Xzibit released his second album, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz, on August 25, 1998; it peaked at number 53 on the Billboard 200. The album also contained the single "What U See Is What U Get", which peaked at #50 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's success caught attention from West Coast rapper Dr. Dre who acted as the executive producer on Xzibit's third album, Restless, which was released on December 12, 2000.
Restless debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum in the U.S. The album contained the singles "Front 2 Back", "X", and "Get Your Walk On". His follow-up album Man vs. Machine (2002) also enjoyed success; it debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. Weapons of Mass Destruction (2004) also became certified gold. After the release of Full Circle in 2006, Xzibit underwent a hiatus, not releasing music until the release of his seventh studio album Napalm on October 9, 2012. Since 2013, he is part of the hip-hop supergroup Serial Killers.
Xzibit has also gained fame as an actor and television host, for his role as Shyne Johnson in the television series Empire, and as the host for the reality television series Pimp My Ride. He has starred in the films Gridiron Gang (2006), The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) and Sun Dogs (2017).
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xzibit
Studio albums
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)
King Maker (2022)
Loud & Clear
Xzibit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Addicted to life, had to pay a heavy-ass price
Sacrifice worth waitin' on the platinum and ice
I'm precise with the merchandise, came back like Christ
To change the game, while y'all niggas remain the same
Clear the lane, comin' through like Kobe, you can't hold me
You can't stop me, ever since I dropped "Paparazzi"
I done watched the game unfold into some hideous shit
I transmit for the convicts, committed, never bullshitted
Shadowbox, detox, my own worse critic
It's like tryna squeeze water from rocks
I negotiate the neighborhood stocks and clean your clock with a Glock
Sick of niggas screamin' they hot, but really they not
Beatin' you all to the ground like six L.A. cops
Put your fist up in the air if you ever been shot
And lived to tell about it, never leavin' home without it, come on
There's no one out there
For us to fear, I'll say it loud and clear
(Yeah, we ain't scared of none of y'all motherfuckers)
Who can say they're close to us
Speak now and you'll be brought to tears
They probably saw me on the 91 East, gettin' off on Central
With the rag back, lookin' like life's so simple
Tela take a loss, still floss, all bets
If Trife can't cover the house, call X
Likwit crew brothers, Blues Brothers
Move somethin', make killers do somethin', for real
The bitch-made often politic with the skill
Now shit's all twisted, unlisted
Guns fixed it, best not speak about the Likwit
We gifted, twenty-four hours and still lifted
(Bitch, keep your vagina) We drunk and ain't interested
Bitches come a dime and a dove, we ain't trippin' it
Standin' at the bar, soft-styled in the cut
"Ooh, boo, wait, I think you had too much"
Bitch, what? Act right and pour it in a cup
The West and Eastside keep smokin' them blunts, niggas
Let's get with it, I was born to trip
Stay on the lookout, ain't no time to slip (yeah)
We ain't for games and shit
Change your spot, 'cause we're known to dip (come on)
No time for chasin' hoes (hell nah)
I'm on a mission 'cause my cash is low (shit is low)
There's no need to speak on those (come on y'all)
Doggy rags are the gangsta's clothes
There's two sides of my family, both sides from the ghetto
Pops Finnish choco-late, moms Mississippi yellow
Caramel, Cherokee black man, with a pedigree of excellence
Together we rise, no time for separateness
My grandfather Snake was a Jake, or a jack
Of a smack to a bird who don't know how to act
Straight hustler, Mississippi moonshine smuggler
Good ol' wrangler in his day with that attitude of "Fuck ya"
Built to run forever, X the infinite
First line of defense to smash through the immigrants
Can't straddle the fence, it's all or nothin'
Close the curtain, shut down your whole production
Don't be scared, be prepared, niggas do be bustin'
Without thinkin' I mastered the art of hard drinkin'
Yo, you wanna stop the X, try your best
I'm still fuckin' with your pockets like the IRS, so yo
There's no one out there
For us to fear, I'll say it loud and clear
(Yeah, we ain't scared of none of you motherfuckers)
Who can say they're close to us
Speak now and you'll be brought to tears
(Front line all the time motherfucker)
Gather all around to see how we display our vicious skills
(We got spitter after spitter after rhyme spitter)
I done seen and heard enough
Let's prove the West coast is for real
Speak now and you'll be brought to tears
In the song Loud & Clear, Xzibit speaks about his addiction to life, the sacrifices he had to make, and the price he paid to get where he is. He compares himself to Jesus Christ, coming back to change the game while everyone else remains the same. He speaks about his clarity and precision with his merchandise, and how he remains his own worst critic. He uses metaphors like squeezing water from a rock to describe the difficulty of the struggles that he faces. He is frustrated with the current state of the music industry, where any idiot who can spit can drop a hit. He also takes shots at other rappers who claim to be hot but are really not.
