Revisionist history hasn’t been kind to Xzibit. Lost in jokes about MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” and internet memes is the fact that for about seven years, Mr. X to the Z had a run in Hip Hop that most emcees could only dream of. After putting in work in the mid-90s with Tha Alkaholiks and the Likwit Crew, X released an acclaimed sophomore in 40 Days & 40 Nightz, and a relationship with Dr. Dre and the Aftermath machine soon followed. Xzibit may have never reached the heights of an Eminem or a Snoop Dogg, but to lump X into the same category as a Hittman, a Bishop Lamont, or soon Slim the Mobster (hey, just playing the percentages here) would be a gross mischaracterization. Xzibit’s latest Napalm proves that he sits somewhere in the middle
“State of Hip-Hop vs. Xzibit” justifies naming the album Napalm, as X comes out swinging over hard-hitting, plodding synths, proclaiming, “we didn’t come here in peace, we came here to take the planet.” “Everything” dips into nostalgic territory, as Xzibit recalls days of drinking underage and working the block. “1985” is Napalm’s standout track. It’s extremely intimate, with X putting on his storytelling hat to touch on being exploited by MTV, family drama, and falling out with Dr. Dre and Eminem’s camps. It’s a perfect illustration of the type of thoughtfulness that always distinguished Xzibit from many of his peers. Contrarily, the tile track is its worst, with a heavy Rock-Rap sound that doesn’t make the mark, even with X’s gruff delivery.
“Up Out the Way” injects a healthy dose of hyphy into the project, with the always-reliable E-40 providing an excellent verse. The song also illustrates that Xzibit is game to flex over just about any type of beat. Dr. Dre laces X with a slinky beat on “Louis XIII.” King Tee and Tha Alkaholiks sound phenomenal on the track, putting on a musical chemistry clinic. David Banner provides an upbeat cut on “Enjoy the Night,” which features apt pinch hitting duties from Banner, Wiz Khalifa, and Brevi. Cuts like “Movies” (featuring Game, Crooked I, Slim the Mobster, and Young De) and “Killer’s Remorse” (featuring Bishop Lamont, Young De, and B-Real), as well as two cuts pleasantly featuring RBX give the album an authentic and almost comforting West Coast sound that’s generally been lacking in recent years.
Xzibit may be a bit conflicted on his first album in six years. Napalm finds X fluctuating between trying to recapture the sound he perfected when he was cavorting with the Aftermath staff, and exploring elder statesmanship a la “Thank You” from 2006’s Full Circle. When he goes too far in pursuit of either extreme, Napalm falters. The truth is, Xzibit belongs somewhere in between. He’s still an outstanding emcee, and he’s got a lot to say. He’ll get mileage out of that for sure, but when Xzibit nails down the appropriate direction for an entire project, then fans will truly see what the West Coast veteran is capable of.
Yoooooo, these DX editors reviewed the Wu-Block mixtape and said it was the official album, LOL!!!!!
These kids are out of touch with the real world and as usual hhdx keeps hatin’ on the Wu, not reviewing the proper release and not even knowing about the real Wu-Block album, not giving the Wu the proper respect they deserve!
hhdx keeps hatin’ on the Wu!
What a joke of a hip-hop site! First reviews stolen from other sites and now this!
Fuck haters…
Xzibit came harder than 90 percent of the trash out right now…
5 stars easy…
X to the Z is the fuckin man! 1985 goes hard!
u mean 1983 dumbass
For fuck sake DX! The song is called 1983!
