Jay-Z - Kingdom Come

If I were to pick the least potent period of Shawn Carter's incredible and storied career, the era in which he excelled the least, it would probably be his faux "retirement", which took place between 2004 and 2006. Sure, Hova did find time to become president of Def Jam, one of hip-hop's most infamous and prosperous labels, at this time, which was quite the achievement and one of the first incredible business moves of the man's career - but at the same time, Jay effectively proved right all those saying the retirement was a stunt to promote his 8th record, The Black Album, by not only releasing a whole new album in 2004 (the widely despised second collaborative tape with R. Kelly, Unfinished Business, which I do not own and therefore didn't review, sorry) and a mashup collaboration with Linkin Park (plus an actual live performance together), but also delivering a slew of guest verses within the less than three year period in which he was "finished with music". Not only that, but he also burned a few bridges between the likes of DMX and Cam'Ron, the former of which being an especially questionable fallout, given X's opinion that Jay kicked him off the label because he was afraid of the competition. True or not, this wasn't really a good look for Jigga at all. 

But perhaps the area Jay-Z failed in the most was how he came out of the retirement. In late 2006 he announced his return to the surprise of approximately no-one, via the lead single to his up-and-coming 9th studio album, Kingdom Come, a record that was rolled out with much hype, but almost immediately dismissed as the worst album in the Jay-Z catalogue thus far. Considering how incredible and well put together The Black Album was, fans were disappointed to learn that Jay-Z recorded much of this album whilst on tour - i.e. it was rushed - meaning he sounds tired and elderly on the mic rather than sharp and comfortable like he used to; meanwhile the production seemed to lack any bounce at all, with the dreary backdrops being oddly appropriate in conjunction with this newer, more senile version of Jay, who despite being in his 30s seemed to have been aged deeply by the stress of running a massive label. 

But while maybe it's just the all red casing for the CD (which is awesome by the way) that makes me see this album in a completely different light to most - honestly, this doesn't feel like any other Hov album out there, and in some cases that's for the best. Let's get to it. 

1. The Prelude (prod. B-Money)

The opening track is a great example of this new Hov - "The Prelude" stands as one of the most chilled out and brilliant cuts of Jay's post-retirement career, where he laments on disdains for where the rap world was headed, and gives some reason as to why he might have felt the need to lift himself out of his backyard hammock so soon and enter the game once again - speaking of The Game, Hov also fires back at Jayceon's disses from "It's Okay (One Blood)" at the end of this one verse wonder. "I used to think rapping at 38 was ill / but last year alone I grossed 38 mil / I know I ain't quite 38 but still / the flow so special, got a 38 feel / the real is back". These lyrics are brilliant on their own, but the way Jay-Z delivers them with a calm and collected drawl, before ending the track altogether... it's just magical. If these lyrics aren't good enough for hip-hop fans, then maybe everyone should hang it up. And it's not just the lyrics on this track (the first few lines are fantastic too): B-Money's instrumental is simply beautiful, mostly soothing but somewhat ominous, practically forcing the listener to be interested in what's to come. "The Prelude" honestly gives a lot of The Black Album a run for its money - and it might just be the best track on this entire record. 

2. Oh My God (prod. Just Blaze) 

Inevitably, things weren't going to remain as sonically sombre as "The Prelude" throughout this whole LP - I mean, becoming the head of the biggest hip-hop label in the world isn't something you just brush off, even if you are as famous as Jay-Z. "Oh My God" is a predictable Just Blaze concoction, but make no mistake a good one, full of triumphant horns and a passionate vocal sample that bring back memories of that classic "U Don't Know" sound. Of course, "Oh My God", goofy title and all, doesn't stand up to the quality of some of the classics on The Blueprint, but it does try, and while Jay's flow isn't as electric as it used to be, he still delivers some memorable bars over what is a truly brilliant beat. Also, isn't it "strong as I am" during the chorus? "Strong as iron" (which is what Genius says it is), while technically it makes sense, doesn't really have much relation to the Hov catalogue. Whatever.

