Xzibit has made the surprising move of signing with Conor McGregor’s Greenback Records for his next album.
The label, founded by the former UFC champion, will release the rapper’s first album in more than a decade when Kingmaker drops next year.
Greenback made the announcement on their social media pages, writing: “In the kingdom of hip-hop, only the real ones reign supreme. A legend joins the Greenback dynasty ready to make history. We proudly welcome @xzibit to Greenback Records – the new chapter starts here.”
McGregor added in a statement: “We have signed Hip Hop legend X to the Z Xzibit. Xzibit my man, welcome to the team, we are super excited to represent you and we cannot wait to get to work – As the legendary Xzibit track goes.. ‘We got it fully crackin’ and poppin’ and showin’ no signs of stoppin’ with options’. (Muthaf*cka).”
In the run up to the album’s release, the former Pimp My Ride host will be dropping two singles.
The first, titled “Play This at My Funeral,” will be released on October 11, while the follow-up “Been a Long Time Pt. 2” will drop on October 25.
An exact release date for Kingmaker has yet to be announced but it is expected to arrive in early 2025.
Fellow rap legends Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are already signed to Greenback Records.
Xzibit Recalls Running Into 2Pac After Perceived ‘Paparazzi’ Diss
Xzibit has not released an album since Napalm in 2012 and in recent times has been critical about the state of Hip Hop.
In an interview on The Adam Carolla Show last year, X said: “There’s no emotional investment in the music, like when we were putting music out. You had the CD cover, the album cover, cassette. You get to open it, you get to see who produced it, you get to read the lyrics.
“You’re not guessing. A lot of the things that made us have 10, 15, 20, 30-year-long careers doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t know if they’re doing it on purpose or not, but Hip Hop doesn’t have the staying power that it used to have.”
He added: “Right now, I think the music itself isn’t a good representation of what we’re supposed to be. Not taking anything away from these kids, because they’re feeding their families. They’re not in the street. They’re not doing…some of them aren’t doing anything illegal.
“But I think there’s a real path right now for somebody to come out with some real content and have that staying power, and show that it’s possible.”
