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The

four-man collective known as Strong Arm Steady is now a trio.Rapper

Xzibit has officially left the group, which is now comprised of fellow emcees

Krondon, Phil Da Agony and Mitchy Slick."I’m

not in Strong Arm Steady anymore," Xzibit told AllHipHop.com. "They

actually signed the deal without me and went over to Blacksmith. It’s Krondon,

Phil Da Agony and Mitchy Slick. It was a decision that they made and they felt

it was in their best interests to go that route."The

group, which also includes extended family members Will Blast, Chace Infinite

& DJ Khalil (Self Scientific), Planet Asia and DJ Truly OdD, is expected to

put out its debut album Arms and Hammers under Talib Kweli’s Blacksmith

Music Corporation in 2007. Known

as a staple on the West Coast rap scene, Strong Arm Steady earned fans through

the release of mixtapes like D-Bo Vol.1 & 2, True Crime: Streets

Of L.A., LA Ballin’ 2004, Hulk Steady, Green Up and others.The

rapper didn’t reveal his reasons for departing the group and representatives for

the group did not respond to requests for comment. Xzibit,

who serves as host of MTV’s successful series Pimp My Ride, is continuing

his recording career, having recently released a new album titled Full Circle.The

album, which hit stores last week, features guest appearances from Kurupt, DJ

Quik, Too Short, The Game and others. Xzibit

also also continues to build an impressive résumé with a series

of high-profile acting roles. While

he has been featured in movies like Full Clip, 8 Mile, XXX: State of

the Union, Derailed and Hoodwinked, the rapper said his latest effort,

Gridiron Gang, was his most challenging part to date. The

movie, which also stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, costars Xzibit as

a probation officer and assistant-football coach of a Los Angeles juvenile detention

center football team. "Gridiron

Gang was my first costarring role that I felt comfortable enough to go with something

that was totally opposite [of] Hip-Hop," Xzibit said. "I play a probation

officer and a football coach, and I do neither. "The

rapper’s choice to take on a more difficult role proved to be the right decision,

as the movie raked in an over $15 million in ticket sales and topped the box-office

upon hitting movie theaters in mid-September. While

he enjoys starring in action-oriented movies, Xzibit said he wants to prove that

he can have a long lasting career as a serious actor. "Every

n***a wants to blow some s**t up," Xzibit said of his love for action movies.

"In XXX: State of the Union, I got to blow a hole in the side of

the f***in’ Capitol Building with a tank—come on, man! In Derailed

with Jennifer Anniston and Clive Owen, I get to smack around America’s sweetheart

with a god**ned Desert Eagle and I got a check! I’ve got a lot of respect for

the craft and I read a lot, so I know what to look for. I just wanted to take

baby steps so I didn’t jump into something that I wasn’t ready for."