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June 22, 2022
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Nardo Wick’s 2022 XXL Freshman Freestyle

[ad_1] Nardo Wick is the new kid on the block. Short on words, the 20-year-old Jacksonville, Fla. native lets his monotone and matter-of-fact delivery of visceral street raps do most of the talking. The Wickman brings the same energy to his 2022 XXL Freshman freestyle.This moment is one that Nardo Wick has thought about since seeing the now cult classic 2016 Freshman cyphers, which featured Kodak Black, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, G Herbo, Lil Yachty and others. Nardo was a literal freshman in high school at the time. “I used to be thinking what I would say in the freestyle, how I’d freestyle, shit like that,” Nardo recalls in an exclusive interview...

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June 21, 2022
Latest News

Why the 2016 XXL Freshman Class Stands as the Best Ever

[ad_1] Worldwide SteppersLil Uzi Vert, Denzel Curry, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Lil Yachty, G Herbo, Dave East, Anderson .Paak, Desiigner and Lil Dicky united as one for the 2016 XXL Freshman Class. Six years later, their union has become the greatest of all time.Words: Peter A. BerryEditor’s Note: This story will appear in the Summer 2022 issue of XXL Magazine, on stands soon.When modern-day hip-hop fans think of XXL Freshman, they often go to the 2016 Class over the past 15 years the annual issue has existed. Since being unveiled six years ago, the 2016 Class has become synonymous with XXL Freshman the way Macbooks are with laptops; a subconscious avatar of what’s supposed to be—something...

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June 21, 2022
Latest News

Kevin Gates Interview – New Album, Changing His Life, Motivation

[ad_1] Brand New GuyA tireless work ethic and long look in the mirror have turned Kevin Gates into both a selfless and successful rapper.Interview: Robby Seabrook IIIEditor’s Note: This story will appear in the Summer 2022 issue of XXL Magazine, on stands soon.To never evolve is to never truly live. Kevin Gates has been on his journey for a lifetime. From the Baton Rouge, La. native unleashing his first mixtape, Pick of Da Litter, in 2007, around the time he was musically conjoined with fellow Louisiana rhymers Boosie BadAzz and Webbie, to stints in jail in the late 2000s, followed by his rap stardom taking off in 2015, with his motivational hit single, "I...

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June 20, 2022
Latest News

What the 2021 XXL Freshman Class Has Been Up To Since Last Year

[ad_1] Applying PressureAn in-depth look at how the 2021 XXL Freshmen fared in the rap game since their class debut.Words: Kemet HighEditor’s Note: This story will appear in the Summer 2022 issue of XXL Magazine, on stands soon.See What the 2021 XXL Freshman Class Has Been Up Towindow.twttr = (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], t = window.twttr || {}; if (d.getElementById(id)) return t; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"; ...

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June 15, 2022
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2022 XXL Freshmen Read Mean Comments

[ad_1] The newest starting lineup of XXL-approved rising artists is here, as the 2022 XXL Freshman Class has finally been unveiled. This year, there are 12 promising prospects, including Nardo Wick, Doechii, Cochise, Saucy Santana, KenTheMan, Babyface Ray, Big30, Kali, 10th spot winner BabyTron, SoFaygo, Big Scarr and KayCyy to represent as the future faces of hip-hop.It takes tough skin to be a hip-hop artist, especially in today’s social media age, where people send vitriolic shots while hiding comfortably behind anonymous pages. All artists have to deal with it and the 2022 XXL Freshman Class is ready for all the smoke. As part of the Freshman process, the Class was challenged with facing their...

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June 14, 2022
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2022 XXL Freshman Class Revealed

[ad_1] If there’s one thing hip-hop continues to do throughout its nearly 50 years of existence it’s evolve. Though inspiration can been seen and heard across decades, nothing has truly been the same from the genre’s music to the artists over the years. Part of hip-hop’s most exciting evolution comes in the form of the rising newcomers that enter the game every year. It’s why XXL Freshman, which kicked off in 2007, was created in the first place. The annual dedication to the new crop of hip-hop talent celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Now, it’s time for the 2022 XXL Freshman Class to make its mark.Before XXL’s staff selected the members...

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June 8, 2022
Latest News

Colby Tyner Explains Radio’s Shift Over the Last Two Decades

[ad_1] Plus 1Interview: Bianca TorresEditor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the Spring 2022 issue of XXL Magazine, on stands now.The way people consume music has changed over the last 20 years. Colby Tyner witnessed the shift firsthand over the two-plus decades he’s put into the game. The Philadelphia native first got his start in the business around his freshman year at Temple University as an intern at Power 99 radio station in his hometown. He worked his way up the ladder and eventually landed a position as the Assistant Program Director, producing Wendy Williams’ The Dream Team and spending 15 years at the station.In 2002, Colby moved to New York City...

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June 8, 2022
Latest News

Jason Lee Lists His Favorite Hip-Hop Albums of All-Time

[ad_1] Media personality Jason Lee’s love for hip-hop goes back to rap’s golden era. Artists like Queen Latifah, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur are just a handful of the rappers that helped make Lee a big fan of the genre. Over the past decade, the 44-year-old Stockton, Calif. native has grinded his way to L.A. socialite status by appearing on season 2 and starring in seasons 3 and 6 of Love & Hip Hop Hollywood, launching his popular site, Hollywood Unlocked, and publishing his book, God Must Have Forgotten About Me. Now, Lee holds the title of Head of Media for Kanye West.Here, Lee talks about how hip-hop inspires his career,...

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June 3, 2022
Latest News

Angie Randisi Is Working Heavily With Lil Baby Thanks to Drake

[ad_1] Angie Randisi’s lifelong passion for music led her from high school graduation in Montreal to Metalworks Institute in Missisauga, Ont., the entertainment arts school that would teach her about the music business and engineering. She switched her focus from A&R to becoming an engineer after finding that side more intriguing while studying in school. Randisi graduated in 2018, and interned at OVO’s SOTA Studios, where she grew under the tutelage of Noah “40” Shebib, the world-renowned engineer-producer who helped create Drake’s sound.Handling the board for PartyNextDoor’s 2020 album, PartyMobile, was Randisi’s first major look as assistant engineer. More recently, she has worked as Lil Baby’s main engineer on his upcoming album....

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June 1, 2022
Latest News

ATL Jacob Shares Experience Working on Kanye West’s Donda 2 Album

[ad_1] ATL Jacob, 23, started making beats in high school so that he could rap over them. His dark and mellow production style soon caught the attention of frequent collaborator Future and the rest was history. This year alone, Jacob ran up his price tag by crafting Kodak Black’s comeback hit and standouts from Kanye West’s Donda 2 album, among others. Here, the platinum-selling beatsmith and Atlanta native speaks with XXL about his recent wins in rap.“Super Gremlin” by Kodak Black has been sitting cozy in the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 all year. How did you put that beat together?One of my friends, Baby Jambo, sent me a pack of samples...

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