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."
