Макsим
Xzibit (real name — Alvin Nathaniel Joiner; born September 18, 1974, in Detroit, Michigan, USA) — is an American rapper, actor and television host, and one of the most recognizable figures in West Coast hip-hop of the late 1990s and 2000s. He began his career in the Los Angeles underground scene and gained wider recognition with the albums At the Speed of Life, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz, Restless and Man vs. Machine.
Over the years, Xzibit has collaborated with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nate Dogg, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, B-Real, Redman and other artists. Outside music, he became internationally known as the host of the MTV automotive show Pimp My Ride and also built an acting career, appearing in the films xXx: State of the Union, Derailed, Gridiron Gang, The X-Files: I Want to Believe and the television series Empire.
After a thirteen-year gap between solo albums, Xzibit returned in 2025 with Kingmaker. At the same time, he continues working with B-Real and Demrick as part of the group Serial Killers.
Childhood in Detroit and Albuquerque
Alvin Joiner was born in Detroit. His mother died when he was nine years old. His father later remarried, and the family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
His teenage years were difficult. Xzibit later recalled that he struggled with the death of his mother, had conflicts within the family and repeatedly encountered problems at school.
At around fourteen, Alvin Joiner began writing rap lyrics on his own. Among the artists who influenced him during his early years were Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD and other figures from late-1980s American hip-hop.
He initially used the stage name Exhibit A. It later evolved into Xzibit.
At around seventeen or eighteen, Alvin Joiner left New Mexico and moved to California, deciding to focus on music. His professional career began in Los Angeles.
Likwit Crew and Early Recordings
In Los Angeles, Xzibit became part of the circle surrounding Likwit Crew. The collective formed around King Tee and included Tha Alkaholiks, later expanding to Defari, Lootpack and other representatives of California's underground hip-hop scene.
One of Xzibit's first notable appearances on a professional recording was his verse on «Hit and Run» by Tha Alkaholiks from the 1995 album Coast II Coast.
Likwit Crew differed noticeably from the commercial G-funk associated with Los Angeles during the first half of the 1990s. Greater emphasis was placed on MC technique, complex rhyming and underground hip-hop aesthetics. This influence can be heard especially clearly on Xzibit's first solo recordings.
At the Speed of Life
On October 1, 1996, Xzibit released his debut studio album At the Speed of Life through Loud Records and RCA.
The lead single was «Paparazzi». In the lyrics, Xzibit criticized artists who create artificial criminal personas in pursuit of popularity. The song became his first solo single to enter the Billboard Hot 100.
Another important track was «The Foundation», an address to his son structured as a series of life lessons. Even on his debut album, harder rap tracks were accompanied by more personal material.
At the Speed of Life established Xzibit within the American underground scene and gave him an audience of his own beyond Likwit Crew.
40 Dayz & 40 Nightz
On August 25, 1998, Xzibit released his second studio album, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz.
The best-known song was «What U See Is What U Get». Like «Paparazzi», the track rejected artificial stage personas and emphasized Xzibit's own direct approach.
By the second album, the defining features of his delivery had become firmly established: a low, raspy voice, sharp articulation, dense flow and strong emphasis on individual words and line endings.
Collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre
In 1999, Xzibit recorded with Snoop Dogg on «Bitch Please» from the album No Limit Top Dogg. The song became one of Xzibit's most prominent guest appearances of the period and introduced him to a much wider audience.
The same year, Xzibit contributed to Dr. Dre's album 2001. He appears on «What's the Difference» alongside Dr. Dre and Eminem and also features on «Some L.A. Niggaz».
In 2000, Xzibit joined the Up in Smoke Tour, which also featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Cube, Nate Dogg and other artists.
Restless
On December 12, 2000, Xzibit released his third studio album, Restless. Dr. Dre served as executive producer.
Restless became Xzibit's most commercially successful solo album and received platinum certification in the United States.
The album included «X» with Snoop Dogg, «Front 2 Back», «Get Your Walk On», «Been a Long Time» with Nate Dogg and «Don't Approach Me» with Eminem.
Compared with his first two albums, the production became larger in scale: heavy bass, bigger hooks and more cinematic arrangements moved Xzibit closer to mainstream West Coast hip-hop of the early 2000s without changing his distinctive vocal style.
Open Bar Entertainment
Around the turn of the 2000s, Xzibit founded his own label, Open Bar Entertainment.
