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Xzibit

Alvin Joiner had a serious underground reputation, a mainstream run with Dr. Dre, and then a television career that overwhelmed both in the public memory.

Early life and origins

Joiner was born in Detroit and moved to Albuquerque, then to Los Angeles as a teenager. He came up through the Likwit Crew alongside Tha Alkaholiks, and his early records established him as a technically strong, aggressive West Coast MC at a point when the region's commercial sound had moved elsewhere.

Album discography

At the Speed of Life and 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz built his underground standing. Restless, executive produced by Dr. Dre in 2000, was the commercial breakthrough, followed by Man vs. Machine and Weapons of Mass Destruction. He appeared substantially on Dre's 2001.

What Xzibit is known for musically

Force. He has a heavy, front-loaded delivery and a writing style built on directness rather than wordplay, which suited Dre's production well.

Television and acting

He hosted Pimp My Ride on MTV from 2004, which made him internationally famous to an audience that had never heard his records and generated an internet meme that long outlived the show. He has also acted in 8 Mile, Gridiron Gang and television drama.

Album discography

At the Speed of Life (1996), 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998), Restless (2000), Man vs. Machine (2002), Weapons of Mass Destruction (2004), Full Circle (2006), Napalm (2012) and Kingmaker (2025).

Notable songs

"X", "Paparazzi", "Multiply" and "What U See Is What U Get", plus his appearances across Dr. Dre's 2001.

Influence and legacy

He kept a technically demanding West Coast style commercially visible during a period when the region's charting sound had moved elsewhere, and his Likwit Crew work remains a reference point for Los Angeles underground rap.

Early career and the Likwit Crew

Before the Aftermath years he was embedded in the Los Angeles underground through the Likwit Crew, the loose collective around Tha Alkaholiks and King Tee. That scene valued technical rapping and battle credibility over radio appeal, and it gave him a reputation among rappers well before he had one among listeners. His guest appearances on Alkaholiks records in the mid 1990s are still cited by West Coast listeners as his sharpest work.

Working with Dr. Dre

Dre brought him onto 2001 and then executive produced Restless, which moved him from respected underground figure to platinum artist in a single cycle. The pairing worked because Xzibit's delivery is heavy and unhurried in a way that suits Dre's arrangement style; he does not compete with the production.

Personal life and later years

He has spoken publicly about the death of his infant son in 2008 and about the difficulty of returning to music afterwards. He co-founded a cannabis brand and has continued to act. Kingmaker, his eighth studio album, arrived on 16 May 2025 through his own Open Bar Entertainment and Conor McGregor's Greenback Records — his first solo album in thirteen years, with guests including Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Redman and B-Real.

Frequently asked

Where is Xzibit from?

Joiner was born in Detroit and moved to Albuquerque, then to Los Angeles as a teenager. He came up through the Likwit Crew alongside Tha Alkaholiks, and his early records established him as a technically strong, aggressive West Coast MC at a point when the region's commercial sound had moved elsewhere.

What albums has Xzibit released?

At the Speed of Life and 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz built his underground standing. Restless , executive produced by Dr. Dre in 2000, was the commercial breakthrough, followed by Man vs. Machine and Weapons of Mass Destruction . He appeared substantially on Dre's 2001 .

How did Xzibit get started in rap?

Before the Aftermath years he was embedded in the Los Angeles underground through the Likwit Crew, the loose collective around Tha Alkaholiks and King Tee. That scene valued technical rapping and battle credibility over radio appeal, and it gave him a reputation among rappers well before he had one among listeners.

What is known about Xzibit's personal life?

He has spoken publicly about the death of his infant son in 2008 and about the difficulty of returning to music afterwards. He co-founded a cannabis brand and has continued to act.