Last week, XXL introduced its weekly Friday photo gallery of rappers enjoying the finer things in life. Now, we continue that series with a new collection of flicks from the past week. Click through the above gallery to see Swizz Beatz’s mobile work station, Yo Gotti’s infinity pools, Kid Ink’s view in Las Vegas and more.

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Later tonight, XXL‘s Freshmen Class of 2013 will convene at the Best Buy Theater for the New York City leg of the XXL Freshman Live 2013 tour. The show will feature performances from ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Logic, Joey Bada$$, Kirko Bangz, Action Bronson, Angel Haze, Dizzy Wright, Travi$ Scott and Trinidad Jame$, as well as special yet-to-be-announced guests.

XXL has decided to take a look back at last year’s New York performance, featuring Danny Brown, Don Trip, French Montana, DJ Khaled, Future, Hopsin, Iggy Azalea, Kid Ink, Machine Gun Kelly and Roscoe Dash.

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Kid Ink is set to release his first project under RCA. Before he does, he let loose a new single for his fans. Kid Ink  releases “Sunset” which is off his upcoming EP Almost Home, set to release on May 28. Listening to this record will put your mind in sourthern California, riding around in a droptop with your signifcant other, with no worries. Its whole tone is summertime fun. You can listen to the record above.

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XXL Freshman Class of 2012 alum Kid Ink comes through with the visuals for “Bossin’ Up” off his recently release Rocketshipshawty mixtape.  The video keeps it simple and clean with Ink on a black back-drop strutting and stunting. Check out the full video at the top.

[via HipHop-N-More]

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For the second installment of Can I Kick It series, we chop it up Kid Ink about his pair of Air Yeezy 2s that he recently sported at our offices:

Honestly the biggest thing besides–. What happens is, at home they be in the box a lot, because they’re really rare. But I had to pull them out because for some reason I do more walking in New York than ever, so they charge up in the light and I actually get to see them glow when I got back into elevators or whatever. I’ve been seeing them glow more than ever all day today. So I’ve been getting pumped and taking pictures and stuff like that, because in L.A. you don’t really get to see it glow like that. I don’t know if the sun is different or what, you just don’t get that charge time. I’ve honestly worn these like four times. They’re low-key my favorite shoes, until I get the Yeezy 1′s. I like the Yeezy 1′s better, they look more like the Son of Mars’, and those are one of my favorites.

When: April 30, 2012

Where to Cop These? Flight Club

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With every new Freshman class, we take a look back at the previous year’s freshman and ask: How did last year’s Freshman Class perform on the big stage? Click through our gallery to find out. To read about this year’s Freshmen, pick up the new issue of XXL, on newsstands now. Or get XXL right now on your tablet. 

The post Year-End Report Card: An Update On The 2012 XXL Freshmen appeared first on XXL.

2013 XXL Freshman Class is in full effect and time will tell if this will be the best class ever.

In the meantime, we’re taking a look back at each XXL Freshman from past classes to see what they’ve been up through their music since being a Freshman.

This is what Kid Ink, XXL Freshman Class of 2012, has been up to musically with his best tracks.

Bad Ass

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On Monday May 6, the East Coast made a Westside connection at the Gramercy Theatre with a performance from XXL Freshman Class of 2012 alum Kid Ink.

The opening act of the night – Queens representative Bryant Dope – properly prepped the stage before Ink completely demolished it. Bryant hit the stage at 8:30 PM for a set that began earlier than most hip hop heads are accustomed. Taking to the mic 15 minutes later than expected, he wasted no time gaining attention of the packed crowd.

“Come on, bounce!” Dope implored, inciting the first real reactions from the crowd that night. While the young and enthusiastic audience awkwardly bumped and grinded along to the DJ, the venue wasn’t quite popping until Bryant made his entrance. Obviously in alliance with the undeniable force of the Beast Coast, his lyrical content quickly grabbed the crowd’s attention, including the group of devoted fans in front singing along verbatim. The crowd’s favorite renditions included Dope’s “Everything Gorgeous” and his latest singles “Generation Y” and “ANTHM” off his recent New New York tape. The Queens MC’s energy lit the room and easily intrigued a few newfound fans.

Following Bryant Dope’s set, Kid Ink erupted on stage with an electrifying performance, arriving at the very moment some audience members became visibly antsy. Powering through a climatic 18-track set in only 40 minutes, he fittingly kicked off the performance with “Firestorm” from his latest mixtape RocketShipShawty. From the crowd rushing to the front barrier for his song “La La La” to a shared smoke session with a fan during “Lost in the Sauce,” it’s safe to say that Kid Ink gave a mesmerizing performance. Other notable moments include Ink pouring water on the crowd during “What It Do” and adoring fans losing control after he tossed out his shirt before tearing through “Tat It Up.”

“Every time I come out here, I have a great time,” Kid Ink said minutes before jumping into the sea of fans in front of him. Signing hats, dollar bills, tickets and anything else fans could grab, the show appeared to come to an abrupt end as his Alumni Affiliate, DJ Tech, began to run through a set of the latest radio hits. With some unsure whether Kid Ink was taking a break, it became clear that the show had ended by the time Kid Ink returned to the stage to grab his belongings.

