fulfilment. It was about individuals seeing one thing occur for another person in a constructive sense, as ridiculous as a number of the stuff was. The programming wasn’t geared in direction of that.”
Xzibit concluded by expressing his gratitude for the internet hosting gig because it made him “a beneficial individual to place in movie and different TV initiatives” and positioned him “in entrance of people who 9 instances out of 10 knew nothing about his music”.
Joiner has but to announce a launch date for ‘Kingmaker’, however the 18-track album is predicted to be out early subsequent yr.
“I need individuals to listen to that I’m glad and I’m content material,” he ended. “All my different albums I can hearken to and be like, ‘Fuck! I want I’d have did that totally different,’ or ‘That’s not combined effectively!’ The viewers doesn’t know however I do know. I don’t really feel like that with this album. I really feel like each fucking factor is nailed. From the music, the lyrics, the blending, the manufacturing, the movies, the roll out: every thing is spot-on.
“That is going to be an important trip. I’ve been on plenty of rides, however I haven’t been on one like this.”
The album, ‘Kingmaker’, is predicted to be launched in early 2025 and ‘Play This At My Funeral’ is out now by way of Dollar Data.