King Tee gives his own verse, where he speaks about being from Likwit Crew, a group of rappers from California known for their mix of West Coast Gangsta rap and East Coast underground hip hop. He speaks about his experience being pulled over by the police and how they messed with him, then continues on to describe the type of people the Likwit Crew is: brothers who will move something and make killers do something for real. He then goes on to explain how the game became twisted when people started politicking instead of rapping about their own experiences, leading to guns fixed it because people had to defend themselves.
Defari follows up with a verse about coming from a mixed-race family and how he had to work hard to rise up from the ghetto. He speaks about his grandfather being a hustler and smuggler, with an attitude of "Fuck ya." He describes the struggles of being an immigrant in America and how he had to smash through the obstacles to get to where he is today.
The song ends with a call to arms to prove that the West Coast is for real and that they're ready to display their vicious skills.
Line by Line Meaning
Addicted to life, had to pay a heavy-ass price
I have an intense passion for life, but it has come with a great cost
Sacrifice worth waitin on the platinum and ice
The sacrifices I've made have finally paid off and I have achieved fame and fortune
I'm precise with the merchandise, came back like Christ
I am skilled in what I do and have made a strong comeback like Jesus Christ
to change the game, while y'all niggaz remain the same
I am revolutionizing the music industry while others continue to stick to the status quo
Clear the lane, comin through like Kobe, you can't hold me
I am unstoppable in my pursuits, like Kobe Bryant on the court
You can't stop me, ever since I dropped "Paparazzi"
Even my first hit song, "Paparazzi", has made me unstoppable
I done watched the game unfold into some hideous shit
I've observed the music industry devolve into something unsightly
Like every idiot that can spit be droppin a hit
Untalented people are becoming successful in music
I transmit for the convicts, committed, never bullshitted
My music is for those in prison, those dedicated to their art, and I never lie or cheat my fans
Shadowbox, detox, my own worse critic
I constantly challenge and reevaluate myself, always striving for improvement
It's like tryin to squeeze water from rocks
It's hard to get anything out of a difficult situation
I negotiate the neighborhood stops and clean your clock with a glock
I navigate through the rough neighborhoods and defend myself if necessary
Sick of niggaz screamin they hot, but really they not
I'm tired of hearing people claim they're great when they're not
Beatin you all to the ground like six L.A. cops
I will defeat you like the six LAPD cops who brutally beat Rodney King
Put your fist up in the air if you ever been shot
Raise your fist if you've ever been shot or experienced violence
and lived to tell about it, never leavin home without it, c'mon
If you've survived violence, you'll always be prepared to protect yourself
There's no one out there, for us, to fear
There's no one that can intimidate or scare us
Who can say they're close, to us
No one can claim they're close to us
Speak now and you'll be brought, to tears
If you speak up now, you'll regret it and be emotional
They probably saw me on the 91 East, gettin off on Central
People may have seen me driving on the 91 East freeway, getting off at the Central exit
with the rag back, lookin like life's so simple
I'm dressed casually, representing a laid-back lifestyle
Tela take a loss, still floss, all bets
Even when Tela loses money gambling, he continues to flaunt his success
If Trife can't cover the house, call X
If Trife is unable to pay up, call me to solve the issue
Likwit crew brothers, Blues Brothers
We are a tight-knit group like the Blues Brothers, representing the Likwit crew
Move somethin, make killers do somethin, f'real
Let's do something productive and motivating, something that inspires people
The bitch-made often politic with the skill
Weak-minded people will often manipulate others for personal gain
Now shit's all twisted, unlisted
Things are chaotic and unpredictable, no one can plan for them
Guns fixed it, best not speak about the Likwit
Our gun collection solves our problems, don't mess with the Likwit crew
We gifted, twenty-four hours and still lifted
We are talented and creative, high on drugs 24/7
We drunk and ain't interested
We're too drunk to care about anything else
Bitches come a dime and a dove, we ain't trippin it
Women are everywhere and easily available, we're not too worried about them
Standin at the bar, soft-styled in the cut
We're hanging out at the bar, looking cool and laid-back
"Ooh, boo wait, I think you had too much!"
