The hip-hop legend returns with new work to excite fans, only to be met with mixed reactions. His new album ‘Kingmaker’ is due for release next year.
Considering Xzibit (real name Alvin Joiner) is prepping his first album in ten years, you’d expect the West Coast rapper to debut a more impactful song. Instead, the raspy vocalist released a rather mid-level piece of music.
How Does It Sound?
Returning to the game with a full set of braids, his latest single, ‘Play This At My Funeral’, is a slow-tempo, introspective piece that takes stock of his progression.
His new drop has been dubbed ‘meh’ by many listeners. From the production to the lyrics, many feel it’s a waste of a promotional track better suited as an album number.
Featuring rolling snares with supplemental organs, Joiner deploys a smooth flow in tandem with the sound design’s tempo. Lyrically, there isn’t much to write home about, though his flow is an unrivalled breath of fresh air. But still, it is a far cry from the X to the Z we know.
The music video works as a soft return to the early 00s aesthetic that was popular at the time. Using CGI to recreate a hurricane, it acknowledges his career progression into the modern era.
The cut was composed by 21 The Producer.
New Album
On 25th September, Conor McGregor announced on Instagram that he had signed the rapper to his record label Greenback Records. Following the announcement, it was revealed that his new album will be titled ‘Kingmaker’.
The project is scheduled to launch in early 2025, but before that, a second promo single titled “Been A Long Time Pt.2”—a sequel to the 2000 track— will be released on 25th October 2024.
Critique of Hip-Hop
Joiner has been critical regarding the state of hip-hop, saying its former shine is wearing off. On The Adam Carolla Show, he told the host: “I don’t know if they’re doing it on purpose or not, but hip-hop doesn’t have the staying power that it used to have.”
His critique of the modern genre is a widely conveyed sentiment, with countless artists limiting their commitment to thematically engaging projects.
“There’s no emotional investment in the music, like when we were putting music out. A lot of the things that made us have 10, 15, 20, 30 year-long careers doesn’t exist anymore.”
The industry is replete with haphazard deliveries masked by autotune, making Xzibit’s criticism of contemporary rappers a justified point of view.
The rapper is renowned for his legendary exploits including the classic joints ‘Paparazzi’, ‘Get Your Walk On’ and ‘X’.
His affiliation with artists including Dr.Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Eminem propelled him to new heights, even joining them for the ‘Up In Smoke’ tour in 2000.
He later became the host of MTV’s ‘Pimp My Ride’, and was cast in film and television projects such as ‘8 Mile’, ‘The Boondocks’ and ‘CSI: Miami’.
Stanisland Magazine 
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