Xzibit claims DMX's 'Party Up' was a diss track aimed at Tha Dogg Pound‘s Kurupt
On May 31, 2025, Xzibit appeared on the Effective Immediately podcast, where DJ Hed asked him about his thoughts on DMX's performance at the 1999 Woodstock festival.
Claiming that it wasn't DMX's Woodstock festival that "intimidated" him, but the track, Party Up, Xzibit said:
"I think it was crazy when I found out that 'Party Up' was the answer to 'Calling Out Names'. That’s what Drake should’ve did. He should’ve made a ‘Party Up.’ Nah, but he tried to get down and knuckle up with it. I keep telling n****s, don’t get into fights with n****s who like to fight."
For the unversed, Calling Out Names is a 1999 diss track written and rapped by Kurupt that takes aim at DMX. In response to the diss, DMX dropped Party Up (Up in Here) the same year, later including it in his third studio album, ...And Then There Was X.
Three different versions of Party Up were dropped at the time: an explicit version, a censored album version, and a radio/video edit. When Gina appeared confused about Party Up being a diss track, Xzibit explained:
"‘Party Up’ was a response to Kurupt. You wack, you twisted, your girl’s a ho/ You broke, the kid ain’t yours and everybody know… They were fighting over Foxy Brown. We need to do a hip-hop 101."
Seemingly, Kurupt targeted DMX specifically in Calling Out Names, as the lyrics read:
"Mothaf**k D / Mothaf**k M / Only X I know is Xzibit or RBX / Extraordinary, trynna snatch my b***h / You can have the b***h, two b***hes gettin’ rich / Just to come to the West Coast and get stripped down / Beat to death and stripped, all over a b***h."
Xzibit's claim about Calling Out Name was confirmed by Kurupt previously
According to HotNewHipHop, Xzibit's claim about Kurupt targeting DMX in Calling Out Names was backed by the rapper. Last year, Tha Dogg Pound rapper was on an episode of the Bootleg Kev Show (on May 7, 2024), where he previewed Not Like Us.
Despite calling the song "banging," the rapper spoke about the cons of leading artists dissing each other, explaining:
"This is why this is not healthy, my n**ga. Anything can happen. Drake could fall and break his toe and 'Oh that's what you get for f**king with Kendrick.' Don't do that."
Then, addressing his beef with DMX in the late 1990s, Kurupt spoke about the inspiration behind Calling Out Names.
"I was in my feelings, and I was really upset at the whole experience with this young lady. Just upset period at the way I was treated. I just let off some steam," he said.
Then, narrowing down on the broader influence behind the diss track, Kurupt revealed that "a lot of people told me things I took to heart," with DMX just being "the straw that broke the camel’s back".
Kurupt also confirmed on the podcast that despite their differences, DMX and he were able to patch things up before the former passed away in 2021.
