XXL Freshman Class: A History of Hip-Hop's Rising Stars

Since 2007, XXL Magazine has been at the forefront of hip-hop culture, annually unveiling its Freshman Class - a selection of emerging artists poised to become the next generation of rap superstars. This tradition has evolved into a significant milestone in the careers of many artists, serving as a catalyst for their rise to stardom. The XXL Freshman Class has become one of hip-hop's most important institutions, consistently identifying and showcasing talent that goes on to shape the genre.

The Genesis of a Tradition

The foundation for XXL's annual tradition was laid when the rising rap talent of the mid-2000s graced the 2007 cover of XXL magazine. This initial selection, featuring artists from Lupe Fiasco to Plies to Papoose, established the "Leaders of the New School" tagline and set the stage for what would become a highly anticipated annual event.

The Selection Process: Qualities of a Freshman

The question of what makes a Freshman is frequently asked. Each artist inducted into the Freshman Class possesses qualities that distinguish them and contribute to the music community. These qualities include the potential to create hit records, the ability to establish a long-lasting career, and respectable rapping skills. The magazine seeks to highlight and provide a platform for buzzing talents who eventually become hip-hop figures in their own right.

Evolution of the Freshman Class Covers

Over the years, the XXL Freshman Class covers have evolved in their artistic direction and themes.

The 2009 cover featured a stacked design, dividing the artists into three ensemble shots layered on top of each other.
In 2011, the class adopted a literal school theme, portraying artists like Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller in a school setting.
By 2013, the classes were being compared to those of the past, evaluating whether Travis Scott, ScHoolboy Q, and Logic's class was G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) level.
2014: Chance The Rapper sported overalls with no shirt.
The 2016 and 2017 classes were color-coordinated, with the former crew having an all-white party and the latter artists rocking all-black on a set drenched in red.
2020 included Polo G, Rod Wave, NLE Choppa, Lil Tjay and Mulatto.
2021 featured 42 Dugg, Coi Leray, Pooh Shiesty, Flo Milli and Rubi Rose, among others.
2022 Nardo Wick, Doechii, Saucy Santana, Babyface Ray and SoFaygo.
2023 GloRilla, Central Cee, Finesse2Tymes and 10th spot winner DC The Don.

The XXL Brand: Expanding Beyond the Magazine

XXL has expanded its brand beyond the magazine to include various special projects, such as tour programs, mixtapes, and exclusive DVDs. In December 2006, XXL took over the hip-hop producer and DJ magazine Scratch, rebranding it as XXL Presents Scratch Magazine. Other titles with limited runs have been launched under the XXL brand, including Hip-Hop Soul, Eye Candy, and Shade 45. In August 2005, Eminem and XXL collaborated to release a special issue titled XXL Presents Shade 45, designed to give maximum exposure to his radio station Shade 45, the station's associated radio DJs, the Shady Records label as a whole, and G-Unit Records' artists. In September 2006, XXL released a 90-minute DVD titled XXL DVD Magazine Vol. 1.

Declining the Invitation: Artists Who Passed on the Freshman Class

Occasionally, artists decline the invitation to be featured on the Freshman Class cover. Some artists feel they have already surpassed the Freshman Class level in their careers, while others may have scheduling conflicts or disagreements with the magazine's vision.

Nicki Minaj and Drake declined the cover, feeling they had graduated from the Freshman Class. They felt XXL missed the mark when they didn't put them on the cover prior to that (2009).
Cam'ron wanted Vado to be the center focus and not share the cover with multiple other artists.
YFN Lucci initially refused to play music for XXL and said he didn't want to play any music if he wasn't guaranteed a spot on the list.
Pop Smoke agreed to be on the cover but he died before he could attend the shoot. XXL originally planned to add him on the cover to honor him, but Pop Smoke's team asked them not to do so.

The Class of 2025: A New Generation of Hip-Hop

The XXL Freshman Class of 2025 features a diverse group of artists representing various regions and styles within hip-hop. They include:

Gelo - ANAHEIM CALIFRONIA
Ray Vaughn - LONG BEACH CALIFRONIA
BabyChiefDoit - CHICAGO ILLINOISE
Eem Triplin - JOHNSTOWN PENNSYLVANIA
1900Rugrat - WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDASamara Cyn - MURFREESBORO TENNESSEE
Ian - ST. LOUIS MISSOURILoe Shimmy - POMPANO BEACH FLORDIALazer Dim 700 - CORDELE GEORGIA
YTB Fatt- WEST MEMPHIS ARKANSAS
Nino Paid- LANDOVER MARYLAND
EBK Jaaybo- STOCKTON CALIFORNIAPRODUCER ENTRY
Cardo Got Wings- FORT WORTH TEXAS

The class has generated discussions about the current state and future direction of hip-hop. For some, the list represents the evolving sounds and trends of the genre, while others may find themselves less familiar with the new wave of artists.

