"If you collected every complaint about this hip-hop game, the resulting mass would probably explode and spawn the frustrated b-boy Xzibit - an energetic west coaster displaying battle flows and make-sense lyrics from a fed-up MCs perspective. If his debut - At The Speed Of Life - is any indication, there might still be some space in this overcrowded game for Xzibit, who shows it ain't where you're from it's where you're phat..." Peep "The Foundation," easily one of my favorite joints...
"...But Xzibit more than holds his own without crew, pointing out the illest little details in the rap game. For example, see the well-orchestrated masterpiece "Paparazzi." It remains the main brick in this foundation. With its solid Beethoven meets Enigma production mixed with no nonsense lyrics about today's in-dust-ry, it presents an accurate microcosm of the entire album. Another impressive track is "The Foundation," a very next-levelish joint in which Xzibit shows the importance of having a child and manages to give Edo G's "Be a Father..." a run for the money. Add the underrated production of Soul Assassin Muggs and At The Speed Of Life's chances for underground classic status increase dramatically." - The Source, September 1996. The full album review is below...