King Tee, Defari and other West Coast artists were associated with the company at different times. Open Bar was also used to release Xzibit's own recordings alongside distribution through major music companies.
Man vs. Machine
On October 1, 2002, Xzibit released his fourth studio album, Man vs. Machine. The record debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 — the highest-charting debut of any Xzibit solo album in the United States.
The album featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nate Dogg, M.O.P. and Anthony Hamilton. Producers included Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Rick Rock, Erick Sermon, Rockwilder and Mr. Porter.
Among the key tracks were «Multiply» with Nate Dogg and «Symphony in X Major» with Dr. Dre. On «My Name», Xzibit worked with Eminem and Nate Dogg.
Man vs. Machine received gold certification from the RIAA.
Golden State Project
In the early 2000s, Xzibit worked with Ras Kass and Saafir on the supergroup Golden State Project.
The project brought together three prominent West Coast lyricists, but a full studio album was never completed because of contractual and organizational issues.
As a result, Golden State Project remained a series of individual collaborative recordings and performances.
Pimp My Ride
In March 2004, MTV launched the automotive reality show Pimp My Ride, hosted by Xzibit.
Participants handed over old or damaged cars to a team of specialists, after which the vehicles were restored and often given deliberately extravagant custom modifications.
The early seasons were produced in collaboration with West Coast Customs, while later cars were modified at Galpin Auto Sports.
The American version hosted by Xzibit aired from 2004 to 2007 and ran for six seasons. The show made him recognizable far beyond the rap audience.
In contrast to the hard-edged delivery of his music, Xzibit appeared on Pimp My Ride as a relaxed and humorous host. For a significant part of the international audience, the television show was their first introduction to him.
Pimp My Ride inspired numerous international adaptations, while its format of dramatically modified cars became one of the recognizable pop-culture images of the 2000s.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
On December 14, 2004, Xzibit released his fifth studio album, Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The best-known track was «Hey Now (Mean Muggin)», produced by Timbaland and featuring Keri Hilson.
By this point, music was only one of several areas of Xzibit's career: at the same time, he was acting in films and hosting Pimp My Ride.
Acting Career
Xzibit began acting in films even before the success of Pimp My Ride. In the early 2000s, he appeared in The Wash and 8 Mile.
In the 2005 action film xXx: State of the Union, Xzibit played Zeke alongside Ice Cube and Samuel L. Jackson.
The same year, he appeared in the thriller Derailed with Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston.
In the 2006 sports drama Gridiron Gang, Xzibit appeared alongside Dwayne Johnson. He later acted in The X-Files: I Want to Believe, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and other films.
Full Circle
In 2006, Xzibit released his sixth studio album, Full Circle.
The album featured The Game, T-Pain, Don Blaze and other artists. One of its most personal tracks was «Thank You», addressed to the listeners who had supported Xzibit throughout his career.
During this period, Xzibit sought greater control over his own releases through Open Bar Entertainment after several years of working with major labels and production teams.
Napalm
Xzibit released his next solo album six years later. Napalm was released on October 9, 2012.
The album featured Wiz Khalifa, E-40, Prodigy, Crooked I, David Banner, Slim the Mobster and other artists.
Sonically, Napalm was closer to hard-edged West Coast hip-hop and was noticeably less oriented toward the mainstream pop market than Xzibit's early-2000s work.
After this album, there was a long break in Xzibit's solo discography.
Serial Killers
In 2013, Xzibit joined forces with B-Real of Cypress Hill and rapper Demrick to form the group Serial Killers.
Their first release was the mixtape Serial Killers Vol. 1. In the following years, they released The Murder Show, Day of the Dead, Summer of Sam and other projects.
Serial Killers' music is built around traditional hard-edged hip-hop and the interaction between three MCs. The project allowed Xzibit to release new material regularly during a period when he was not recording solo albums.
Empire
In 2016, Xzibit joined the cast of the Fox television series Empire, playing music manager Leslie «Shyne» Johnson.
The character was a long-time rival of Lucious Lyon, played by Terrence Howard.
Xzibit initially appeared as a guest actor during the second season, but his character later continued to play a role in the storyline. Xzibit remained on Empire until 2019.
Return to Solo Music
During the first half of the 2020s, Xzibit once again began working regularly on his own material.
In 2024, he released the single «Play This at My Funeral». Rather than trying to recreate the sound of the Restless era, Xzibit addressed themes of his long career, aging, loss and his own place in hip-hop.