3. Kingdom Come (prod. Just Blaze)

It's songs like this that make me question why there's any negative press around this album whatsoever. Just Blaze's beat on this title track is even better than his efforts on "Oh My God", with a pulsating instrument punctuated by these echoey vocal samples every other bar that make for an incredibly unique soundscape within the Hov catalogue, as well as a highly underrated beat drop when it first comes in towards the start of the track. This isn't even good in a guilty pleasure sort of way, like much of Method Man's Tical 0: The Prequel - this is just legitimately incredible hip-hop music. Even Jay sounds extra excited on here, spitting with a smoothness I long for throughout the bloated The Blueprint 2. I had a great fucking smile on my face throughout this entire track, even during the slightly unnecessary hook. This song is as awesome as I remember and then some. 

4. Show Me What You Got (prod. Just Blaze)

The lead single, although apparently not the track that most people remember from this album these days, which is odd as this is definitely a standout for me. Sure, it's not the best song on the album, but it's certainly the catchiest, what with Just Blaze's horn fuelled sample and Hov's repetitive hook that is an immense ear worm. This is one of the few songs on the album (from my recollection) that only has two verses rather than three, but Jay manages to make them worth it, as they're full of memorable lines. From the opener of "give the drummer some / shit I already gave the summer some, it's the winter's turn" to that classic Hov swagger when he merely states "y'all got less than 2 months to get your thing together, good luck" (in reference to the single dropping just under 2 months before the album), which just exudes confidence that Hov had frankly earned by this point. Everything about this is classic - the horns, the rapping, the Public Enemy sample. So far this CD has not missed. 

5. Lost One (feat. Chrisette Michele) (prod. Dr. Dre & Mark Batson)

No, this is the most popular song from the album these days, and it's no wonder why, as it is very pleasant on the ear. Also, these are probably the best verses across the whole album. Over this fantastic Dre beat full of some of the best pianos he ever worked with, Jay-Z reminisces on times he lost friends, family and even former mentors, dedicating entire verses to individuals who played an important part in his growth. The most heart-wrenching moment of the track comes during the third verse, as Hov pays tribute to his late friend Colleek D. Luckie, who had prior passed in a car accident, inside a car Jay-Z himself bought. It's pretty tragic, and makes the song one of the darker ones that Jay had made up to this point. Chrisette Michele's hook is also predictably beautiful, probably better than her efforts on Nas' single at the same time, "Can't Forget About You" (hint to what my next post might be), so that's something that I might get lynched for saying. This is yet another awesome song. 

6. Do U Wanna Ride (feat. John Legend) (prod. Kanye West)

A dedication to Jay's close friend Emory Jones, who at the time was serving his 6th of an eventual 10 years in prison on drug charges. The track is helped along by John Legend, who by this point had become a name all of his own outside of Kanye's shadow - although you wouldn't know this by looking at who produced this track, as the KanMan is behind the boards here for an instrumental that feels like a more dreary and depressing version of his own "Last Call". That's dreary and depressing in a good way, however, as this instrumental is really powerful, one of the richest and most dramatic on the entire LP for sure. I'll be honest, this is probably the weakest track yet, as something about it just feels lacking in that high energy we heard on some of the earlier songs, but nonetheless John's beautiful singing voice and Jay's heartfelt dedications, plus the rich beat, make this one another hit. It's definitely worth hearing. 

7. 30 Something (prod. Dr. Dre)

Most people seem to see this as one of the prime examples of why this album is bad, but I actually quite like it. I know it seems a bit "okay boomer", but frankly some of Jay's lines on here are pretty clever, especially during the final verse where he talks about snitching being "the shit" these days, and of course "y'all respect the one who got shot, I respect the shooter" being a classic line. And on top of that, Dre's production on here is even more chill than it was on "Lost One". Is it too late to ask him to just release the masters for Detox? Because that album could have been fantastic. 

8. I Made It (prod. DJ Khalil)

Ugh. Those who went into this album pleasantly surprised at how consistently nice it's been up to this point would be sorely disappointed by this flaccid piece of trash. I hated this shit when I first heard it, and now it sounds even worse. One of the clearest examples of album filler I've ever heard. Not a single piece of interesting wisdom, nor a single memorable line, is spit here. Sorry. 

