Xzibit Reveals DMX’s “Party Up” Was a Hidden Diss Track Aimed at Kurupt

In a surprising revelation that adds new layers to hip-hop history, Xzibit has claimed that DMX’s 2000 mega-hit “Party Up (Up In Here)” was actually written as a diss track aimed at Tha Dogg Pound’s Kurupt. Speaking during an interview with Effective Immediately, the West Coast icon shared that the aggressive lyrics on one of DMX’s most successful songs were a direct response to Kurupt’s scathing 1999 track “Callin Out Names.”

“I think what was crazy was when I found out that ‘Party Up’ was the answer to ‘Callin Out Names,’” Xzibit said. “That was his response to Kurupt. ‘Your girl’s a hoe / You’re broke, the kid ain’t yours, and e’rybody know.’ That line? That was about Kurupt.”

According to Xzibit, the root of the conflict between the two rap titans stemmed from their mutual involvement with rapper Foxy Brown. Kurupt was engaged to her at one point, and DMX’s relationship with her created serious tension. Xzibit added, “They were fighting over Foxy Brown […] we need to do a ‘Hip Hop 101’ like, ‘Did y’all remember this?’”

The drama spilled onto wax when Kurupt dropped “Callin Out Names,” which called out several artists directly. He took aim at DMX with the lines: “Mothafuck D / Mothafuck M / Only X I know is Xzibit or RBX / Extraordinary, trynna snatch my bitch / You can have the bitch, two bitches gettin’ rich / Just to come to the West Coast and get stripped down / Beat to death and stripped, all over a bitch.” The diss was aggressive, unapologetic, and sparked plenty of controversy at the time.

Kurupt later offered more insight into what motivated the song. In an interview with HipHopDX, he said, “My thing was personal. I was engaged to Foxy Brown. DMX and Foxy did their little thing, and I got offended.” Reflecting further during a conversation with Bootleg Kev after DMX’s death, he said, “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 admitted that others may have contributed to escalating his anger: “People will pump you up if you allow them to. I could say a lot of people told me things I took to heart — this person said this, this person said that. DMX was just the straw that broke the camel’s back, to where my anger was. I just let it all go.”

Fortunately, the animosity between the two didn’t last forever. Kurupt confirmed that he and DMX eventually squashed their beef and became friends. “It’s all learning experiences. Like right now, me and Earl were very good, cool friends. I seen him in the airport, and we squashed our differences. I found out he’s a good person. He’s a good n-gga. That n-gga is a good n-gga. We had a good talk, had a couple shots. It was real cool. I met [Ruff Ryders co-founders] Dee and Waah. These are some good n-ggas. We all just tried to get this money, feed our families and make some good music.”

Though “Party Up” became one of the most iconic and widely played anthems in DMX’s catalog, this behind-the-scenes truth reveals a raw and emotional origin. Far from just a party banger, the song now stands as part of a deeply personal story between two rap legends whose rivalry turned into mutual respect.