Can You Spell That Again, Please?: Thayod Ausar

Thayod who?
King Tee: "Free Style Ghetto (feat. Xzibit, MC Breeze, and the Alkaholiks)"
from IV Life 1994

Xzibit: "At The Speed of Life"
Xzibit: "Paparazzi"
Xzibit: "Carry the Weight (feat. Defari)"
from At the Speed of Life 1996

When Xzibit emerged from the Alkaholiks camp with his debut At the Speed of Life, his street philsophy was backed by the young producer Thayod Ausar on three stand-out tracks: the title song, the classic "Paparrazzi," and the autobiographical "Carry the Weight." The cinematic beats crafted with strong, haunting symphonic melodies and heavy reverb drums added age and wisdom to Xzibit, underscoring the sincerity and heart in his lyrics.

Two years earlier, in 1994, Thayod blessed the Likwit crew godfather King Tee with the "Mahogany"-laced "Free Style Ghetto" on the IV Life album, elevating a free-for-all posse cut to something timeless. Somehow, the dramatic, melancholy music added gravity to lyrics like "Footballs, basketballs, microphones, gas and grass / just some of the few things that J-Ro likes to pass." Can't help but to crack a smile at the contrast of the music and typical Alkaholik subject matter.

Only one song on Xzibit's 40 Dayz and 40 Nightz received the Thayod treatment, "Handle Your Business," and the orchestral backing was in full effect. Little did we know that it would be almost 6 years before we'd hear from Thayod Ausar again. He re-emerged with three production credits in 2004: the G-Unit banger "My Buddy," Lloyd Banks' "Warrior" and Xzibit's "Back 2 the Way It Was" from his WMD album. Of those three, only "My Buddy" possesses remnants of the chorus-inflected backdrops that became his early signature.

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