9. Anything (feat. Usher & Pharrell) (prod. The Neptunes)

Jay apparently has so many songs in his catalogue at this point that there's not another combination of words under the sun that he could possibly use without repeating himself, hence naming this song after his 1999 single of the same name. Or perhaps he forgot that song existed completely thanks to its being a blatant rehash of "Hard Knock Life" (even if it still sounded pretty good). Not that this star studded collaboration does the title any favours, as it's about as enjoyable as being slowly torn apart by enraged apes. Jay's allowed to have fun once in a while, sure, but when the results are as horrible as this it makes me wonder whether even he wanted to include this song, or if it's simply here because of the obligatory Neptunes credit. If anyone can stand that "I'ma tell you" sample for more than 10 seconds, then I must offer my condolences for your being deaf.

10. Hollywood (feat. Beyonce) (prod. Syience) 

Really? More double time flows? Surely we learned that Shawn had long lost his ability to do those on the last track. Of course, this track about the pitfalls of extreme fame does sound a lot better than "Anything", but that's only because "Anything" was so fucking bad. "Hollywood" meanwhile is merely very bleh, being home to one of the least passionate Beyonce performances I've heard, and an instrumental that sounds incredibly dated. It's amazing how quickly this album loses it's momentum - we've gone from brilliant hip-hop bangers with clever rhymes and classic Hov flows, to weak ass attempts at mainstream radio with some of the weakest flows Jay has ever dropped, all in the space of three tracks. Fuck. 

11. Trouble (prod. Dr. Dre & Mark Batson)

Thankfully, the solo joint "Trouble" is a step in the right direction - and not only that, it's one of the best tracks on the entire album. Dre and Mark Batson cook up a heater for this one, an instrumental that sounds far more menacing than the good doctor's previous two credits here, with some intense electronic synths pulsating throughout the track to give it a futuristic edge that the previous track also attempted, but failed at miserably. Meanwhile, Jay has finally managed to find his footing with the flow on here, sounding as comfortable as ever through his three long verses, which are full of quotables and legitimately solid rhymes - although the repetition during the third verse does get a little tiresome. Still, the haunting sound of this track makes it one of the nicest across the entire LP. Dope shit. 

12. Dig a Hole (feat. Sterling Simms) (prod. Swizz Beatz)

You know things have gotten bad when the Swizz Beatz instrumental is the best part of a song. While there have been some more sonically disturbing tracks on Kingdom Come thus far, I feel like "Dig a Hole" is the worst, as it falls so flat as a disstrack I'm almost embarrassed for Hov. Or I would be if he wasn't already incredibly successful. If anyone should be embarrassed it's me I guess... . Hmm. Oh wait - it's actually Sterling Simms. Sterling Simms should be seriously embarrassed. 

13. Minority Report (feat. Ne-Yo) (prod. Dr. Dre)

After spending 5 minutes making a fool of himself on the last track, Hov decides that now is the time to get serious, and drop a long diatribe about the victims of Hurricane Katrina over more Dr. Dre production, in what is without doubt one of the better track to appear in the latter half of this album. Jay-Z's heartfelt lyrics on here feel genuine, and Ne-Yo's singing teamed with the news report excerpts towards the end of the track make for some goosebump-inducing stuff. This isn't something you might want to pop on in a casual setting, but when it plays through as part of the album it's sure to hit you in the feels. Nice work. 

14. Beach Chair (feat. Chris Martin) (prod. Chris Martin & Rick Simpson)

A rather unusual Coldplay crossover that does indeed have a very similar vibe to some of their music, which makes this song oddly nostalgic to me as my parents used to play Coldplay all the time when I was much younger. This does certainly make "Beach Chair" stand out in the Hov catalogue, and he himself has named it one of his hidden gems - and while I don't think this is one of the best songs on the album, thanks to the slightly melodramatic nature of the track, I do think there's a lot of truly excellent writing about Hov's different thoughts and fears throughout these three verses, and the chorus is undeniably catchy. Jay-Z's music has never been defined by one sound, and if nothing else I think it's the willingness to branch out on tracks like these that make Kingdom Come so underrated to me. This is yet another great song on the album, and a powerful way to cap things off. 

