Portrait of the artist: Xzibit, rapper  What got you started?
Having parents who discouraged me from listening to rap music. I
found the next best thing to owning it was to write it myself.
What was your big breakthrough?  Seeing my first single,
Paparazzi, go gold in Germany, then releasing records with Dr
Dre, Snoop and Eminem. Now I produce my own records. Every stage
brings a new breakthrough.  Who or what have you sacrificed for
your art?  My own happiness. It's impossible to have a personal
life when you're constantly travelling.  Are you fashionable?
No. I'll spend a total of 120 bucks on an outfit. For me, hip-
hop's not about the bling.  If someone heard one of your songs
in 1,000 years' time, what would it tell them about the year
2007?  It would give them my political and personal reflection
of today's world. I'm painfully aware of what's going on
politically, and I express that in my music.  What one song
would feature on the soundtrack to your life?  Public Enemy's
Fight the Power. When I first