Xzibit---Napalm

Artist: Xzibit

Album: Napalm

Label: Open Bar Entertainment/EMI Records

Producers: Beat Butcha, Rick Rock, Dr.Dre, David Banner, Akon, Focus, others

 

Xzibit has not released an album in almost six years. He has stepped to the hip hop scene as a member of Tha Likwit crew and mentored by King Tee. After pulling off the success from his cancelled show “Pimp My Ride”, Xzibit finally puts out the his seventh album “Napalm” under his own label “Open Bar Entertainment”.

            The album starts off very strong. The Beat Butcha produced “The State of Hip Hop vs Xzibit” is a hard beat that blends with Xzibit raspy voice reminding back to his first three previous albums. “Everything” and “Gangsta Gangsta” follows up and keeps up Xzibit’s aggressive momentum which makes him one of the best but underrated West Coast MC’s. “1983” is the highlight of the album as he invites the listener into the life of Alvin Joiner with recording messages of his mother Trena Joiner on the chorus. He gives pieces of his childhood and life struggles while explaining his trials and tribulations of the road of success: this is what we’re supposed to do, here’s what we’re supposed to be/I hated MTV for trying to play me like a mockery/but that don’t bother me, I just fulfill my fucking contract/small price to pay just to take a piece of my back. “Forever A G” is a smooth laid back track that suits his style as he switches his rhyme delivery while blending perfectly with Wiz Khalifa together on the chorus.

            Although Xzibit comes out strong lyrically on this album, two major downsides: wishy washy production and inconsistent guest appearances. The Dr.Dre produced “Louis XIII” featuring King Tee and Tha Alkaholiks didn’t suit well. Xzibit flowed nicely while his Likwit brethren were sloppy while the production was average; wasn’t Dre’s strongest beat. Dos Equis beat sounded horribly which made it unbearable to listen and the lyrics could of have been better coming from Xzibit, Game and RBX while “Killer’s Remorse” featured B-Real, Kendrick Lamar, Bishop Lamont didn’t seem like a compatible match with an okay album filler beat. The Akon produced “Movies” had a hard beat but should have been an Xzibit solo track as the guest appearances did not fit well.

            Overall, Napalm is definitely not a disappointment despite the long hiatus and too many guest appearances and in some cases a mismatch. The Xzibit solo tracks are the only tracks worth listening to while a few tracks you can press the fast forward button. It is a great effort of a comeback but with a few songs removed and fewer guest appearances, this would have been Xzibit magnum opus since Restless.

            Strong Tracks: “Everything”, “Gangsta Gangsta”, “State of Xzibit vs Hip-Hop”, “1983”

            Weak Tracks: “Louie XIII”, “Dos Equis”, “Killer’s Remorse”

            Rating:out of