Starting his first album in six years with a track called “State of Hip Hop vs. Xzibit” is a bold statement from the former host of Pimp My Ride who spent much of his time between albums focusing on his acting career. Luckily the song is more of a braggadocios lark than a bitter tone-setting manifesto, and the album focuses mostly on what have always been Xzibit’s strengths; heavy west coast beats, party-friendly production, and beastly, rugged rhymes. The album’s 18 tracks don’t sound like a years-in-the-making masterpiece as much as they do the type of grimy jams Xzibit was turning out on albums every couple years before dipping out for acting. There are the gangster anthems such as “Forever a G,” featuring help on the chorus by Wiz Khalifa, and the triumphant telling off of the haters on “Stand Tall,” with plenty of sex, partying, money, and of course, pimped-out cars making it into the rhymes. The most interesting moments on Napalm are the ones you don’t see coming. The beatless rhymes of 1983 see Xzibit confessing hard times and distance from family and friends over menacing string arrangements and spoken word samples. Title track “Napalm” is based around an aggressive, live-metal backing track with brutal guitars and an inexplicable ghostly organ high in the mix. There are some “what does it all mean” segments here, as on the straightforward “Meaning of Life,” which ponders war, mortality, and the usual existential territory. As refreshing as it can be to hear these unexpected sentiments, it’s equally refreshing when they end and party bangers like the no-holds-barred “Enjoy the Night” or the Dr. Dre-produced “Louis XIII” roll around, more or less like drink menus disguised as midtempo jammers. Napalm took a while to arrive, but sounds like a slightly updated, slightly cleaner extension of the same styles he’s been working in from the start. No new ground is broken, but Xzibit isn’t working from stock footage, either. What’s delivered is another robust collection of business as usual, with the surprising diversions adding just enough dimension to the album to even it out.
For fucks sake DX! The song is called 1983!
NO ITS CALLED 2012
really great album, easily deserves more than 3 and a half stars. But trash albums like GFID get 4 stars smh.
His debut was not 1998’s “40 Dayz & 40 Nightz”, it was 1996’s “At The Speed Of Life”.
thats why it said ‘sophomore’ album
Lol so this is how HHDX will manage 30 reviews in 30 days, this albums been out for 2 weeks, fuck-nuts!
Good album, fair rating as well, better than a lot of the crap being released these days but not a classic either.
Its a banger though. Deserves a four.
Where did Wu-Block go DX? Get it together!
this>>>gfid
FUCK SLAVA THIS IS solid 4
So this gets 3.5 stars, and Beyonce gets 4 stars.
Smoke DZA, RIGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
i dont care about number of stars, the real problem with Slava is that she is either dumb or stupid, or both..so many huge mistakes, i thought she would get better over time but this is just stupid. all reviews that she did should be rewrited
fuck your writing skills and logical thinking!!! dumb bitch
Rewrited eh? Looks like someone should finish grammar school before they criticize other people’s reviews…
she be killing my vibe
This is a really good album.
THE WEST IS BACK!!
i listened to the album from front to back this album is a wonderful piece of work one of the best tracks on here was 1983 because it had so much emotion in it and it explained a lot and told you more about X then gangsta with 1500 or nothin
just puts you in that mood and cant forget spread it out the whole album has west coast all over
Agreed 1983 is a real stand out track …
lovelife&music, is it possible for you to use punctuation?
Other than that, you are right
the songs just full of information other then i dont like it
i expected this one to get a better rating from you guys
This is definitely a solid 4
Genius
full circle was garbage , this album’s dope again
I wonder who God’s parents are… I mean where did he come from?
Sincerely Your
-Malone
almost as good as RED album
SAYYYYY WHHHHAAAATTTT!?!
…………?
SAYYYYY WHHHHAAAATTTT!?!
???
??????????????
SAYYY WHAAATTTTTTT??????????????
?????????
If the amateur who did this review actually cared … The standout track is titled “1983” not 1985. Solid album for the most part.
haha I thought that I had the wrong album with that 1985 shit
XZIBIT IS KINDA GETTING ON MY NERVERS NOW WIT THAT PITBILL FACE
This rapper is mad old, nobody cares about him no more, and truth be told, he sold less than fat joes dark side – only 2k album sold.. LMFAO!! Just sayin’..
u still care about sells smh wayne sells millions but to me he’s garbage xzibit sells 3k & is way better
First off, I don’t know why it took them this long to get a review up for this album, and second, Napalm is a firebomb and Xzibit is at his strongest on this joint…I’d give it a four or four and a half out of a five….Not to mention he brings some true west coast sound
album is fire. one of X’s strongest in his catalogue if you ask me
This Vinnie Paz and Kendrick Lamars albums, best album of the year.