Ranking the 2025 Freshman Class: Freestyle and Cypher Performances

As tradition, the XXL Freshman Class participates in freestyle and cypher performances, showcasing their individual talents. Each freshman was judged based on factors such as flow, lyrics, breath control, uniqueness, and overall entrainment that I observed while listening to either freestyle or cypher.

12th / 11th Place: YTB Fatt - 3 Points

YTB Fatt is a rapper and songwriter born and raised in West Memphis, Arkansas. Staring his rap career in 2019, YTB Fatt sporadically released music from 2019-2023. After signing his first record deal 2.5 years ago, Fatt has gone on to release 5 mixtapes and collaborated with the likes of fellow southern rap acts such as Moneybagg Yo, Rob49 and Finesse2tymes. In 2024, he released his 4th mixtape, “On Zai,” which peaked at #133 on the Billboard Charts, his first and only entry at the time of writing.

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Freestyle (2 Points): The most entertaining part of this was reading the comment section. From mumbling every word he said, to being offbeat on his beat, to the chain being louder than the vocals, to the mention of road trips (or trunks, idk I can’t understand a word this man is saying) over a dozen times, everything on display is what I hate most about freestyles.
Cypher (1 Point): Like his freestyle, I only understood a handful of words he was saying, with the common word thug (which was rymed with thug) being the only word that stood out.

12th / 11th Place: Lazer Dim 700-3 Points

Lazer Dim 700 is a 23-year-old rapper based out of Atlanta, Georgia. A rap fan from a young age, Lazer Dim 700 got his start in music by making beats on BandLab. Drawing inspiration from genres such as Funk, Plugg and Trap, Lazer Dim 700 is often considered a figurehead in the new wave of free-flowing trip-based music that is dominating the online underground scene. Since 2019, he has gone on to release 7 mixtapes and two studio albums, all under his independent record label. As of 2025, he has gotten co-signs from artists such as Denzel Curry, BkThaRula and Trippie Redd.

Freestyle (1 Point): I may have understood a maxim of 5 words said in that two-minute freestyle. This is another freestyle about drugs, money and b*thces. Speaking in the Playboi Carti dialect of mumble rap, this is an actual freestyle, which, like I said, is a good thing, but that still doesn’t make this a good freestyle, as I had zero f*** ing clue what was going on.
Cypher (2 Points): Just like his freestyle, I understood barely anything this man has said, and the only coherent words were, to no one’s surprise, the swear words.

10th Place: Ian - 7 Points

Ian is a rapper originally from St. Louis, Missouri, but is now based in Dallas, Texas. Ian began to release music onto his social media in 2023, gaining instant traction for his work on the social media hits such as “Bad Habits” and “Ghost Ride”. Riding the current wave of southern rap/trap trends, Ian signed with Columbia Records sub-label BuVison in early 2024. He followed this newfound fame up with a collaboration with Lyrical Lemonade to promote his debut mixtape “Valadictorian,” which peaked at #54 on the Billboard Charts.

Freestyle (3 Points): Doing his best, Jack Harlow, without any aura impression, Ian raps about getting money, migraine and a dead woman. The damn thing is, when he is trying to figure out what to rap next, it’s kinda funny, especially seeing that it is almost always off-beat with the humming.
Cypher (4 Points): He used his time to diss his old “brothers”, shouted out his family for staying with him and called everyone thots. He attempted to make a unique flow, so I’ll give him that.

9th Place: EBK Jaaybo - 8 Points

EBK Jaaybo is a rapper based out of Stockton, California. A member of the EBK gang based out of Stockton, California. A founder of the gangster rap movement of upper California. Jaaybo is allegedly the younger brother of the late EBK Osama, the leader/founder of the gang. Releasing music independently since 2021, in Jaaybo’s time in and out of prison, he has gone on to release 6 studio albums, with his most recent works such as “The Reaper” and “Don’t Trust Me” both making the Billboard Top 200. As of recent times, he was heavily involved in a public rap feud with Philadelphia-based rapper Skrilla and often collaborated on social media with Twitch streamer PlaqueBoyMax. As of writing, EBK Jaaybo is currently serving his third major prison sentence, for which he was arrested while on his way to attend the XXL photoshoot.

Freestyle (8 Points): First of all, this man was arrested on his way to the freshman shoot in Atlanta, and then proceeded to record his freestyle in the jail cell, which is hard af and I respect the dedication to the craft, as most artists nowadays are too scared to even perform at the shoot. Although it was the stereotypical gangster rap, there were some meaningful and impactful lyrics about EBK Jaaybo’s life story mixed throughout, which were captivating.

8th / 7th Place: Loe Shimmy - 10 Points

Loe Shimmy is a rapper and singer from Pompano Beach, Florida. Getting his start in music in 2020, he became a frequent user on Soundcloud, garnering a dedicated fanbase through the release of his first four projects in 2021 and 2022. Before taking a year break from music after the death of his brother. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Future and The Weeknd and blending it with modern Florida rap sounds, which drew the attention of Kodak Black, who encouraged Shimmy to re-enter the music scene in 2023. His first post-break EP, “Zombieland 2” (2024), was an instant success in the underground market, earning him his first Billboard Top 100 entry. Later that year, he made his debut in front of crowds at Rolling Loud Miami and went on to open for Sexyy Redd on her “Sexyy Redd 4 President” tour and Rob49 & Skilla Baby’s “Vultures Eat The Most” tour. In recent times, he has received co-signs from the likes of Brent Faiyaz and opened for Lil Baby on his “Wham” tour.

Freestyle (7 Points): Ahh, this is the point in the freestyles where I become distracted by all the background noise the XXL mics pick up. The clanging of chains aside, this freestyle was not bad. His mumbling was slightly annoying, but the flow was consistent enough that I didn’t mind it.
Cypher (3 Points): Nothing in this cypher makes any sense, he brags about all the co-signs he’s gotten, mentions his fine lady friends and said he likes to smoke a lot of keef. His flow reminds me a lot of the southern Lil Baby style of music, which I’m starting to get bored with, but in a freshman class where most of it is crap, I would rather deal with boring than bad any day of the week.

8th / 7th Place: Gelo - 10 Points

Gelo (a.k.a LiAngelo Ball) is a former basketball player turned rapper. The second child of retired football player LaVar Ball and NCAA basketball star Tina Ball, Gelo is the brother of NBA players Lonzo and LaMelo Ball. After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft class, Gelo played basketball in the G League, Europe and most recently in Mexico prior to transitioning to a full-time rapper. Dabbling in the music scene with his older brother since the late 2010s, Gelo officially got his start in music earlier this year with the release of his hit song “Tweaker”. Peaking at #29 on the Billboard Top 100, this newfound fame would draw the attention of Def Jam Records, which would sign Gelo to a multi-million dollar publishing deal. Since his debut less than 6 months ago, Gelo has gone on to collaborate with Lil Wayne and Glorilla, with more collaborations with other Dej Jam artists slated to be released later this year.

Freestyle (6 Points): He’s off-beat, which is fantastic, acting like he grew up in the hood (your family is one of the most famous in the history of sports), and spends the entire time yapping about how he’s getting money and sick of people talking sh*t about him (touche as I am doing that right now).
Cypher (5 Points): I am concerned about Gelo’s well-being. He must be dealing with a case of amnesia because he is the only one who doesn’t remember that his entire childhood was broadcast on relatively TV. Like everything he raps about is a lie to the point where I’m giggling to myself while listening to his bars, because he did not grow up in the hood, had money all his life, and has had multiple public relationships with women.

6th / 5th Place: 1900Rugrat - 11 Points

1900Rugrat is a rapper originally from Limestone Creek. Florida, who is now based in Palm Springs, Florida. 1900Rugrat would get his start in music at the age of 13, performing under his government name of Miles Spiel. After taking a break in his teenage years to focus on personal matters, he returned to the industry at the age of 19, specializing in freestyle and battle rapping, where he would spend the next two years crafting a dedicated fan base on social media. His first official single, “One Take Freestyle,” released in the summer of 2024, was an instant success, peaking at #1 on Spotify’s “most viral songs” chart. This success drew the attention of Kodak Black, who invited 1900Rugrats to perform as an opener to his 2024 Rolling Loud Miami set, which was 1900Rugrats’ first-ever live performance. After…

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