RAPPER XZIBIT STEPS UP TO THE PLATE ON 40 DAYZ & 40 NIGHTZ

RAPPER XZIBIT STEPS UP TO THE PLATE ON 40 DAYZ & 40 NIGHTZ Two years after a debut album that marked him as a rapper withpotential,Xzibit's career is on full exhibit. He is confident that he will bearounda lot longer than the title of his new album, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz, whichdrops next Tuesday (Aug. 25) on Loud Records. Xzibit says that his 1996 release, At the Speed of Life, "served itspurpose of introducing me, a no-name cat from the West Coast. We got theattention. Now, with this album we've got the opportunity to bring ithome,really hit 'em big." However, he is modest enough to admit that the disc was hardly a work ofart. "The last album was like ra-ra song after song," says the 23- year-old Los Angeles- based rapper in a laid- back, soft- spoken voice. "It's like, now everyone knows you can MC, you can bust, you tight, now how about makin' a album?" With a vague concept that slowly grew more clear, he started bouncingrhymes with E-Swift and other Alkaholiks members. (Xzibit got his startwith the 'liks as a guest rapper, which led to his own deal at Loud Records.) The new album also features Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan, RasKass, Saafir, King Tee, and veteran producer Sir Jinx. "The first couplesongs, 'Chamber Music,' '3 Card Molly,' these songs were so big, we wanted thename to signify the power the songs had. 40 Dayz and 40 Nightz is how long it flooded down on the Earth." Though it can hardly be called biblical, the album is a flood of urban images. His vision might be best summed up in the rap "Los AngelesTimes": "Welcome to L.A./ Where you can see the whole city burnin'/ 'cause the cops got Uzis/ And the dealers keep servin'/ And your kids ain't learnin'shit/Except this/ Sex, power and wealth/ Fuck everything else." While he is not above rapping about his money and his women, Xzibit isdown with Ice Cube, NWA, Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan, and others rappingabout the big picture of modern society. "Consciousness is way more tighter than how much money I got," Xzibit says. "If you're a good artist, the money's going to be taken care of. As far as the music, I don't give afuckhow much money you got. I want to see you rep a mike. To me, hip-hop islike an Emergency Broadcast System. If a tornado is comin' and the only thing comin' through the system is'shake your ass and drink champagne,' we're gonna be in trouble." -Tom Scanlon