Xzibit

Xzibit (on his biggest inspiration): Just my love for the music. I was always in to writing, my mother was a writer, my father was an educator, so they always had me in a book. Comprehension was strong so when you just have that much just sitting there idle and then you find something that actually funneled and used it.

Xzibit: I want to be creative, I want to be influential, and I want to have said some important things when I get done at the end of the day. And that only happens when you strive to push the envelope and strive for perfection, and strive to do bigger and better records.

Xzibit: I have respect for 50 Cent. The way he came up through the underground is a lot like my story and now he's blowing up, too.

Xzibit: What has attracted new people now is that lyricists like myself and huge stars like Snoop and Dre are connecting and doing stuff. And that's something that hasn't been done on the West Coast in a while. All my experiences -- on Snoop's Top Dogg, Dre's Chronic 2001, and the Up In Smoke tour -- are paying off. I'm a good artist and the integrity of my music is intact. Now, it's time to sell millions. With Restless, I'm gonna serve my core fans and please new ones. I've come too far and struggled too long to give them anything else but the best.

Xzibit: Longevity is the key and staying true to myself. I was 18 when my first record came out. Since then I have definitely grown as an artist and I portray that through my music.

Xzibit: I can't tell what effect its going to have on music side of things, but I think it's a blessing to be embraced by that many people. I know it's not going to alter the way I make my music at all, but who knows what it's going to do to effect how my records do.

Xzibit: Dr. Dre is a legend, dude. He really, really knows how to bring the best out of an artist. So when you get into a situation where you've actually got to come up with a track, he'll help you paint the picture then he'll show you how to hang it right.

Xzibit: I think war for oil is not justifiable. You know, it's not a reason to go to war. I know when we initially went in it was supposed to be a search for weapons of mass destruction which was a threat to us as a society. But when there was no weapons found, it became about something totally different. And I think that's unfortunate that we were duped into that and now we're actually there and those peoples lives are in danger for personal gain and profit, you know its rough.

Xzibit: L.A. provided me with an opportunity to make my dreams come true. There are two sides to every coin and there are two types of artists. There's a guy who really thinks he deserves everything that's happening to him and there's a guy who knows he worked his ass off and was blessed. I really feel like everything is a blessing. You know, I go to New York and I feel like it's home. I go down to Dallas or to the U.K. and feel like it's home. But I made a home in the West and I'm gonna stay there.

Xzibit (on meeting Eminem): I met Eminem like six years ago. I mean I felt he got skills when I first met him so it's not difficult to see where he is at now man. I know he's going to do it. Greatly misunderstood by the press. You can say things and take them literally or you can find the wit in it. I think when you try and pigeon hole somebody and make them out how you want them to be, it's never going to fit. Eminem is one of those people who knows how to speak for himself and knows how to press people's buttons, so I think it's entertaining.

Xzibit: I think negative draws negative. As long as they aren't coming close to us and endangering our people they can do whatever the **** they want to do. We continue with God on our side - we're rocking fans, we're rocking millions and that should speak for itself.

Xzibit: Man, you can expect me to just come out here and be creative to the best of my ability and have fun at the same time, and we'll see where it goes.

Xzibit: I didn't have enough bus money to get to New York. When I went out to California, I was still doing the shit that saw a lot of my friends killed or put in prison. But I got a job in a car wash and just started hitting underground clubs, doing acappella because I didn't have a track, or a DJ.

Xzibit: Grandma's lungs must be as black as I am.

Xzibit: We're gonna edit ourselves from now on. Why you little...