It's time to find out who part of the hip-hop industry thinks will lead the genre into the future (however controversially), as XXL's Freshman Class of 2024 is here. Moreover, for those unaware, the publication does a yearly round-up of the hottest new names in rap right now, whether they're just getting started, are getting long-overdue recognition, or already rose to the art form's upper echelons. We won't tease it any further: this year's picks are 4batz, Hunxho, Scar Lip, Rich Amiri, BigXthaPlug, Cash Cobain, Maiya The Don, Skilla Baby, That Mexican OT, Lay Bankz, and Bossman Dlow. Southside will provide the beats. Folks are very excited to see what they bring to the freestyles and cyphers, and we're sure that will be a pretty cool content farm to witness.
Furthermore, many of these artists have big 2024 hits, or are following up on a breakout 2023. In addition, many MCs here have been putting in work for far longer, and it's great to see this deserved, albeit late praise. That's always part of the contradiction and tough balance that a XXL Freshman Class strives to achieve, and no list is perfect. After all, folks may remember how Ice Spice joined the rank of musicians that turned down the cover opportunity, so the stars don't always align.
XXL's Freshman Class Of 2024
However, we also want to take this time to point fans to other initiatives by XXL to showcase talent beyond this Freshman Class rollout. For example, the publication hosted an all-femcee cypher boasting fiery verses from Latto, Flo Milli, Monaleo, new freshwoman Maiya The Don, and Mello Buckzz. It was a great moment to witness, and one that they might want to indulge in further since the Freshman Classes haven't garnered as much hype as they used to. Maybe more cyphers and freestyle showcases could revive some of that hype and set better standards.
All that aside, we all know how infamously some XXL Freshman Class moments live on within Internet circles. In fact, Steve Lacy proved this very recently with his comical reimagining of Ty Dolla $ign's Freshman freestyle. If this new group of MCs don't all stun lyrically in 2024, then fans at least expect some fun moments and viral showcases to assess the state of the art form this year. While hip-hop is much bigger than any one group of newcomers, it's nonetheless very exciting to focus on the new guard and witness what could be historic benchmarks.