My CD of this album features one rather intriguing bonus track:

15. 44 Fours (Live From Radio City Music Hall) 

A live version of the Hov classic "22 Two's", where Jay replaces the second verse with a brand new verse, spit over the original "Can I Kick It?" instrumental. See if you can guess what the gimmick is this time. This verse is highly impressive, and I honestly think it's awesome that he included it on the CD. Almost as awesome as the red CD case!

Many Jigga fans like to dismiss Kingdom Come to the bottom of their Jay-Z tierlists, citing things like Hov sounding sleepy, the list of guest singers taking up studio time, or even the mere existence of the song "Anything", as reasons to hate this LP as if it were responsible for multiple atrocities. But as you can tell from the review, I was always a fan. I mean, it's not like Jay-Z has the most consistent catalogue anyway - I always found albums like Vol. 2 and The Blueprint 2 to be a little overstuffed and inconsistently produced despite Jay's desperate attempts to keep them afloat with mostly brilliant rapping - and amongst it, Kingdom Come feels like a somewhat different approach, with a far more sombre overall sound than the majority of his other, more celebratory and/or aggressive records (the horn-filled single "Show Me What You Got" notwithstanding). Kingdom Come showcases a new side to Jay-Z with the production style and the rapping, and I think his noticeably less charismatic delivery honestly helps the album to bring across the mood also established by the stern look and dark tint that the album cover brings to the table. There are definitely a few missteps on this record that keep it from getting anywhere near Jay's top 5, though - think not only the aforementioned "Anything" with that horrible repeated vocal sample, but also the dismal "diss" track that is "Dig a Hole", the failed crossover "Hollywood", and the almost entirely forgettable "I Made It", as clear examples of how Hov's three year break from music had led him to make some errors when in production of this one. Then again, nothing here is as terrible as "Things That U Do", so that's something. And look at all the goodness that is to be found here - the first seven tracks are very consistent with some brilliantly written verses and truly incredible production to be found, and even during the admittedly very sloppy second half there are some bangers, especially the Dre helmed tracks in that portion. Overall, I like this album, and I don't give a damn if I have to keep a finger firmly planted over the skip button to make sure I don't accidentally hear a single second of "Anything" - I still listen to it regularly. I just really enjoy the vibe. Also, it has a red CD case, and who doesn't like that?

Best Tracks: "The Prelude", "Kingdom Come", "Show Me What You Got", "Lost One", "Trouble", "Minority Report"

Worst Tracks: "I Made It", "Anything", "Dig a Hole"

Read some more of my pieces on Jay-Z/Jigga Man/Jay-Hova here!

Xzibit - Weapons Of Mass Destruction

In case you missed my last post covering the work of mr. Joiner, here's a quick recap. After finally pushing his way into hip-hop's inner ring via sheer brute force, joining the ranks of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem for the Up In Smoke Tour, as well as various collaborations across the biggest hip-hop releases of 1999 and 2000, Xzibit decided to barricade his way right back out of the limelight by releasing a simply terrible album entitled Man Vs. Machine, which not only contained a sample of Toto's "Africa", but also featured some frankly insulting verses from mr. X-to-tha-Z, who performed like someone who has suffered amounts of literal brain damage throughout much of this LP. The label he was on at the time, Loud Records, were so embarrassed by this disaster of an album that they decided to pack up shop immediately, leaving Alvin without a label home for the first time since his career ballooned in '95. Well, that's not the real reason the label dissolved, but you have to admit that Man Vs. Machine standing as the last project released on it is somewhat suspicious. 

Thankfully, or perhaps not thankfully depending on how much faith you still had in him as an artist, Xzibit was still a big enough name in the industry that it wasn't difficult to find a new outfit to release at least one more project on, before his go at being a "rapper" officially ran out. It was Columbia who picked up the newly appointed Pimp My Ride host, and much to the man's pleasure, evident when he decided to record his most angry and hateful release yet to kick off his stint there. 

