A concert by American rapper Xzibit in the Latvian capital of Riga has been canceled after reports emerged that he continued performing in Russia after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The show had been scheduled for Sept. 19 at Coyote Fly as part of Xzibit’s Kingmaker European Tour 2026, News.Az reports, citing The Insider.
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Local outlet Delfi said its journalists flagged the issue and contacted the organizers. The Moscow Times has reported that Xzibit put on at least three concerts in Russia in 2025, and open-source information shows that he performed at Moscow’s VK Stadium last December and at Luzhniki Stadium in the fall of 2024.
The Riga concert was canceled after information about the rapper’s Russia performances was passed to Latvian authorities. Coyote Fly said it respects the authorities’ position but had no information indicating that Xzibit’s Russia shows “were political in nature.”
The club said that after the incident it would vet artists more carefully and review musicians’ public activity before making future bookings.
Xzibit, born Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, is an American rapper, actor, and television host from Los Angeles. He rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with albums like Restless and collaborations with artists including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem. He is also widely known as the host of MTV’s car-makeover show Pimp My Ride.
