The smash-hit TV show Pimp My Ride, originally hosted by hip-hop legend Xzibit from 2004 to 2007, is back in the U.K. with a new green angle (recycled car parts!) and a fresh host, British rapper Lady Leshurr.
The series, which will feature six episodes on MTV UK's YouTube channel, will no doubt give millennials a bit of nostalgia for Pimp My Ride's OG host. He sat down with Newsweek on Friday for a Zoom interview, which touched on his upcoming album, "wish fulfillment" and bringing his skills to Alexa's new "Trick My Fan Cave" campaign.
On top of his work as an innovative rapper, Xzibit is known for his acting, having appeared as Shyne Johnson on the critically acclaimed series Empire. But despite his various successes, Xzibit told Newsweek that he isn't one to seek out self-gratification or fame. Instead, he looks for ways to give back.
"I've never been that guy," Xzibit said. "I've always done it because, you know, it felt good to me. It was something that I could really go home and sleep well on....When we look at Pimp My Ride, I was coming off of some of the most hardcore rap music that you could ever listen to. It was a total departure from that, like, I had soccer moms and people that would never listen to Xzibit records come up to me and appreciate me for my character."
Xzibit carved a foothold in the rap scene with the release of his debut album, 1996's At the Speed of Life, which peaked at No. 74 on the Billboard 200. In 2002, the rapper's Man vs. Machine spent 19 weeks on the same chart and went certified gold, with tracks featuring rap titans like Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Dr. Dre.
Later, Xzibit helped form the hip-hop group Serial Killers along with rappers B-Real and Demrick. And though he hasn't released a solo album since 2012's Napalm, Xzibit told Newsweek he'll be dropping a new offering, titled King Maker, sometime in the not-so-distant future.
Most recently, Xzibit teamed up with Alexa ahead of Amazon's Thursday Night Football season to launch a Pimp My Ride-esque campaign: "Alexa, Trick My Fan Cave." In a video posted to YouTube Tuesday, Xzibit surprises 92-year-old Los Angeles Rams superfan Lewis Lazarus with his own fan cave featuring Alexa-compatible devices.
Xzibit said giving back to Lazarus felt reminiscent of his time on Pimp My Ride.
"His reaction was priceless," the rapper said. "It was a total change from what he had been living with. And that's what it's about, man: doing for others. Wish fulfillment is a big part of the enjoyment I get out of this."
Xzibit may have made a name for himself as a rap god, but the multi-hyphenate entertainer speaks like a certified self-help guru. He told Newsweek that as someone with a large megaphone, he tries to look for the positive in everything.
"I know that the world is in a really tough place right now," he added. "So the more light we can give it, the better."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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