Xzibit is taking on the unofficial role of rap ambassador because he's sick of the knocks the music genre gets for its violent lyrics and imagery. The rapper, real name ALVIN JOINER, insists he and his peers are simply chronicling modern times and if society wasn't so terrible, their lyrics wouldn't be so controversial and violent. He says, "Rap is a reflection of society. If society wasn't violent, then hip-hop wouldn't be violent. "You can blame hip hop but we're like reporters; we tell you what's going on in the neighbourhood and we tell you how it is. I don't think hip-hop should glorify the violence. I think with hip-hop music you have to have some kind of balance. When you take someone's life you're gonna end up losing yours. "But we can't be like Arnold Schwarzenegger; he can kill 70 million people on the screen and still he's a role model. But when you talk about slapping somebody, or shooting somebody on a rap tape, you are a criminal."