Okay I see what the problem is..
Sincerely Yours
-Malone
It’s “1983”, not “1985”. Get your facts right, DX!
This album is fucking excellent, Xzibit’s still one of the few rapper’s that keeps it fucking real and doesn’t conform by having garbage rappers on it just coz they mainstream. So glad Xzibits back in the game
HHDX has disabled the reply feature. Maybe its just on my IP address. I thought me and hiphopdx had something special going on but they betrayed me. The betrayed us all. I’ll leave… but I’ll be back soon and when I return I’ll be funnier, more badass and more charismatic..
Untill we meet again
– Malone
HHDX has disabled the reply feature. Maybe its just on my IP address. I thought me and had something special going on but they betrayed me. The betrayed us all. I’ll leave… but I’ll be back soon and when I return I’ll be funnier, more and more charismatic..
Untill we meet again
– Malone
great album, never liked any of Slava’s reviews.
Albums is dope but it sounded like unreleased tracks from The Restless sessions. please X it aint 1999 anymore but 2012
if its dope, its dope
This is a dope album, all but probably 2 tracks that i skip there all bangers. xzibits always kept it fire apart from full circle but he’s back on track
In 1999 the beats were much better than today!!Fuck you for dissin Xzibit!!
This was some average fucking shit.
I mean they gave it a 3.5! wtf*
Fair review, although I don’t think the review correlates with the star rating.
You got to give credit to X, he’s gone from some diverse production choices and he sounds reinvigorated on all the tracks.
Personally, I love it. The breaks done him good and it sounds like he isn’t as pressured to deliver, he’s just done ‘him’.
Xzibit under-rated even i don’t hear his new shit, good album tho
This album is extremely good.
West up!!!Whats up with a review of cold 187 -The only solution????
weak as fuck
I was surprised how good this was. Solid 4 star.
OK XZIBIT IS NOTHING SPECIAL, NOT HORRIBLE BUT NOTHING GREAT, THIS ALBUMS TITLE FITS MY CURRENT STATE: NAPALM, MEANING NAH! THIS ALBUM WONT BE IN MY PALMS LOL
0/100
The best xzibit album? At the speed of life. Simple as that. No other album had as much raw lyrics and beats with meaning to them. Maybe 40 Dayz and 40 nightz but still not close. But then again, that was back in his underground days
At the speed of life was disappointing because it devolved into a crew project with all the damn features.
Not to mentions his flow was one of my favorites
movies is the collabo of the year.
What happened X?
THis is a real nice project. I love it. Alot a skill. The music production is awesome also. We need to get more of this type of Hip Hop. Most of the new rappers are rapping off of disco music from the 70’s. Sounds horrible. I like what some are doing. But its not really Hip Hop. It should be Pop Hop. I hope more of the more skill rappers stick to what they do best. Not get sucked up into this junk that coming out that will not be around in 2013.
I thought this album was banging. People saying he needs to make another debut sounding album are idiots. that was like 15 years ago, chill out…
xzibit is west its sick as hell big up to x fo bringin bak lil hiphop
man xzibit has not changed his style for anything, he is an MC, has been from the start, hes not doing something different, hes just spittin, that’s why this album should be recognized as hiphop to the highest level on some real shit
The gave this a 4.26 but Kendrick almost a 5? You can tell who is on the industries pay roll. DX caters to the industry and gives the illusion it supports real shit and quality music. Didnt think we knew what was going on DX? Not saying Kendricks album was not good but not as good as they said it was and this one was better so you on some bullshit. Just saying
co-sign this