As we roll out our annual Top Ten Freshman List for 2013, XXL decided to take a look back 15 years to weigh in on who would have been the members of the Freshman Class in the year 1998. All decisions were based on our current Freshman guidelines, meaning entire groups and artists who had released their debut albums prior to the list date were excluded.

 Previously: XXL’s Freshman Class Of 1993

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Canibus

In the years leading up to 1998, Canibus had established himself as one of the most vicious and respected rhymers to hail from the East Coast. After making a name for himself ciphering with the likes of the Wu-Tang Clan, Bis got his first big break in '97 when he appeared on LL Cool J's "4, 3, 2, 1," which ultimately sparked feud between the two MCs. The beef spawned what many fans consider one of the best on-wax disses with Canibus' "Second Round KO." Eventually, Bis linked up with the Fugees' Wyclef Jean, who later co-produced his debut LP Can-I-Bus.

Kurupt
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Kurupt

Nearly six years after first inking a deal with Death Row Records and appearing on Dr. Dre's seminal The Chronic, Kurupt finally broke out on his own as a solo act. The Philadelphia-born rapper had built a reputation as one of hip-hop's most respected rappers, working with Daz Dillinger as a member of Tha Dogg Pound and appearing on Death Row partner 2Pac's All Eyez On Me and Snoop Dogg's Tha Doggfather. In 1997, Kurupt parted ways with Death Row, allowing him to sign a deal with A&M Records for his '98 debut Kuruption!

CMurder
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C-Murder

In 1995, Master P's No Limit Records relocated to New Orleans and signed a distribution deal with Priority Records. One of the imprint's earliest solo successes came from C-Murder. Corey Miller first gained fame alongside his brothers Percy and Silkk the Shocker in the group TRU. The group's fourth album Tru 2 da Game became a major commercial success, peaking at #8 on the Billboard 200 charts and selling over 2 million copies by October 1997. Eventually, C-Murder struck out on his own with the release of his first single "Tru ?'s," preparing himself for a grand entrance in 1998.

BigPun
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Big Pun

Even though Big Punisher first began his career in 1995 alongside the rap game's kryptonite Shaquille O'Neal on the song "Shaq. Crack and Pun," it would be a number of key guest appearances that solidified his place on the '98 Freshman list. Pun first earned underground acclaim appearing on the Beatnuts' "Off the Books" with Cuban Link and Fat Joe's "Watch Out" with Keith Nut and Armageddon. In 1997, however, Pun went on to release two major singles—"I'm Not a Player" and "Twinz (Deep Cover '98)"—that earned him a spot on Loud Records' roster.

NORE
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N.O.R.E.

Queens natives Capone and Noreaga, as duo C-N-N, released their seminal breakout debut in The War Report in 1997, which featured legendary MCs and producers like Mobb Deep's Havoc, Lord Finesse, Buckwild, and Busta Rhymes, and saw the gruff-voiced rappers appealing to a commercial audience. After the release of Report, Capone was sentenced to a prison term, but Noreaga (the group's more versatile personality) continued to work and released his N.O.R.E. debut the following year, showcasing his hard, in-your-face style over an array of beats from everyone from Swizz Beatz to The Neptunes.

cam'ron freshman class 1998
Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images
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Cam'ron

After the incredible all-star set that was Children of the Corn—Big L, Murda Ma$e, Herb McGruff, Bloodshed, and Cam'ron—disbanded, Cam inked a deal with Epic Records and embarked on a solo career. Killa was always a quirky jokester, but when he put out his debut Confessions of Fire, featuring smash singles like "357" and "Horse & Carriage," he established himself as a burgeoning star.

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DMX

Even though DMX's career dates back to the early '90s as a member of Ruffhouse Records' roster, the Baltimore-born Yonkers representative's career really picked up closer to 1998. After opting out of his contract with Ruffhouse, X enjoyed a successful 1995 with the release of his Irv Gotti-produced single "Make A Move." In the following years, X would snag a number of high profile guest spots on LL Cool J's "4, 3, 2, 1" and Mase's "24 Hours to Live" and "Take What's Yours." Eventually, the Darkman X joined Def Jam's roster and prepared the release of his major label debut It's Dark and Hell is Hot for 1998.

devin_the_dude
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Devin the Dude

Although his career began in 1994 with the debut release of his group the Odd Squad's cult currently out-of-print album Fadanuf Fa Erybody!, Devin the Dude really stepped into the limelight when he joined Scarface's Facemob clique. The Rap-A-Lot crew released its first album The Other Side of the Law in 1996, peaking at #51 on the Billboard 200 chart. Shortly after, the Florida-born Devin broke out as a solo artist with his acclaimed self-titled debut via Rap-A-Lot, featuring the single "Georgy."

Mos-Def-Be-Kind
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Mos Def

Even though his debut project with fellow Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli launched both artists to fame, the Mighty Mos Def earned his spot on the Freshman '98 list given his his pre-Black Star output. Mos made his hip-hop debut in 1996 appearing on Da Bush Babees Posdnous-produced "The Love Song" and De La Soul's "Big Brother Beat." However, the Brooklyn rhymer stepped out on his own with release of his 12" release "Universal Magnetic" b/w "If You Can Huh You Can Hear" through Rawkus Records.

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John Forte

Wyclef Jean has done a few great things for hip-hop, including putting together The Fugees and giving the world Lauryn Hill. Another thing he did right was introducing us to John Forte, a producer who was behind two of the best tracks on The Fugees' breakout The Score, and a rapper in his own right who had a show-stealing verse on Wyclef's "We Trying to Stay Alive." After appearing on Clef's The Carnival, Forte put out his solo debut, titled Poly Sci in 1998. Forte unfortunately had some run-ins with the law after the release of his debut, but he was definitely the 1998 Freshman's class most funky and eclectic member.

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