The one line it took Xzibit 500 takes to get right for Dr Dre: “I thought I nailed it”
Xzibit is a West Coast legend who has been around since the mid-1990s, and as LA’s answer to 50 Cent, Xzibit, a former member of Aftermath Entertainment, spent a lot of time around the Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ rapper. However, he also spent many years in the studio with Dr Dre.
During an appearance on the Los Angeles morning radio show Big Boy’s Neighborhood, Xzibit reminisced about his time with Dre, revealing what it was like being with him in the studio. Furthermore, he revealed that on many occasions, he had to record lines hundreds of times to satisfy the Chronic creator.
Speaking with the hosts, the former Pimp My Ride presenter recalled when he worked with Dre for his 2002 single ‘Multiply’ featuring the late Nate Dogg. According to the emcee, during the studio session, Dr Dre made him redo one intro line over 500 times.
Humorously recollecting the session, Xzibit exclaimed, “That took me about two-three hours to get that line because he wanted me to sound like a down-south preacher… ‘I been this way, and I can’t stop.’ No. I couldn’t understand why or where he was trying to take me, but I wasn’t fighting. He sat there patiently with me like, ‘Nope, try it again.’”
The West Coast icon continued, “Eventually, it was like, ‘Oh.’ I had to break out of what I thought I needed to sound like and got into where he was trying to direct me, and that’s why the first intro lines sound like that. He didn’t get there doing nothing. I thought I nailed it — dropped the headphones, done. No. I trust him, and I respect him immensely. Being able to be in that position as he feels your art is good enough to be in his universe is dope.”
Laughing at the story and Dr Dre’s insane levels of perfectionism, the radio host comically asked Xzibit if he still enjoys the song or if it takes him to an “abusive” place. Revealing that he loves the track but will always remember the lyrics he had to redo, Xzibit disclosed, “I love the song. I will never forget that part. Even if I have Alzheimer’s, I’m still gonna remember, ‘I been this way, and I can’t stop.’”
Xzibit isn’t the only artist who has opened up about Dr Dre’s unrelenting desire for musical perfection. Icons such as Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent have previously spoken about how much the beatmaker demanded from them on the mic. However, the chart-topping results almost always outweighed the effort of re-recording lines and ad-libs through the night.