Xzibit Biography

Xzibit (a.k.a. X to the Z) is the stage name of Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974, Detroit, Michigan). He is an American hip hop performer, actor, and television personality. He is also known for hosting MTV's Pimp My Ride. He tends to release a new album every 2 years; his latest is set for a late 2006 release.

Xzibit got his start as a member of the Likwit Crew, a loose collective of West Coast rappers including Tha Alkaholiks and King T. After touring with them in 1995, Loud Records released the young rapper's debut album, At the Speed of Life in 1996. The album, produced by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill and Diamond D, became an underground hit. When Xzibit released his follow-up, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998), he was again heralded as one of the West Coast's most promising talents despite no commerical success.

He expanded his following with a series of increasingly superstar-laced albums beginning in the late 1990s, ultimately aligning himself with hip hop kingpin Dr. Dre. Xzibit's big breakthrough came when he joined Snoop Dogg for the Dr. Dre-produced hit, "Bitch Please." What followed were some high profile guest appearances on Dr. Dre's 6x platinum Chronic 2001, on songs like "What's the Difference?" and the posse song "Some L.A. Niggaz". By this time, Dre had invited the young rapper to crisscross America during summer 2000 with the massive "Up in Smoke" tour, which featured Snoop, Eminem, and Ice Cube, among many others. That winter, Loud released Xzibit's biggest-budget album yet, Restless with Dr. Dre as executive producer, which boasted the single "X". The song became the rapper's biggest hit yet, and though it did not top the charts or break him into heavy rotation on MTV, the album went did well on urban radio and became is best selling album to date, going platinum.

Two years later, Xzibit returned with another big-budget album, Man Vs. Machine, yet again he fell a bit short of mainstream success, although he did manage to go gold. He continued to collaborate with his closest West Coast colleagues, primarily Ras Kass and Saafir with whom he formed The Golden State Project rap collective , and tha Liks, along with bigger names like Snoop Dogg and Eminem. His allegiance to the West Coast and former colleagues continued to win him much respect from his fans, who remained dedicated if not massive in number. Weapons of Mass Destruction followed two years later which also managed to go gold. Xzibit also has his own record label called Open Bar Entertainment.

Xzibit also guest starred in the song Stand Up on the 2005 Alice Cooper album Dirty Diamonds. Xzibit is part of a group called Strong Arm Steady with Mitchy Slick, Phil The Agony and Krondon. They are expected to release their first album, "Arms And Hammers" in the fall of 2006 under Open Bar Entertainment.

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XZIBIT BIOGRAPHY