Before the release of the new album, the artist said that he had previously considered ending his music career but eventually returned to studio work.
Kingmaker
On May 16, 2025, Xzibit released his eighth solo studio album, Kingmaker — his first since Napalm in thirteen years.
The album contains twenty tracks. Guest artists include Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Ty Dolla $ign, Royce da 5'9", Redman, B-Real, King Tee, K.A.A.N., Domo Genesis, Dem Jointz, Symba and others.
The guest list connects several stages of Xzibit's career. King Tee represents his early Likwit Crew circle, Dr. Dre the period of his commercial rise in the early 2000s, B-Real the Serial Killers era, while younger artists connect the album to the contemporary American scene.
On «Leave Me Alone», Xzibit works again with Dr. Dre, while Ty Dolla $ign provides vocals. «For the Love» features Ice Cube, «Higher» features Redman and B-Real, and «Crash» features Royce da 5'9" and K.A.A.N.
The title Kingmaker reflects the idea of an experienced artist using his accumulated knowledge and connections to support the next generation of musicians.
This Thing of Ours
After the release of Kingmaker, Xzibit continued working with Serial Killers.
On April 10, 2026, Xzibit, B-Real and Demrick released the album This Thing of Ours. It contains eleven tracks, including «SK Anthem», «Call the Cops», «High Energy», «Anarchy» featuring Chuck D and «By Any Means» featuring Scoop DeVille.
Unlike the guest-heavy Kingmaker, this album focuses primarily on the interaction between the three members of Serial Killers.
FLOWER GIRL and New Recordings
On August 14, 2026, Xzibit released the solo single «FLOWER GIRL». As of September 2026, it is the latest standalone release in his main digital catalog.
This means that Xzibit's return with Kingmaker continued through further solo and group recordings rather than remaining a one-off album release after a long break.
Xzibit's Musical Style
One of Xzibit's most recognizable characteristics is his low, raspy voice, hard articulation and strongly accented delivery.
On his early albums, his style was more closely tied to the Los Angeles underground: long verses, internal rhymes and relatively few melodic choruses. During the period of collaboration with Dr. Dre, the songs gained bigger hooks and larger-scale production, while Xzibit's distinctive delivery remained intact.
Xzibit's music is generally classified as West Coast hip-hop, hardcore rap and gangsta rap, although classic G-funk describes only part of his catalog. His early albums also show clear influence from boom bap and the underground Likwit Crew school.
Xzibit's lyrics are not limited to battle rap and street narratives. He has also written about the music industry, family, fatherhood, loss, fame and the consequences of professional success.
Pimp My Ride and His Music Career
Xzibit's international mainstream fame is closely associated with Pimp My Ride, but by the time the show premiered in 2004, his music career had already been underway for almost a decade.
By then, Xzibit had released four solo albums, earned platinum certification for Restless, recorded with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Eminem, and taken part in the Up in Smoke Tour.
Television greatly expanded his audience, but it came only after Xzibit had already established his own name in American hip-hop.
Xzibit Discography
Solo Studio Albums
- 1996 — At the Speed of Life
- 1998 — 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz
- 2000 — Restless
- 2002 — Man vs. Machine
- 2004 — Weapons of Mass Destruction
- 2006 — Full Circle
- 2012 — Napalm
- 2025 — Kingmaker
Selected Serial Killers Releases
- 2013 — Serial Killers Vol. 1
- 2015 — The Murder Show
- 2018 — Day of the Dead
- 2020 — Summer of Sam
- 2026 — This Thing of Ours
Main Films and Television Series
- 2001 — The Wash
- 2002 — 8 Mile
- 2005 — xXx: State of the Union
- 2005 — Derailed
- 2006 — Gridiron Gang
- 2008 — The X-Files: I Want to Believe
- 2009 — Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
- 2016–2019 — Empire — Leslie «Shyne» Johnson
Xzibit's Place in Hip-Hop
Xzibit's career began within the Los Angeles underground scene around Likwit Crew before collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre introduced him to a much larger American audience. During the 2000s, his music career developed alongside work in television and film, while Pimp My Ride made the Xzibit name recognizable far beyond hip-hop.
At the same time, Xzibit maintained his connection to the rap scene even during periods when solo albums were rare, through Serial Killers, guest appearances and Open Bar Entertainment. Kingmaker and the releases that followed returned him to regular studio work, connecting his early West Coast hip-hop circle with artists from younger generations.
