S. Samuel
Rap newcomers Diggy Simmons, Lil Twist, Yelawolf and more have earned spots in XXL Magazine's annual Freshmen list as artists predicted to reach mainstream appeal this year.
Just days after a Freshmen ’11 list leaked, XXL decided to unveil their cover weeks in advance and added an additional artist to the Top 10.
Since you all can’t wait anymore here is the official XXL 2011 Freshmen cover. More information tomorrow. 2011’s Freshmen Class featuring: Meek Mill, Big K.R.I.T., Cyhi The Prynce, Lil Twist, Yelawolf, Fred The Godson, Mac Miller, YG, Lil B, Kendrick Lamar, Diggy Simmons. (XXL Mag)
Over the weekend, a Freshmen list leaked which included New York rapper French Montana.
Around this time every year (probably even earlier), people begin to speculate who XXL will have on the cover for their new “freshman class.” While it has not be confirmed, these names could be crowned with the honor. Big K.R.I.T., Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Lil B, Lil Twist, Yelawolf, Diggy Simmons, CyHi Da Prynce, French Montana, Meek Millz. (Karen Civil)
Dipset’s Cam’ron recently revealed his decision to turn down XXL’s offer to feature his artist, Vado, as a “Freshman.”
“This is what happened, straight up and down, what happened was this– [XXL Magazine EIC Vanessa Satten] called me about doing it. You know they didn’t put him on last year. They wanted him on this year. So Allan [Grunblatt], that’s the CEO at [E1 Music]. Me and Vado have an album coming out and Jim [Jones] has an album coming out. So I told the lady at XXL I’d get back to her because I was saying, if Vado does do the cover for XXL, I want him to be a main focus. I’m not trying to be an a**hole or be like, it’s us or nothing. I’m just trying to say, my man put a lot of work in the last year. So I’m not trying to say the other people that’s coming up shouldn’t be on the cover either. I’m not saying that, I’m saying just give him a little focus on the cover, and she said she didn’t know if she could do that, this that and the third — But what happened is, we got an album out — so the dude at Koch, Allan Grunblatt, he went to The Source and [got us] the cover — it doesn’t make sense for him to be behind seven people on the [XXL] cover and he’s gonna be front face on The Source cover with me and Jim. So, I told her that I couldn’t do it because she couldn’t give any guarantees on how his look was going to be. I still love the XXL and appreciate all the support they’ve given us.” (Shade 45)
Last month, G.O.O.D. Music’s Big Sean nominated his personal Top 3 2011 XXL Freshman.
“My advice to the 2011 [XXL] Freshmen class is just use it to your advantage, man. Don’t be lazy, get off your a**. That’s the biggest. When you’re a rapper and on the come-up, you dream about having a platinum record. You dream about — getting signed, you dream about being on the covers of magazines, so that’s one of the biggest accomplishments of all-time, of my life. So man, take that sh*t for what it is. Do what it do, man. You earn that sh*t so congratulations…If I could nominate 2011 [XXL Freshmen], it would be Chip Tha Ripper, Kendrick Lamar, SayItAintTone, a whole bunch of people.” (Janicella Moca)
Check out Big Sean speaking on the XXL Freshmen 2011 below:
