Surly and daft in equal measure, LA’s Xzibit has done rather well for himself, due in no small part to the patronage of Dr Dre and Eminem. Man Vs Machine is business as usual over at Mainstream Rap Central: overlong, with a handful of ace tracks (notably the ultra-silly “Symphony In X Major”); full of jailcell hustler homilies, baroque synth stabs, Cristal references, guest appearances (Dr Dre! Eminem!) and naff samples (Toto’s “Africa”). Entertaining, largely forgettable, with one real shock?no sign whatsoever of the Neptunes.
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