Fetty Wap, Vince Staples, Tink and more have been named among XXL magazine's annual "Freshman Class" issue. Dej Loaf, OG Maco, Raury, K Camp, Shy Glizzy, GoldLink and Kidd Kidd also fight for cover space on the new issue of the magazine.
XXL began its annual "Freshman Class" tradition during 2007, a tradition that has continued with ten "newcomers" to hip-hop being named every year. The inclusion has paid off for a handful of performers, such as Lupe Fiasco and Kid Cudi.
For the most part, however, the list drums up more controversy than revelation. The most common complaint is that performers have existed for years and XXL just grabs them up as they become more popular...not really beating anyone to the punch. That argument is in full force this year with Kidd Kidd. Although just 23 years old (we're trusting Google on this one), the emcee has been recording since 2002 when he was drafted by Lil Wayne among the first artists to land on Young Money, and he's since made appearances with both Weezy and 50 Cent. Other examples include Vince Staples and Tink, who were both featured prominently on this site as early as 2013.
Some eyebrows are always raised for performers such as Fetty Wap—rappers who have certainly delivered big singles ("Trap Queen")—but have yet to deliver a full product.
Some rappers have famously declined to appear on the "Freshman Class" cover. Nicki Minaj and Drake were both offered spots during 2010...but shot the magazine down, considering they had already found success in the industry. "We felt we kinda had graduated from the Freshman Class," Minaj said.
Other instances involve a more popular performer getting the nod, while a more underground artist gets left out. The Iggy Azalea/Azealia Banks beef can almost entirely be traced back to this happening on the 2012 cover.
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