Xzibit A: West Coast Pimp

Xzibit didn't make it easy for himself growing up, but he sure has made a pretty comfortable living for himself since he's turned into an MTV icon and Dr. Dre protege. It all went down for Xzibit in the mid-1990s, when he was touring and rapping with the likes of Tha Alkaholiks in the West Coast crew called the Likwit Crew. This bit of exposure was enough to catch the eye of Dr. Dre, the living legend who brought us the likes of NWA, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg. And you know what Dr. Dre can do for a career? He turns it into gold, that's what. Xzibit soon found himself guest starring on Snoop hits like "Bitch Please" and on Dr. Dre's album "2001." He also toured with Dre and crew in the Up in Smoke tour in the summer of 2001.

Rhyming and Restless

The first Xzibit album followed, called "Restless." It was the lead Xzibit song off this album that really brought Xzibit in the forefront of the hip-hop world. Called "X." Gold Xzibit albums followed, the second one called "Man vs. Machine" and the third called "Weapons of Mass Destruction."

All the while, when success came a calling with the likes of Dr. and Snoop calling on him, Xzibit never forgot his roots. That is perhaps one of the things that his fans like the best about him. He is West Coast to the core, and while making huge albums on his own, Xzibit never forgot his friends back home.

No Help on the Home Front

But wait, you're saying, didn't we say earlier that he had a hard time breaking out of his life in the West Coast? Something about a bad childhood? Well, if you want me to take you back to the 80s, I will. Xzibit's mother died when he was nine. Back then, he was called Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, by the way, and he was living in Detroit. Afterward, his father remarried and moved to Los Angeles. As Xzibit got older, he started to listen to rap music, to start writing his own.

His parents were very religious, though, and that led to some serious friction. Xzibit started spending more of his time on the streets, getting kicked out of high school, causing trouble. But hey, the ends justify the means, right? And if you listen to Xzibit, you definitely know he can make the ends meet when he's rapping.

Making It Multimedia

Because as you saw, Xzibit got his breaks, paid his dues, and made it big time. He got success with Xzibit albums, but perhaps now he might even be better known as the host of the MTV show "Pimp My Ride." Then he's also gotten Hollywood, taking roles in such films as "Full Clip" and "XXX: State of the Union."

What about video games? Xzibit also got his voice featured in "The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay" and his likeness in "Def Jam: Fight for NY." And of course, he's the star of the "Pimp My Ride" videogame.

Sound too good to be true? Well, Xzibit's success has not come without some problems. Thought he stays close with some of his old L.A. posse, he fell out with Likwit Crew and Tha Alkaholiks for a time, though they've since patched things up and have a DVD performance coming out this summer. And he had his license revoked in the Netherlands after getting caught driving 160 km per hour in a Lamborghini. I can't tell you exactly how many miles per hour that is. But it's a lot.

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