Xzibit bringing his hip-hop to Birmingham HMV Institute

Hip-hop susperstar Xzibit is set to perform at Birmingham's HMV Institute in the autumn.

His UK tour will call in at Birmingham on Friday, October 21, 2011. Tickets go onsale 9am on Friday, July 29, 2011, priced at £20 plus booking fee

X first came to the attention of hip-hop fans as a member of The Likwit Crew. From there, the ferocious X unleashed his 1996 debut, At The Speed Of Life. Considered by many to be an underground rap classic, it spawned a definitive West Coast Hip-Hop classic in the cautionary Paparazzi.

"That song still elicits a crazy reception from my fans," says its creator. "It first blew up overseas, but ended up traveling everywhere. It's a timeless record."

X's mainstream breakthrough came courtesy of appearing on Snoop Dogg's atmospheric B Please. With an integral assist from X, the single became one of Snoop's most successful in years.

The X-Man's turn clearly impressed the track's producer, Dr Dre, who offered X a spot on his epic Up In Smoke Tour. Joining a bill that included Dre, Snoop, Ice Cube and Eminem, X was introduced to thousands of thrilled concertgoers night after night.

"That tour was a turning point in my career," acknowledges X. "I was rocking capacity crowds in arenas across the country, and everyone was feeling what I brought to the table."

Hollywood inevitably began to show interest in the ascending MC.

"I was open to the offers because they allowed people to see the other sides of me," explains X. "My raps will tear your head off, but I'm not always the aggressive dude from music videos."

His stint as the host of MTV's successful Pimp My Ride led to X accepting an invitation to host the network's prestigious European Music Awards. It also prompted numerous notable film roles.