Weapons Of Mass Destruction is a strange album in the Xzibit catalogue. It was well after his relationship with Tha Alkaholiks and King T had soured, but now also at a time where Dre, Snoop and Em had all had a collective finger slip and deleted Alvin's number from their contacts (literally in the latter's case, as X recounts on his more recent song "1983"), meaning for the first time we're seeing Xzibit without any mentors or superiors in the vicinity, allowing him to finally reign free and do whatever the fuck he wanted, within reason of course - in fact, he is the lone executive producer on here for the first time in his storied career. Guest are sparse - outside of the celebrity cameos inevitable on such a major label release (Keri Hilson, Busta Rhymes), Xzibit sees fit to include multiple appearances from his new proteges Strong Arm Steady, who would actually make waves around 2010, when they released the Madlib produced In Search Of Stoney Jackson to mild success. Back in '04 they were unknown though, and Xzibit here attempted to give them a leg up, one that failed miserably (I'm guessing Xzibit's older weed carrier Montage One got tired of blunt rolling around the release of Restless, as what the fuck happened to him?)

My memories of this effort are hazy outside of some of the bigger singles, but at least X's last release was so terrible that this one just has to be an improvement. Nowhere to go but up. Let's get to it!

P.S. Apparently that Xzibit logo on the front cover was designed by someone by the name of "Mister Cartoon". Hopefully that won't be a sign of how much effort was put into the actual album.

1. State Of the Union (prod. Thayod Ausar)

Lets everyone know that X isn't playing around anymore - this album is about to delve into some serious shit. While the project inevitably strays from the concept more often than not, I do think this intro is legitimately creepy, and one you probably won't want to skip. Also, Thayod Ausar is back!

2. LAX (prod. Sir Jinx & Mystro)

Xzibit starts proceedings with this anthem for "the war", rapping alongside a pulsating rock inspired beat and a catchy sung hook that make this one of the man's most streamed songs to this day. Lyrically Xzibit doesn't seem to have returned to his older, better style yet, instead ramping the homophobia up a notch within the first four bars, but still you have to admit that this one is entertaining. The production bangs, and will catch you by surprise when you go into the album, and you'll probably find yourself singing along to the hook too by the time the track is drawing to a close. I'd like to put my optimistic goggles on right about now, but unfortunately I'm reminded that the first song on Man Vs Machine was also very good, possibly better than this one. There's a long way to go yet. 

3. Cold World (prod. Jelly Roll)

C'mon Xzibit - as a hip-hop veteran yourself you should know that this song title is off limits after GZA used it in '95 for his absolute classic album. You wouldn't want someone to name their song "Paparazzi" would you? Wait, hold on a minute. Anyway, the song itself is actually pretty damn good, even if Jelly Roll tries his hardest to fuck everything up with an inane hook. Xzibit spits three verses here, all describing different difficult situations that people in the world might find themselves in, spreading awareness like people with a voice should when the time is right. What's most surprising is that Xzibit takes things away from the hood in the final verse, and actually links back to the harrowing intro skit, describing a family who are unable to escape the American troops in war-ridden Iraq - and I really commend him for that. And all this over an instrumental that, despite being made by Jelly Roll, is actually quite pleasant. This was a really nice surprise. 

4. Saturday Night Live (feat. Jelly Roll) (prod. Jelly Roll)

And after all that heartfelt stuff, Xzibit decides to hit us with this, an attempt at a club banger that's about as jarring as everyone cancelling Saturday Night plans last minute. Well at least the way it's sequenced is. The song itself is surprisingly fun, a lot better than some of the similar attempts at this sound that appeared back on Man Vs. Machine. I'm still not sold on Jelly Roll's singing voice, which makes the first minute or so of the song quite difficult to sit through, and Truth Hurts' uncredited performance is also rather clunky. But Xzibit sounds better on this instrumental than on anything else since Restless, and when he starts coming with all the random accents at the end you can't help but crack a smile. This song is a little disjointed, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't points where I was loving it. This album is actually going quite well. 

5. Muthafucka (prod. Rick Rock)

And we're back to the stupid gimmicks. I'm not really sure why Xzibit thought that this could pass as a real song, but the facts are that it derails instantly when that ridiculous fucking hook comes on. Still, at least during the verses Xzibit seems to know what he's doing once again, which makes this a lot better than most of what was on Man Vs. Machine, even if Rick Rock's production is predictably annoying. Hopefully this album won't stoop so low again, although from what I recall there's at least one song later that'll make this one look like a goddamn symphony. 

