It's only appropriate that Xzibit's highly anticipated, and often-delayed,
‘Restless’ concluded hip-hop's millennial melting pot. After all, Xzibit's
association with Dr. Dre and his Aftermath regime attached very lofty
expectations to Restless; X was publicly anointed as the next MC
expected to blow up. Surely, with Dre as executive producer and
guest shots from Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Dre himself, Xzibit was
virtually assured of acquiring the mainstream success that eluded him
on previous efforts (At the Speed of Life and 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz).
Thanks largely to Dre's knob-twisting input, Restless became aural
kin to Dre's own 2001 comeback vehicle, as the head-nod factor is
immediately established on ‘Front to Back’, the heavenly synth stabs
‘X’, and ‘Get Your Walk On’. The main flaw in ‘Restless' formula lies
primarily with Xzibit's extensive list of guest collaborators. While
contributions from Dre (‘U Know’), Snoop (‘D.N.A.’), and Eminem
(‘Don't Approach Me’) are all welcomed, appearances from DJ Quik
and KRS-One, among many others, take the focus off Xzibit's
formidable lyrical boasting, which precludes ‘Restless’ from forming a
desired level of cohesiveness. On ‘X’, Xzibit pledges to "Rearrange
the game with my rugged sound”, and he periodically delivers on that
promise. However, it would have taken nothing short of a masterpiece
for Xzibit to appease hip-hop's finicky masses.