Like so many other MTV series,
Pimp My Ride bore a title that never would have gotten to first base in past television seasons. However, the subject matter was fairly benign despite the "P" word. The exotically yclept
Xzibit served as host of the series, in which various automobiles that had seen better days -- or were butt-ugly to begin with -- were plucked off the streets of Southern California and "pimped," or reconditioned, to look like sleek, sassy luxury vehicles. These rebirths usually required not only a paint and tire job, but a total remake and an arsenal of cool accessories. Each half-hour episode opened with a lively hip-hop theme song composed by Jeff Cardoni ("So you wanna be a playa/But your wheels ain't fly/You gotta hit us up/To get a pimped out ride...")
Xzibit would select the honored car of the week, which would then be placed in the expert hands of the mechanics and artisans of West Coast Customs, an establishment owned by Ryan Friedlinghaus. The series regulars included paint and body experts Aren, Ish, Jimmy, Buck, and 2Shae; suspension and body specialist Danny; wheels and tires maven Alex; electronics wiz Ryan; and accessories man Big Dane. Created by
Bruce Beresford and Rick Hurvitz,
Pimp My Ride debuted March 4, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide