March 24, 2025 • 8 mins
Authenticity over hype! Xzibit joins DJ Pup Dawg to talk about his new single, upcoming album, and the dangers of chasing trends. He delivers a powerful message against "clickbait" and discusses the true spirit of West Coast hip-hop. Plus, a heartfelt moment where Pup Dawg reveals Xzibit's early influence on his career.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Straight from Pakistan to La to Boston. Man, legendary X
to the Z Exhibit is on with sub eggs.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
How you doing man?
Speaker 3 (00:09):
You know your name is just X to the Z Exhibit.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Like you you can't even just say exhibit anymore. It's
just like your tag has always been that. And quick backstory.
I grew up in La. I was intern at ninety
two point three the Beat back in the day and
I met you there and I didn't say anything at
that time, and then Julio g took me under his
wing and I started djying and you know, doing a
lot of events. At one event, we did a show
with you. And you know, I'm the Pakistani kid on
(00:32):
the on the hip hop station twenty years ago, and
I remember some of the some of the guys on
the street team were kind of like messing with me
a little bit, joking around about my knowledge of hip hop.
You you turn around and you just said, use that
as motivation, and you walked away because you saw them
making fun of me. And here I am running a
hip hop radio station and now nationally too, baby.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Right, you never know who you're talking to.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Right, No, but even just but just SA ain't that
much did you know anything.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
You just saw them kind of making fun of me,
and you just told me to use that as motivation
to further my career, and I think I did.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Man, Hey, Man, congratulations though, Man, look man, full circle moment.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
No, this is great.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Man.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
When I heard you're dropping music again, I heard you
on the Cube album and I talked to Cube about that.
I was like, is X coming back? And then he
was just like, you'll have to wait and see. And
now here we are. Man, So congrats Man, welcome back.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Man.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Man, appreciate it. Man, it feels good to be here.
I feel really strong about the record and I'm glad
to be able to be putting this kind of music
at this kind of high caliber out at this time.
You know, twenty twenty five is a great time for
the West Coast. There's a lot of energy out out here,
and there's a lot of people that you know, are
are excited about us dropping music. I mean, Eminem kicked
(01:49):
it off, Snoop kicked it off, you know, we hear
Ce kicked it off, you know, and now we're ready.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It's time to go.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So were you Obviously albums coming out on March twenty eight,
So you've been back in the studio for a little bit.
Did all this ignite you know, a little motivation to
get back in the studio or is that the plan?
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Now? You know, we have been working on this album
for a minute, and I think over the last I say,
six to eight months is when it all kind of
like really solidified. I started banging out a lot of
music that I was really happy with, and so we
had started and stopped a few times. But now I think,
you know, with my men Duke, my Man Big Duke
came in, I had an engineer to started working with
(02:31):
me that really really helped me really get across what
I was trying to do, and it just came together
really well.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So divine timing is what I'd like to call it.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
You know, this is something that you know, I really
didn't want to put it out until it was completely
the way I wanted.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It to be.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
And from the three records that we've heard off this
project already, it's still exhibit. I mean obviously with the
with the newer sound, I mean Battlecat. Battle Cat has
a tag which he never did before that I remember,
but back in the day when that beat dropped you
just knew it was a battle Cat beat.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
You know.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, yeah, nobody sounds like battle Cat. He's one of
our greats man. And and to have that sound and
be able to, you know, have Compton ad on it
for to shut your mouth record. It's a good balance
with like legacy artists and new cats, you know, people
that I feel are gonna being a big impact on
the West Coast and then the world of music within
(03:23):
the next few years.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, shut your mouth.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Your versus on there is basically talking about the world
we live in. On literally people are just talking out
the sides of their mouths now. But Compton bro he
like he's calling out the dude, Like he's just he's
talking about one guy and one guy only. And That's
what I've always loved about the West Coast culture is
like there was never sight stepping. It was like, either
(03:46):
you're gonna come out and like, yo, if we have
a problem, I'm gonna tell you we have a problem.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, ain't no tucking nuts around here, buddy.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Does that make you mad when you see some of
these blocks, because I infuriates me and I'm like in
the media and I hate that part of the media.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It's a whole lot of theatrical stuff back in the day.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
You know, remember it was like the shock Jocks, We're
coming on, and you know, you had Howard Stern and
then you had like, you know, the Jerry Springer Show,
and you know, like people would tune into the train wrecks.
And I think that you know, the thirst four attention
and thirst for you know, people to engage is the
new drug.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
A man task just dropped the record called attention is
a drug, and it's true. You know, there's a lot
of people that are stepping outside that character in order
to get garnished attention. I've never been that kind of guy.
I kind of you know, I like to be in
the spotlight when it's time for me to be, but
I still don't believe that it makes me better than
any So I feel like, you know, like this is
(04:49):
the state of it is, the state of affairs, is
the state of the business. But I don't have to participate,
so I stay away from that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
I do things that are intelligent. I do things are
meaningful and have content and some integrity, and I try
to stay in that line.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Exhibit man, And You've always been very all smiles and stuff.
But when you like, I feel like when I hear
your records and when you're mad, it's like, yo, let's let's.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Step away from X for a minute.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I'm not mad. I'm not mad. I'm just aggressive aggressive. Sorry.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
The way you come in so like it's just like
you just want to Yeah, it's.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
A lot of fun. But now we're here, shut your
mouth is out. Let's get into the record real quick.
While I got you on introducing this record.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Yo, mister X cit Z in the building right here,
DJ pup Dogs been in the hit right here, Exit
Z Exhibit. Shut your mouth off the new keeen Maker
record produced by DJ Battlecat Eat.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
You're in compon av Let's go.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
Shut your mouth to the Z Legendary Exhibit.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Man, Bro, you look great. It's great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I've been seeing you pop up in a lot of
interviews and stuff like that. I love what you're talking
about when you're talking about caring about rapping like do it.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
But we had the fun records, but we had we need,
we need.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
We have a responsibility too when it comes to the airway.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
So yeah, I think I think the balance, the balance
of King Maker is bringing is it's definitely needed. I
mean in a world that we live in where you know,
people can pick and choose the songs they want to
listen to when they get an entire project, there's something
lost in the translation to the audience when you know
people could open a CD and read the linear notes
(06:37):
and understand who did production and who did instruments, and
who did the writing and listening from the top down.
That's how music is translated in my opinion, when you
listen to King Maker, even though that is the status quo,
I implore people to listen from the first track to
the last in order just one time, you know, give
yourself a chance to have that experience and ride and
(06:58):
get it delivered the way the message is supposed to
be delivered. So you know, I feel like, yeah, okay,
there's so many ways to get to the audience now
through social media, but music is a universal language. Music
is something that unites us. Music is something that makes
you know, our thoughts and our ideas come to life.
So I feel really good about you know, what we've
(07:19):
what we've created. I don't care how they get it,
whether it's a thirty second TikTok video or or minute long.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
You know, Instagram video, find the record, push the push
the button and enjoy the ride.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Man, Well, I know you got a lot going on.
I definitely want to get you in the studio. Maybe
we'll invite some of the young artists to come hear
this from you, because there's only so much I could
be a big brother, and they've gotten so used to me.
They need they need exhibit to come out of here
and tell them all that stuff, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yeah, and they come see me live. Yeah, we're gonna,
we're gonna, we're gonna put a session on. We're gonna,
we're gonna put a class on the stage. You know
what I'm saying. I'm traveling with a live band. Now.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Oh nice, So I could rock on stage for two
hours straight. That's how much catalog we got.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Excus is the exhibit.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Man.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
We got the album coming out in March twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Singles out right now, shut your mouth, content av and
of course, Butch Cassidy. Great job, man, Thank you for
jumping on air, jumping with me. Man, taking the time.
You're a legend, so you don't have to do but
I appreciate you doing this.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Man, Hey, you a legend too. Fuck dog is good man.
Let's go man. Congratulations Man, keep it going. Use that
as motivation, keep the hop alive. Man. I appreciate you, man.
Thank you for the support.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Thank you man,
Straight from Pakistan to La to Boston. Man, legendary X
to the Z Exhibit is on with sub eggs.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
How you doing man?
Speaker 3 (00:09):
You know your name is just X to the Z Exhibit.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Like you you can't even just say exhibit anymore. It's
just like your tag has always been that. And quick backstory.
I grew up in La. I was intern at ninety
two point three the Beat back in the day and
I met you there and I didn't say anything at
that time, and then Julio g took me under his
wing and I started djying and you know, doing a
lot of events. At one event, we did a show
with you. And you know, I'm the Pakistani kid on
(00:32):
the on the hip hop station twenty years ago, and
I remember some of the some of the guys on
the street team were kind of like messing with me
a little bit, joking around about my knowledge of hip hop.
You you turn around and you just said, use that
as motivation, and you walked away because you saw them
making fun of me. And here I am running a
hip hop radio station and now nationally too, baby.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Right, you never know who you're talking to.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Right, No, but even just but just SA ain't that
much did you know anything.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
You just saw them kind of making fun of me,
and you just told me to use that as motivation
to further my career, and I think I did.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Man, Hey, Man, congratulations though, Man, look man, full circle moment.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
No, this is great.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Man.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
When I heard you're dropping music again, I heard you
on the Cube album and I talked to Cube about that.
I was like, is X coming back? And then he
was just like, you'll have to wait and see. And
now here we are. Man, So congrats Man, welcome back.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Man.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Man, appreciate it. Man, it feels good to be here.
I feel really strong about the record and I'm glad
to be able to be putting this kind of music
at this kind of high caliber out at this time.
You know, twenty twenty five is a great time for
the West Coast. There's a lot of energy out out here,
and there's a lot of people that you know, are
are excited about us dropping music. I mean, Eminem kicked
(01:49):
it off, Snoop kicked it off, you know, we hear
Ce kicked it off, you know, and now we're ready.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It's time to go.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So were you Obviously albums coming out on March twenty eight,
So you've been back in the studio for a little bit.
Did all this ignite you know, a little motivation to
get back in the studio or is that the plan?
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Now? You know, we have been working on this album
for a minute, and I think over the last I say,
six to eight months is when it all kind of
like really solidified. I started banging out a lot of
music that I was really happy with, and so we
had started and stopped a few times. But now I think,
you know, with my men Duke, my Man Big Duke
came in, I had an engineer to started working with
(02:31):
me that really really helped me really get across what
I was trying to do, and it just came together
really well.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So divine timing is what I'd like to call it.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
You know, this is something that you know, I really
didn't want to put it out until it was completely
the way I wanted.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It to be.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
And from the three records that we've heard off this
project already, it's still exhibit. I mean obviously with the
with the newer sound, I mean Battlecat. Battle Cat has
a tag which he never did before that I remember,
but back in the day when that beat dropped you
just knew it was a battle Cat beat.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
You know.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, yeah, nobody sounds like battle Cat. He's one of
our greats man. And and to have that sound and
be able to, you know, have Compton ad on it
for to shut your mouth record. It's a good balance
with like legacy artists and new cats, you know, people
that I feel are gonna being a big impact on
the West Coast and then the world of music within
(03:23):
the next few years.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, shut your mouth.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Your versus on there is basically talking about the world
we live in. On literally people are just talking out
the sides of their mouths now. But Compton bro he
like he's calling out the dude, Like he's just he's
talking about one guy and one guy only. And That's
what I've always loved about the West Coast culture is
like there was never sight stepping. It was like, either
(03:46):
you're gonna come out and like, yo, if we have
a problem, I'm gonna tell you we have a problem.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, ain't no tucking nuts around here, buddy.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Does that make you mad when you see some of
these blocks, because I infuriates me and I'm like in
the media and I hate that part of the media.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It's a whole lot of theatrical stuff back in the day.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
You know, remember it was like the shock Jocks, We're
coming on, and you know, you had Howard Stern and
then you had like, you know, the Jerry Springer Show,
and you know, like people would tune into the train wrecks.