Someone is concerned about our level of intoxication
Bitch what? Act right and pour it in a cup
We don't care about their opinion, just pour us more alcohol
The West and Eastside keep smokin them blunts, niggaz
Both sides of the United States, West and East Coast, are smoking marijuana
Let's get with it, I was born to trip
Let's do this, I was meant for this lifestyle, to party and have fun
Stay on the lookout, ain't no time to slip
Be alert and careful, there's no time to make mistakes
We ain't for games and shit
We don't have time for games, we're serious about our lifestyle
Change your spot, cause we're known to dip
Move elsewhere because we have a tendency to leave suddenly
No time for chasin hoes
We're too busy for chasing women
I'm on a mission cause my cash is low
I need money, so I'm on a mission to make more
There's no need to speak on those
We don't need to discuss our motivations or plans out loud
Doggy rags are the gangsta's clothes
Bandanas represent a gangster's style and identity
There's two sides of my family, both sides from the ghetto
My family has roots in rough neighborhoods, on both my mother and father's side
Pops Finnish choco-late, moms Mississippi yellow
My father is Finnish and my mother is of mixed heritage, including Cherokee
Caramel, Cherokee black man, with a pedigree of excellence
I am of mixed race, including Cherokee ancestry, with a family lineage of successful people
Together we rise, no time for separateness
When we come together, we are stronger and need to work together as one
My grandfather Snake was a Jake, or a jack
My grandpa Snake was a hustler or criminal
of a smack to a bird who don't know how to act
He would hit someone who was acting out of line
Straight hustler, Mississippi moonshine smuggler
My grandpa was a skilled hustler who smuggled moonshine from Mississippi
Good ol' wrangler in his day with that attitude of "Fuck ya"
He was a successful cowboy in his prime with a rebellious attitude
Built to run forever, X the infinite
I am designed to last forever, and I am limitless like infinity
First line of defense to smash through the immigrants
I am the first one to fight against outsiders and protect my community
Can't straddle the fence, it's all or nothin
You can't be indecisive, you have to commit to one decision
Close the curtain, shut down your whole production
Our actions can end your business or operation
Don't be scared, be prepared, niggaz do be bustin
Don't live in fear, but be ready for dangerous situations
without thinkin; I mastered the art of hard drinkin
I have become an expert in drinking heavily without thinking about the consequences
Yo, you want to stop the X, try your best
If you want to defeat me, you better give it your all
I'm still fuckin with your pockets like the IRS, so yo
I'm still taking your money like the IRS, so watch out
Gather all around, to see
Come together to witness
how we display our vicious skills
We will showcase our impressive abilities
I done seen and heard, enough
I have witnessed and heard enough of this nonsense
Let's prove the West coast is for real
We will prove that the West Coast is a real force to be reckoned with
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Danny Elliott II Means, Kevin Gilliam, Duane Johnson, Alvin Joiner, Roger Mcbride
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind