Ranking Every XXL Freshman Class (PART 1)

Hey everybody! Thanks for watching this video on, "Ranking Every XXL Freshman Class (PART 1)". For well over a decade, hip-hop's #1 magazine, XXL, has been doing their annual Freshman Class list. They choose 10 (ish) rappers on the rise, give them a ton of buzz, do some cyphers / freestyles, and it can be huge for those artists' careers. But which class has been the best? Which musicians have the most critical / commercial success, who do I like the most, etc? Here's part one of that video!

XXL / Freshmen / Freshman / Ranking / Ranked / Review / Reviewing / Best / Worst / Freestyle / Cypher / Freestyles / Cyphers / Lupe Fiasco / Kid Cudi / J. Cole / Mac Miller / Kendrick Lamar / Future / Danny Brown / ScHoolboy Q / Travis Scott / Chance the Rapper

[Juli_is_Online]

2016 gotta be the best, every single one of them still has a pretty huge career or at least made a huge impact at the time. Not to mention it has Anderson Paak., Denzel Curry and 21 Savage

2013 was pretty incredible too though, with Joey bada$$, Ab-soul, Action Bronson, Logic, Schoolboy Q, Travis Scott and Chief Keef, both rappers with huge impact and rappers with less impact but a ton of artistry.

[Ads_Snaps]

This guy gave Joey Bada$$ a 6/10… wtf 😂

[williamjoneston]

Why is Lil B so low, this is literally the pioneer of cloud rap and internet rap as a whole??

[floatinrocktubetalk]

Alfo is Tripping. 2011 and Cole’s list including Freddie Gibbs and other being this low is literal insanity. Also, Cyhi is more than an Association to Ye with any minor research. Has written and produced for Ye. Listening to his catalog he is easily one of the last generations most under appreciated rappers.

[-Scrapper-]

4:35 When melon sees one of the best albums of all time

[monsterwithfaces]

2016 really was the best
everything went downhill from there

[mile]

THANK YOU FOR THAT ISAIAH RASHAD TAKE, I AGREE 100 PERCENT.

[MHundreds]

2011, 2013, 2016 are the best years for sure

[marionann]

Kind of a ramble on this one, but the 2012 list is just weird for me to personally rank, specifically the rappers I'd like to call the Cursed Four. Hopsin made huge waves in the underground with his own independent label, not to mention fellow former Funk Volume members Dizzy and Jarren became XXL alum themselves. He's also that one "real music" kid with severe main character syndrome who never grew up since high school. Iggy Azalea was one of the biggest artists in 2014. She's also the living embodiment of cultural appropriation and just fell off after her peak. MGK is currently putting guitar-driven rock back into the mainstream. He's also an insufferable burnout 17 year old trapped in a 30 year old's body, and relies on Travis Barker for pop punk anywhere near the quality of okay. Macklemore is a Grammy winning artist with some of the most commercially successful rap music in the 2010s. He's also that one cishet white guy who tries way too hard to be an ally. Like part of me really wants to say you didn't give them enough credit because they at least made some genuine impact, especially when compared to some of the more forgotten names among the XXL freshman alum. But there's a reason why the cursed four are so cursed, and no amount of success will change their current status as walking punchlines.

[unclejosh]

Anyone else think it’s weird that Tyler wasn’t ever in a freshman list?

[leeharvey]

S/o the Isaiah respect at the end, fantastic take

[zachstavis]

2013 is definitely the best. Even the names you said at the beginning of it weren't bad at all. I was a big Dizzy Wright fan for a while, always thought he was underrated

[biker]

HOLD ON!

We’re not about to call Flint a “random town in Michigan.” NOT ON MY WATCH BUCKAROO!

Ok, less intensely now, the reason why Flint being in dire straits is a big deal is because of how big Flint is. Not only do a LOT of people you know come from there, it’s also just one of the biggest cities in Michigan. I understand it’s not Detroit or even Traverse City, but it’s pretty important to the state and our history. Like I’m not about to call Rochester a “random city in New York”, you know?

Ok, soap boxing over, just need to stand up for my state. Love your work 👍

[cybercrasherstv]

3:23 where is blu? Where would he have ranked?

[vicc.]

What I find really interesting is that, in the 2010 class, you said you have no idea who Pill is. However, I know him from being a feature in the song Bitter Pill on Consequences 2011 mixtape Movies on Demand 2. The most interesting part is that two other young up-and-coming rappers that were featured on other songs of the album is Mac Miller and Kendrick Lamar respectively.

[Airi_Iwin]

G Herbo & Dave East still got the best XXL Cypher ever.

[mattmyers]

Even though Jon Connor fell off he had one of the best cypher performances ever, definitely worth checking out

[buckfastbjork]

Honestly 2013 or 2016 might be the best in terms of the most amount of great or amazing rappers that either had great runs in the 2010s or that are still relevant today

2013: Joey bada$$, Ab-soul, Action Bronson, Logic, Schoolboy Q, Travis Scott and Chief Keef (7 rappers)

2016: Denzel Curry, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Anderson.paak, lil yachty and Kodak black (6 rappers)

Would probably edge it to 2013 but that 2016 cypher is easily xxl’s most legendary

[Loa...ding...]

Macklemore gets way too much hate. He's not for hip hop heads, he's for suburban parents to play something during car rides. If he didn't win that Grammy people wouldn't dislike him because he would never even be in these conversations as a "rapper"

[aidanwilt]

How is 2013 only a 6? You said they weren’t super influential but you have Travis and keef who are two of the most influential artists in trap for the 2010s