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Xzibit - Full CircleAlbum Review by:
Lee Tillman
Monday, October 16, 2006
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A lot has changed on the West Coast since Xzibit debuted 10 years ago with 'At The Speed of Life'. In 1996 Dr. Dre left Death Row and dropped an album that most of us forgot about. (Dr. Dre Presents... The Aftermath) only to come back and created one of the strongest imprints in hip hop. The Dogg Pound were celebrating the double platinum success of 'Dogg Food' and helped escalate the east coast/ west coast feud with their video for 'New York, New York'. They went on to break up and become sworn enemies. Daz moved to the ATL and signed to So So Def and eventually buried the hatched with Kurupt and resurrected the DPGC. Tha Alkaholiks were riding the wave of their classic 'Coast II Coast'. Earlier this year they released 'Firewater' their final album as a group. Snoop released his final album for Death Row (The Dogg Father) and also his last as Snoop Doggy Dogg. He shortened his name (Suge still owns it)signed to No Limit (remember them) and made 3 lack luster albums. Somehow he pulled a George Forman and went from monster to a mogul. He now pushes everything from porno's to bubble gum and is said to be creating his strongest album in years, 'The Blue Carpet Treatment'.
But enough about them. What has Alvin Nathaniel Joiner been up to? He created two underground classics and by 1999 it seemed Mr. X to the Z was destine to be next up. Check the resume: A spot on a classic album? How about 3? "Bitch Please." "What's the Difference?" and "Some L. A. Ni**az" all appeared on Chronic 2001. Prime position on a massive tour? If you missed the Up In Smoke Tour I feel sorry for you. Big budget album release with a big budget producer? 'Restless', executive produced by The Good Doctor, unleashed "X" his biggest hit to date. While the album did go platinum it didn't exactly make him a household name. His two follow up albums 'Man Vs. Machine' and 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' went on to get respectable gold plaques but I think it's safe to say we expected a little more from him. On top of that in two ironic twists of fate he was "X-ed" out of the Likwid crew (the very crew that gave him his start) and was hit with an alcohol bottle that lead to a still visible scar on his face shortly after he decided to cut down on drinking. The hip hop gods didn't seem to be smiling on X about that time.
So, what's a brother to do? Why, pimp rides of course! Lets not forget the dozen or so movies and video games he's been in. While this may help him pay bills, this type of thing usually doesn't sit well with music fans. It's about this time in an artist career that the "s-word" (sellout) gets thrown about pretty heavily.
Well, I'm proud to report that any signs of Xzibit going Hollywood are deaded with the release of the aptly titled 'Full Circle'. X's grizzly baritone is in full effect and his keen sense of observation is on full display. Every line on the opening track 'Invade My Space' is more or less quotable. He spits "Mentally you're still shackled up on some lame shit/ Side by side on the bottom of a slave ship./ I came a long way from the place that I started from/ Ever seen a mans last breath beaten out of 'em?" Later on 'Ram Part Division' he let's us see life thought the eyes of a corrupt LAPD officer. On 'Scandalous Bitches' he extends an olive branch (sort of) to Usher after calling him "queer eye for the straight guy" at 2004's EMA's. The DJ Quik produced 'Poppin' Off' has X back in 'Bitch Please' territory although Quik steals the show seeing as sex raps happen to be his specialty. King T also shows up to dead any thoughts that he's completely severed from the Likwid Crew. He also talks indirectly about his scar on 'Black & Brown' in which he calls a truce to the animosity between Blacks and Hispanics in LA.
Not every song on 'Full Circle' is a certified banger though. While he delivers on 'Family Values' it suffers greatly from the worst hook imaginable. Also there is a thin line between sympathetic and sappy and the piano on 'Thank You' tips the scale to the latter.
And then there are the songs that we could do completely without. His cadence on 'Concentrate' is way to simplistic to listen to for more that a few seconds. If this really is his first single it might be a big mistake. Also, 'The Whole World' is hardly listenable and defiantly deserves the skip button treatment.
For the most part the cracks in 'Full Circle' are not the fault of Xzibit but fall more on the shoulders on his production choices. Although I doubt this album will win him any new fans, it's defiantly a nice welcome back to the man we know and love. Cheers, mate.
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