Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Xzibit (rap vocals); Camara Kambon, Scott Storch (keyboards); Mike Elizondo (bass); DJ Head (programming); Butch Cassidy, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Tha Liks, Defari, Goldie Loc, Snoop Dogg, KRS-One, J-Ro, Tash, Kokane, Suga Free, DJ Quick, King T. | | Producers include: Dr. Dre, Erick Sermon, The Teamstaz, Soopafly, DJ Quik. | | Engineers: Richard "Segal" Huredia, DJ Quick, Greg Burns. | | It's only appropriate that Xzibit's highly anticipated, and often-delayed, Restless concluded hip-hop's millennial melting pot. After all, Xzibit's association with Dr. Dre and his Aftermath regime attached very lofty expectations to Restless; X was publicly anointed as the next MC expected to blow up. Surely, with Dre as executive producer and guest shots from Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Dre himself, Xzibit was virtually assured of acquiring the mainstream success that eluded him on previous efforts (At the Speed of Life and 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz). Thanks largely to Dre's knob-twisting input, Restless became aural kin to Dre's own 2001 comeback vehicle, as the head-nod factor is immediately established on "Front to Back," the heavenly synth stabs "X," and "Get Your Walk On." The main flaw in Restless' formula lies primarily with Xzibit's extensive list of guest collaborators. While contributions from Dre ("U Know"), Snoop ("D.N.A."), and Eminem ("Don't Approach Me") are all welcomed, appearances from DJ Quik and KRS-One, among many others, take the focus off Xzibit's formidable lyrical boasting, which precludes Restless from forming a desired level of cohesiveness. On "X," Xzibit pledges to "Rearrange the game with my rugged sound," and he periodically delivers on that promise. However, it would have taken nothing short of a masterpiece for Xzibit to appease hip-hop's finicky masses. And while Restless isn't the crowning achievement many predicted, it is X to the Z's most consistent effort to date. ~ Matt Conaway | | Always respected for his lyrical talent, Xzibit ranks highly amongst the West Coast's underground. For his third album, THE RESTLESS LP, he teams up with super-producer Dr. Dre, and overcomes the obstacles that robbed him of superstardom his first two times out. | | His rhymes remain as tight and focused as ever, and songs such as "Been a Long Time" and "X:" prove that he can hang with the best. The album's production is the best match for Xzibit yet. He represents for the Left side more here, collaborating with artists like Nate Dogg, and producers such as Battlecat, and shows that he's got a little gangsta in him. |
Musical Guests | | Dr. Dre | | Nate Dogg | | Snoop Dogg | | Defari | | Eminem | | Erick Sermon | | DJ Quik | | Tha Alkaholiks | | X | | J-Ro | | Tash | | KRS-One | | Goldie Loc | | Kokane | | Suga Free | | King T | | Butch Cassidy |
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| Rolling Stone (1/18/01, p.56)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...An album with immediate appeal....Xzibit overdoses on beats and rhymes, then comes back for seconds..."Spin (2/01, pp.107-8)
- 6 out of 10 - "...From the stark bass-thump to the low-riding pacing...the tracks complement his tales of 'hood trivia..." Muzik (3/01, p.62)
- 4 out of 5 - "...A more polished and varied package than previous efforts and more evidence that 2001 will be the year that Xzibit's throaty growl goes global..." Muzik (3/01, p.62)
- 4 out of 5 - "...A morepolished and varied package than previous efforts and more evidence that 2001 will be the year that Xzibit's throaty growl goes global..." Vibe (2/01, p.138)
- 4 discs out of 5 - "...A near perfect pairing of West Coast musicianship and East Coast bravado..." The Source (1/01, p.192)
- 3.5 mics out of 5 - "...RESTLESS bangs like Crenshaw on a Staurday night....There's no doubt, Xzibit still has the gift..." NME (Magazine)
(1/06/01, p.32)
- 8 out of 10 - "...He's the Charles Bukowski of rap....[His] raps are delivered with pathos and cartoon gangsta panache....a fine example of...good-time West Coast gangsta funk..." |
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