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xxl freshmen Tag

July 14, 2021
Latest News

DDG, Lakeyah, Morray and Coi Leray’s 2021 XXL Freshman Cypher

[ad_1] The 2021 XXL Freshman cyphers are finally here and best believe that they’re starting off with a bang. The first group with the task of showing and proving why they landed a spot on the coveted cover consists of 10th Spot winner DDG, Quality Control Music signee Lakeyah, soul crooner Morray and social media savant Coi Leray.Each of the four acts use bull-ish bars and no-Auto-Tune warbling to skate through an enchanting beat, twirled with assuaging key melodies and pounding bass drops. That soothing foundation is set by none other than Internet Money creative Nick Mira, who serves as this year’s Freshman beat curator. Nick, who recently launched his own Mira Touch record label, produced...

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July 13, 2021
Latest News

DDG, Lakeyah, Morray and Coi Leray’s 2021 XXL Freshman Interview

[ad_1] The surreal feeling of turning a dream into reality is unmatched. Those pivotal moments are often filled with feelings of anxiety, peace and motivation, all wrapped up into one. 2021 XXL Freshmen DDG, Lakeyah, Morray and Coi Leray reflect on that during their post-cypher roundtable interview, along with their thoughts on what went down in Atlanta on the day of the Freshman shoot in May, their influences and their shared mindset of growing even bigger and better in the future.DDG turned years worth of YouTube vlogs and social media leverage into the foundation of his budding rap career. Though he’s recently switched lanes to focus on rapping and left his YouTuber...

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July 13, 2021
Latest News

Iann Dior Names His Top Five Favorite Rappers

[ad_1] Asking someone to name their favorite artists is a complicated task. Sometimes, the salute comes from the catalog quality. Perhaps it’s a stylistic component that makes them reign supreme. Possibly, the rationale could fall squarely in having an undeniable imprint on the culture. When Iann Dior offers his handful of favorite artists to XXL, he does so by doubling down on each of those notions.To introduce the set, Iann begins with his favorite artist, J. Cole. “He tells stories in his music and I feel like a lot of people don’t really do that,” the 2021 XXL Freshman explains.The next person Iann mentions is one of a Cole’s direct peers. And honestly, a...

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July 12, 2021
Latest News

Nick Mira Makes the Beats for the 2021 XXL Freshman Class Cyphers

[ad_1] Nick MiraThe Virginia-bred producer and Internet Money creative speaks on being the musical curator for the 2021 XXL Freshman Class.As Told to Georgette ClineEditor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of XXL Magazine, on stands now.“When I first heard about [myself and Internet Money being selected as the musical curators for XXL Freshman this year] I was really excited. It’s really cool for me because me being a kid in school watching the videos at home and then a couple of years later, I’m being able to have this opportunity to play my own beats that I’ve made… I’m very grateful for XXL picking us.So, basically, since...

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July 12, 2021
Latest News

Iann Dior Lists His Top Five Favorite Hip-Hop Albums

[ad_1] Arresting narratives have always had an allure on Iann Dior. As someone who possesses a golden pen that flipped pages of his poetry into gold and platinum-selling songs, it comes as no surprise that projects containing plenty of lucid storytelling have earned the stamp of approval in this 2021 XXL Freshman's list of his top five favorite hip-hop albums.For many J. Cole fans like Iann, the audio recollections of Cole’s adolescence power the reasoning behind 2014 Forest Hills Drive getting its due respect in this all-time discussion. “In high school, that had a big impact on me,” Iann rationalizes.Immediately following with magnus opus-type quality on the table, the hip-hop and pop genre bender, who topped the...

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July 10, 2021
Latest News

Rubi Rose’s 2021 XXL Freshman Freestyle

[ad_1] As hip-hop prepares to celebrate its 48th birthday next month, the genre has elevated to heights that its founding fathers may have never thought possible. The influx of artists trying to get recognized for their rhymes isn't enough to stand out from the competition these days. 2021 XXL Freshman Rubi Rose's voice has set her apart from many of the rap newcomers in her league. While her liberating lyrics of sex, power and boss moves have become fodder for social media captions and the TikTok set, it's how Rubi delivers the music that leaves a lasting impression. Her deep, sultry tone has pushed her 2019 track "Big Mouth" to over 15 million Spotify streams and...

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July 10, 2021
Latest News

Rubi Rose Names Her Top Five Favorite Rappers

[ad_1] Women in hip-hop are no longer few and far between. There's a resurgence of ladies who are besting many of their male counterparts these days. The 2021 XXL Freshman Class is reflective of the times, welcoming four women to have the honor this year. Rubi Rose is one of them. Her distinct voice and sexually charged lyrics have helped her gain a legion of supporters in a short period of time. After dropping "Big Mouth," a song showcasing her deep tone and playful energy, in 2019, it was up from there. But to get to this point, Rubi found some inspiration along the way in quite a few different rappers, namely Nicki Minaj, which...

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July 9, 2021
Latest News

Rubi Rose Lists Her Top Five Favorite Hip-Hop Albums

[ad_1] Ask any rapper which artists have created their favorite hip-hop albums and they'll likely mull over the answer. The decision to narrow down every bit of inspiration and lyrical skill into just a few slots takes careful consideration. Give a response that the internet doesn't like and the roasting on social media will ensue. Fail to pick an artist that has a dedicated fan base and those same fans will likely criticize every choice thereafter. When it comes to Rubi Rose's top five favorite hip-hop albums, she stays true to herself, picking five rappers' projects that she personally connects with. The 23-year-old 2021 XXL Freshman has solid reasons for why each album from the...

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July 9, 2021
Latest News

DDG Lists His Top Five Favorite Hip-Hop Albums

[ad_1] Every artist wants to make a great album, or even just a set of songs that really resonate with their fans, and stand the test of time. While every rapper won't get to that point, it doesn't make it a bad goal to shoot for. Every rapper has albums they love. These projects were most important to their growth and listening tastes as young adults on the come up. This year, we asked all of our 2021 XXL Freshmen about their top five favorite hip-hop albums. They helped shape their tastes, styles and approach to music. Here, DDG shares his selections.The 23-year-old Pontiac, Mich. rapper kicks off his choices with Drake's Take Care, regarded by many as a classic...

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July 8, 2021
Latest News

Blxst’s 2021 XXL Freshman Freestyle

[ad_1] Blxst believes anything is possible. A year ago, the South Central, Los Angeles native was in a “tricky” financial situation like most artists who experienced the pitfalls of the pandemic. After releasing his critically acclaimed debut EP, No Love Lost, in September of 2020, and its deluxe edition two months later, the 25-year-old hip-hop triple threat started moving on up in streams and prominence. His blend of breezy singing, elite rhymes and supreme production earned him more ears and eyes in his direction than even he anticipated. Bangers like “Chosen” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Tyga, “Overrated” and “Pressure” feature the substance and special sauce that have earned him his rightful...

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