6. Beware Of Us (feat. Strong Arm Steady) (prod. Khalil)

Kind of okay, although at this point you're left wishing we could get an instrumental that doesn't sound so dated. Goofy synths notwithstanding, the rapping on here makes everything go by smoothly, as X invites Strong Arm Steady to the booth for their first official appearance on the album (although Krondon did appear earlier on "Saturday Night Live" for a forgettable hook). Krondon actually sounds pretty good here, as does X, and while Phil Da Agony is merely passable, it's not like he's Jelly Roll levels of weak as a vocalist. Also, the hook is weirdly catchy, even though at this point Xzibit has done far too much singing for someone who's trying to portray themselves as a hardcore rapper whom you should take seriously on the microphone, despite his day job as an animated host for a ridiculous MTV car-pimping programme. Anyway, this song is alright. 

7. Judgement Day (prod. Khalil)

Over a rather terrible faux-motivational beat, Xzibit rhymes about how he "move mountains with verse", all the while proving the opposite, as this song falls flat as a pancake. It's not that I don't appreciate Xzibit making something like this, but his gruff voice and general way of rapping things means everything just feels very engineered here, rather than coming together naturally like a good song should. The most memorable moment of this song is when Xzibit comes in with that "yes!" during the opening chorus, as though he couldn't stand to leave vocal duties to someone else for one singular fucking second. Sorry, this one is not good. Still, it's much better than "Heart Of Man", so there's that. 

8. Criminal Set (prod. Battlecat)

Xzibit finally decides to stop taking things so seriously, resulting in the first all around good song on here since "Cold World", and one that might take the cake as the best yet full stop. Battlecat's instrumental is pure '90s nostalgia, with the banging drums and persistent Ice Cube vocal samples that sound dope as fuck whenever they come in. Xzibit's rhymes are mostly shit talking on here, although it does stand out when he says "lately I've been feeling like Will Smith / why bother with rap, when I can get 20 mill on a flick?" - perhaps that explains the shoddy pen game we've witnessed from X ever since the trainwreck known as Man Vs. Machine. "Criminal Set" is certainly a banger - although when inevitably compared with X's earlier work it really doesn't stand out much. 

9. Hey Now (Mean Muggin) (feat. Keri Hilson) (prod. Timbaland)

The big single for Weapons Of Mass Destruction, and while I feel somewhat guilty about this whenever I think about what Xzibit was doing musically pre-2000 - I actually really like it. I mean, what's not to enjoy about this? You have an absolute slapper of a Timbo beat (plus some of those robotic adlibs he often likes to throw in), a very catchy hook from Keri Hilson, and Xzibit just having some fun. I mean sure, it's no "X", but it is an interesting track, and probably the last time X ever had a stab at chart success on one of his singles. Fuck it, I like this one. 

10. Ride Or Die (prod. Mr. Porter, add-prod. J.R.)

Hmm. The song just played. It sounded fine. But I have absolutely no desire to go back to it. It's possibly the most by-the-numbers song Xzibit has ever made. Even the title is generic. Gah! What happened to the guy who made "Paparazzi", who was so unique and incredible? This song is just so bland!

11. Crazy Ho (feat. Strong Arm Steady) (prod. Khalil)

Apparently even Xzibit was so embarrassed by everything about this song that he decided to not appear on it at all, in some sort of protest. And that's good, because it means I can quickly move on from this trite and never think about it again. I'd happily listen to "Hit & Run (Part II)" a hundred times over if it meant I never had to hear this. Happily. 

12. Big Barking 

Goofy skit that sets up the concept for the next song. 

13. Tough Guy (feat. Busta Rhymes) (prod. Hi-Tek)

Kind of funny, and does make a lot of sense as a collaboration, since Busta Rhymes and Xzibit not only had similar styles at this point in time, but were also both coming off of easily their worst works yet when the song was released (Busta probably still haunted by the memory of the now 2 year old It Ain't Safe No More...). Perhaps my being a big Busta Rhymes fan gives me some amount of bias here, but I do like this one quite a bit, even if threatening to kill me for an entire track would have perhaps been slightly scarier if it weren't the host of Pimp My Ride and the self proclaimed "Dungeon Dragon" who were spewing the aforementioned threats. Hi-Tek's beat is certainly clunky as well, far less smooth than what he normally cooks up, which means that this song is unlikely to make your chill hip-hop playlist. Still, Busta and X sound good on the beat, and the track is much livelier than the dreariness exhibited (get it?) on the last two songs. This one gets the pass. 

