Xzibit Calls Working With Dr. Dre “Like Joining The Avengers” As He Drops Long-Awaited Album ‘Kingmaker’

For hip-hop fans, few collaborations spark excitement quite like Xzibit and Dr. Dre. Now, after more than 25 years of creative partnership, the legendary duo has reunited for Xzibit’s highly anticipated new album, Kingmaker—and Xzibit says the experience is nothing short of superheroic.

In a recent interview with Billboard, Xzibit opened up about what it’s really like to work with the iconic producer. “When we did ‘Bitch Please’ together, the insanity of it was being a fan first and then you basically get recruited into The Avengers,” he shared. “I’ll never lose that feeling, because it keeps things in perspective. The direction Dre gives when he’s in the studio only elevates the record, because you rely on his experience—even if it takes you out of your comfort zone.”

Fans can hear the magic themselves on “Leave Me Alone,” a standout track from Kingmaker that almost didn’t make the cut. Xzibit revealed that the song was a last-minute addition: “We were supposed to come out on March 28, and then [‘Leave Me Alone’] came in. I was like, ‘Oh shit!’ It was crazy. Swizz Beatz actually did the track and Dre did co-production, and just to have both of them together on a track, I don’t think that’s ever been done. It was really exciting. To have Dre on the album after all this time means the world to me. He’s my brother, he’s coach.”

Kingmaker is packed with star power. Alongside Dr. Dre, the album features appearances from hip-hop heavyweights Ice Cube, Redman, Busta Rhymes, Royce Da 5’9″, Ty Dolla $ign, B-Real, and JasonMartin. The project, Xzibit’s first full-length release in over a decade, has been years in the making. The rapper explained on social media that several delays were due to “last minute additions” as he pushed to perfect the album.

Speaking to NME, Xzibit reflected on his creative journey: “I’ve been working on music off-and-on for the last 10 to 12 years but I didn’t feel like it was what I needed to put out. I didn’t feel like it was different enough. [I was] able to hear something in myself that I hadn’t heard before, so it made it easy to know [it was time to release the music].”