LA legend Xzibit’s debut album At the Speed of Life is 30 years old today
The West Coast warrior, Xzibit (Alvin Nathaniel Joiner), recently returned to the booth to begin recording new music. His back catalogue hosts some works of fire, and years before Dr. Dre, Eminem and his beloved MTV show Pimp My Ride turned the young rapper into a star, the raspy lyricist made moves of his own, turning talent and skill into a series of take-notice moments. Today, Joiner — and his cat — celebrate 30 years of his debut album, At the Speed of Life. It was later released on cassette on 15 October 1996.
An Underground Classic
After building a stellar reputation around LA with Tha Alkaholiks and the Likwit Crew circle, he later signed a record deal and dropped the track that would get him noticed: “Paparazzi”. This helped build momentum for the now 30-year-old album, widely regarded as one of his best.
It reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles and 83 on the Hot 100. It was later featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, while the instrumental was featured in an episode of The Sopranos.
At the Speed of Life was finally released through Loud and RCA Records. The 15-track album featured rappers Saafir, King T, J-Ro, Hurricane G and Ras Kass.
The production line-up was equally formidable, with cuts from Saafir, E-Swift, DJ Muggs, DJ Pen One, Diamond D, Thayod Ausar and Craig Sherrad.
Not only did Xzibit position himself through a more aggressive stance, but also through a more personal approach, as heard in the second single, “The Foundation”. The project ultimately peaked at No. 74 on the Billboard 200 and No. 22 on the R&B charts.
Dedicated to his son, the track, produced by DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill), features a sample of Billy Joel’s “The Stranger”, influenced other rappers to engage with similar topics and remains powerful alongside its music video.
Photo by Matti Hillig
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