Xzibit Films Videos For New Album MMX With Brother On The Set, Also Wins NAACP Award

via Ballerstatus

Xzibit was hard at work, filming two brand new music video for his upcoming, seventh studio LP MMX.

While the west coast vet was focused on filming the visuals for the two songs, "Hurt Locker" and "Phenom", with director Matt Alonzo (Skee.TV), he was also enjoying a first in his career -- showing his brother Jason, who has been incarcerated for nearly 15 years in Michigan, what the set of a music video was like.

During a break from shooting, we sat with both X and Jason in the rapper's tour bus to talk about their reunion, and how it felt to experience Xzibit's return to music ... once again.

"If you listen to my records -- 40 Days, 40 Nights -- our history goes back to ... it's ridiculous," Xzibit told BallerStatus.com, referring to the history he and his brother have. "The things we survived in order to get to surviving (laughs). It's deep. We not gonna get all into that, but like I said, it took a long time for us to get to this point."

"I'm just happy to be here, seeing him put the work in. Watching my family together, I mean ... it took a long time to get here, but we here now," Jason added, before revealing a story about their childhood.

"When X was younger, he won a blue ribbon, man. I think you were in the sixth grade? Something like that," he asked his famous bro.

"O God. Please don't embarrass me," X replied, laughing.

"[It was] sixth grade for some rapping man. From there, I knew exactly what he was gonna do. Anything he puts his mind to, he's always been consistent and persistent with it. The guy knows what he's doing," Jason said. "He's a good businessman. He puts the right people around him and I don't expect nothing less man. I'm just here to pay attention (laughs)."

During our chat, Xzibit was in the middle of filming shots for his Scoop Deville-produced first single, "Hurt Locker".

The song serves as a appetizer for what's to come from MMX, which stands for "2010" in the Roman numerals. And for many fans, some of first new music from the rapper since 2006's Full Circle.

It takes time and energy and input from a lot of people to really make a quality product. That's how I feel now. I'm in a great place, I'm doing it on my pace, and I got a great team around me. That's how [MMX] is gonna win, because everything I put my hands on and put time into, and wrap my head around and see it all the way through from A to Z, it blows up. That's what I'm focused on now, Xzibit music," the rapper continued.

Read the full interview here:
BallerStatus - Xzibit interview

Plus, On Friday February 26, Xzibit won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Reality Series for his role in ABC's 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition':
Xzibit Central - Xzibit wins NAACP award

Xzibit Live In Norway

X's recent performance At Bingo'n in Lillehammer, Norway.

Awol One & Factor "Owl Hours" out July 21

(via press release)

Produced by Saskatoon's FACTOR with Executive Producer XZIBIT

July 16th, 2009 - After the underground 2007 classic Only Death Can Kill You, emcee Awol and producer Factor are releasing their latest LP, Owl Hours. Out on July 21st Owl Hours is a self-professed party album. Topics range from curious celebrations, to nostalgic odes to former loves to straight up drunken party anthems all told through the eccentric eyes of Walrus One (Awol One = Awolrus). The instrumentals move from electronic pop to folk hop with guest vocalists including Aesop Rock, Myka 9, Tha Alkaholiks and Xzibit.

"Awol's latest collaboration with producer Factor is a gorgeous synthesis on par with the Deltron 3030 of Del the Funky Homosapien and Dan the Automator." - The Phoenix

Over his nearly 15 year career Awol One has built a strong grassroots fan base from touring extensively throughout the US, Canada and Europe by himself and as a member of the legendary Shape Shifters crew. He's collaborated on tracks with artists including KRS One, Kool Keith and Atmosphere and been featured in outlets including URB, Spin, Thrasher, and Vice.

Producer/DJ Factor has worked with the likes of Busdriver, Moka Only, and Sadat X (Brand Nubian) with over 20 albums under his belt. Born and raised in Saskatoon, he consistently combines smooth melodic samples and live instruments over one of kind beats with precisely crafted production.

Together, Awol One and Factor have toured with Montreal's Islands, released a previous album, and now with Owl Hours come off as strong as ever with catchy, hard hitting tracks that never fail to keep the art and music completely real and completely original.

OWL HOURS Track Listing:

1. "Glamorous Drunk"
2. "Celebrate"
3. "Official"
4. "Stand Up" (feat. Aesop Rock & Myka 9)
5. "Up Downtown"
6. "Waste the Wine" (feat. Tash & E-Swift from Tha Liks)
7. "Back Then" (feat. Gregory Pepper and Ceschi)
8. "Destination"
9. "Darkness" (feat. Sunspot Jonz, Gel Roc & Jizzm)
10. "Brains Out" (feat. Xzibit)
11. "Sunset Sandwich"

For music and more info on Awol One & Factor please visit: www.myspace.com/awolone

Xzibit at Hip Hop Jam 2009 Czech Republic video footage posted

All fan shot footage below July 10-11.

Xzibit

Xzibit wraps up his European tour

This footage is from some of the last dates of Xzibit's 2009 European tour.
Amsterdam, Holland

Barcelona, Spain