Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 12/14/2004
Not nearly as star-studded as his past two albums,
Restless (2000) and
Man vs Machine (2002),
Xzibit's fifth album,
Weapons of Mass Destruction, is a more focused effort, boasting an aggressive tone, a high-quality production roster, and a potent club track by
Timbaland,
"Hey Now (Mean Muggin)." There are several other highlights, including
"Lax," "Criminal Set," "Tough Guy," and
"Klack," but there's also a substantial amount of filler.
Xzibit clearly is trying to distance himself from his last album,
Man vs Machine, which proved a bust commercially, despite its roll call of well-known talent, including
Dr. Dre and
DJ Premier.
Weapons of Mass Destruction does sound a lot different from its predecessor, though it's not necessarily an improvement. Rather, it sounds as if
Xzibit is unsure of which direction to head creatively: back to his roots as an underground rapper, or for a contemporary commercial sound that appeals to a mass audience? Parts of
Weapons of Mass Destruction, particularly the
Strong Arm Steady collaborations, are reminiscent of
Xzibit's first two albums,
At the Speed of Life (1996) and
40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998); yet other parts of the album, particularly tracks such as the aforementioned
Timbaland collaboration, featuring R&B singer
Keri Hilson, are reminiscent of his post-stardom albums,
Restless and
Man vs Machine, when he was shooting for the charts. The end result is an album that doesn't gel together well as a whole, albeit one that thankfully includes a handful of highlights worth checking out for fans.
~Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
Cart 0 items
Listen