14. Scent Of a Woman (prod. Hi-Tek)

Disturbing song title notwithstanding, this track is actually pretty interesting, if a little overlong - I think two verses could have gotten the message across just fine. The track details X going from being annoyed at his girlfriend at the beginning of the song, to at the end realising that she's actually a great person for him and he should appreciate what she does for him. It does seem a little insincere when only two songs ago we were discussing a so-called "Crazy Ho", but then again Xzibit didn't even appear on there, so how about that. Dion's hook that alters throughout the song is nice, and the instrumental from Hi-Tek is also dope, being kind of intense and depressing for such a subject matter, but oh well. This is pretty alright. 

15. Klack (prod. Khalil)

Really? "Klack"? Who's idea was that? Still, this song does have kind of an interesting sound - the melody is unlike anything else I've heard on an Xzibit album. If only it was attached to better instrumentation and a more engaging drum loop. And a better song. 

16. Back 2 the Way It Was (prod. Thayod Ausar)

After kicking things off with a phone call from Ras Kass straight from jail (explaining his absence on this project - not that anyone was desperate for another "Harder"), we get another rock-tinged instrumental, this one produced by the same man who cooked up "Paparazzi", and some other great moments on X's debut album. His work here is pretty good too - I've never been the biggest fan of mixing electric guitars and hip-hop, but the weird synthy sounds and the drums in this beat certainly help it move along a lot better than the beat on the previous track. Meanwhile, X gets personal here, rapping and singing (again!) about all the shit he's been through, his beefs, his family, his affinity for ploughman's lunches. The track is a typical rap album ending, with the poignancy and what have you - but it does feel emotional, and stands as one of the better tracks here. Good stuff. 

Deluxe versions of this album came with a bonus track called "What U Can't C", but unfortunately I don't currently own that particular pressing. Perhaps someday I'll bless myself with it. 

Unfortunately, upon relisten Weapons Of Mass Destruction is kind of a mess. Not serious enough to warrant the overly dramatic title and creepy intro skit, but not humorous enough to make that waste of a good title seem irrelevant. According to the liner notes Sir Jinx sequenced this project, and he certainly didn't do a very good job - I mean, "Saturday Night Live" right after "Cold World"? "Klack" towards the very end of the album? "Crazy Ho" appearing on here at all? It's just a complete mess, and on top of that almost every beat here has aged like an opened pot of double cream. The synths and the drums just sound so shitty a lot of the time, and on some tracks it's certainly enough to take you out of the experience, no matter what the quality of the rapping is. Still, this is an undoubted improvement over Man Vs Machine. I mean, for starters the only truly terrible song here is one that Xzibit doesn't even appear on, with everything else having at least something redeemable to hold it up, even if there is some pretty bland bullshit to wade through every now and then. That's an improvement. Also, there's quite a few songs on here that I would say I like, such as "LAX", "Cold World" and even the radio friendly "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)". Unfortunately, none of these songs are quite good enough to warrant my returning to them at any point - they're all just merely pretty decent. Weapons Of Mass Destruction saw Xzibit at a time of his life where he had alienated almost everyone, been dropped from the label that had been his home all his career, and had started to host a programme successful enough that rapping was no longer his main source of income. So it makes sense that this album is kind of lacklustre. But it's not an excuse. This project is still pretty mediocre, merely seeming to be pretty good because of how much better it is than its predecessor. Let's hope that Xzibit can make something actually worth returning to with the next project, because Weapons Of Mass Destruction sounds like something made merely to remind people of Xzibit's existence, not to introduce any new musical ideas to the table, like it would seem to on the surface. In short: ehhh...

Best Tracks: "LAX", "Cold World", "Criminal Set, "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)", "Back 2 the Way It Was"

Worst Track: "Crazy Ho"

Check out more Xzibit reviews over here!