And I think that you know, the thirst four attention
and thirst for you know, people to engage is the
new drug.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
A man task just dropped the record called attention is
a drug, and it's true. You know, there's a lot
of people that are stepping outside that character in order
to get garnished attention. I've never been that kind of guy.
I kind of you know, I like to be in
the spotlight when it's time for me to be, but
I still don't believe that it makes me better than
any So I feel like, you know, like this is
(04:49):
the state of it is, the state of affairs, is
the state of the business. But I don't have to participate,
so I stay away from that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
I do things that are intelligent. I do things are
meaningful and have content and some integrity, and I try
to stay in that line.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Exhibit man, And You've always been very all smiles and stuff.
But when you like, I feel like when I hear
your records and when you're mad, it's like, yo, let's let's.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Step away from X for a minute.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I'm not mad. I'm not mad. I'm just aggressive aggressive. Sorry.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
The way you come in so like it's just like
you just want to Yeah, it's.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
A lot of fun. But now we're here, shut your
mouth is out. Let's get into the record real quick.
While I got you on introducing this record.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Yo, mister X cit Z in the building right here,
DJ pup Dogs been in the hit right here, Exit
Z Exhibit. Shut your mouth off the new keeen Maker
record produced by DJ Battlecat Eat.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
You're in compon av Let's go.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
Shut your mouth to the Z Legendary Exhibit.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Man, Bro, you look great. It's great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I've been seeing you pop up in a lot of
interviews and stuff like that. I love what you're talking
about when you're talking about caring about rapping like do it.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
But we had the fun records, but we had we need,
we need.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
We have a responsibility too when it comes to the airway.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
So yeah, I think I think the balance, the balance
of King Maker is bringing is it's definitely needed. I
mean in a world that we live in where you know,
people can pick and choose the songs they want to
listen to when they get an entire project, there's something
lost in the translation to the audience when you know
people could open a CD and read the linear notes
(06:37):
and understand who did production and who did instruments, and
who did the writing and listening from the top down.
That's how music is translated in my opinion, when you
listen to King Maker, even though that is the status quo,
I implore people to listen from the first track to
the last in order just one time, you know, give
yourself a chance to have that experience and ride and
(06:58):
get it delivered the way the message is supposed to
be delivered. So you know, I feel like, yeah, okay,
there's so many ways to get to the audience now
through social media, but music is a universal language. Music
is something that unites us. Music is something that makes
you know, our thoughts and our ideas come to life.
So I feel really good about you know, what we've
(07:19):
what we've created. I don't care how they get it,
whether it's a thirty second TikTok video or or minute long.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
You know, Instagram video, find the record, push the push
the button and enjoy the ride.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Man, Well, I know you got a lot going on.
I definitely want to get you in the studio. Maybe
we'll invite some of the young artists to come hear
this from you, because there's only so much I could
be a big brother, and they've gotten so used to me.
They need they need exhibit to come out of here
and tell them all that stuff, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yeah, and they come see me live. Yeah, we're gonna,
we're gonna, we're gonna put a session on. We're gonna,
we're gonna put a class on the stage. You know
what I'm saying. I'm traveling with a live band. Now.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Oh nice, So I could rock on stage for two
hours straight. That's how much catalog we got.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Excus is the exhibit.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Man.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
We got the album coming out in March twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Singles out right now, shut your mouth, content av and
of course, Butch Cassidy. Great job, man, Thank you for
jumping on air, jumping with me. Man, taking the time.
You're a legend, so you don't have to do but
I appreciate you doing this.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Man, Hey, you a legend too. Fuck dog is good man.
Let's go man. Congratulations Man, keep it going. Use that
as motivation, keep the hop alive. Man. I appreciate you, man.
Thank you for the support.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Thank you man,
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