Still, few attendees left the venue disappointed. – Written By Jasmine “Jazzi” Johnson (@bubbleMAMI)

Previously: Kid Ink Talks About His RCA Debut And Why Fans Don’t Want A Manufactured Artist

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Its a West Coast connection for this record. Kid Ink grabs Problem and YG for the remix to “Bad Ass.” The original single  has been a hit,  garnering over two million views on YouTube. The RCA Records artist recently sat down with XXL recently to discuss why fans don’t want a manufactured artist. This is really good remix to an already good song that should get plenty of spins on the radio and in clubs. Take a look at the track below.

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Logic keeps the ball rolling after gracing the cover of our Freshman issue. Today, the Def Jam signee is offering a new of set tracks on Welcome to Forever. He gave us a preview with “Roll Call,” and followed that with a video for “Nasty.”

Judging from his past mixtapes, Welcome to Forever will be another fan favorite.

You can stream and download the mixtape via Datpiff.

More Logic:
- Logic XXL Bio Page with videos, photos and stats
- Logic XXL Freestyle
- 2013 XXL Freshman Cyphers Episode 3 feat Logic, Dizzy Wright and Angel

The post Logic Releases New Mixtape “Young Sinatra: Welcome To Forever” [Download Now] appeared first on XXL.

Ever since Kid Ink signed with RCA Records, the Los Angeles rapper hasn’t stopped thinking of new ways to climb to the top. It’s evident in his recent single “Bad Ass” featuring MMG cohorts Meek Mill and Wale, which has garnered over two million views on YouTube. To keep his hot streak going, the 27-year-old is focused on his follow-up to Up & Away, where he’s been experimenting with different records for his core fans and his new ones. So far, he’s worked with notable names like Pharrell and is looking to go bigger for his major label debut. Ink and his manager, DJ Ill Will, swung by the XXL offices to discuss his first ever Summer Jam appearance, the progress of his next album, and why fans aren’t attracted to a manufactured artist.—Eric Diep (@E_Diep)

XXL: You’re going to be on the Summer Jam stage this year. What’s that going to be like?
Kid Ink: Summer Jam, for me, it’s crazy just being on the festival stage, it’s still equally as big as the main stage. It’s dope because I’m the only West Coast artist on that stage out of all these New York guys and I get to really be out there on stage, really showing off and having fun. It’s the first time for something I’ve just always heard about, I’ve never even attended one before.

So you’ve got a deal with RCA. What have you seen so far with them as a major label that shows you they can take you to the next level.
I’ve definitely seen the acknowledgement. People give me more of a chance to prove something to them. It’s just more opportunity. It’s a good place to be in because that’s where I wanted to be before I signed the deal. When I did the independent album, the whole goal was to just prove everything that we could do so that the label would only want to put steroids on it and just help in the areas where we really were missing something. Everything is kind of the same, just a little bit more work. But it’s all work I was looking forward to.

You’ve said that your next project is about 45-percent done. How’s it coming along?
I think that the problem with me is [that] I like to give records away. If I’m ever just sitting on records— where it’s just hooks or just ideas and I feel like they could fit for someone else—I always give those records out and never sit on something for too long. With that, I’ve lost songs, gained records and just recreated and recreated. But it’s definitely still looking good. I just want to make sure the album is perfect. I feel like right now, it’s a brand new group of fans that I’m opening up to after I signed the deal, and that kind of put me back in that process from when I first started independently, where I feel like I have to show myself and prove myself to a lot of new fans as well as my core fans. I have the records that I know my core fans are gonna love. Right now, I’m just focusing on the records that will represent me to new ears.

You have a big social media presence. How have you managed to build your staying power?
Really just working. Really feeling like you have to outwork your competition. If it’s somebody you see doing something that you look up to, you have to feel like you’re doing just as much or even more. In this day and age, you definitely have to keep the momentum going because there are a lot of people out there that are not very consistent. The consistency and the quality are keys for me. I just have fun doing stuff like shooting videos and new songs. I never really get sold on old records, so it’s a good problem for me to always want to keep doing new things.

What was the biggest change you felt after your appearance on the XXL 2012 Freshman Cover?
The first thing was just a bigger backing from the city. I was the only person on the cover from the city, so just a lot more backing from the radio and the club scene out there and everything. From there, it definitely just opened everyone else’s eyes to me, including the label situations. The offers got bigger after that. And it was just great to be on a cover, and it’s still the only cover I’ve ever been on.

What can you say about the class right now?
For me, honestly, the class right now, the biggest difference is just…I feel like the last issue—the biggest thing I am excited about—it was a slept-on issue. Because people were so questionable about it. There were so many artists on there that have never had a top 10 Billboard record. We were a little more mainstream than people probably saw. And some of them still running the streets. I feel like with this cover, it’s a little bit less about that and more about hip-hop and the hipster movement. It’s a little bit more underground and about the core fans. That’s where I started; I think that’s pretty dope.

You were always repping LA. Have you connected with any of the younger guys out there?
It’s definitely respect with all of the artists. I don’t have any artists out in L.A. that I haven’t really connected with, that haven’t shown any love or respect. Mostly, I’ve been in the studio with YG and DJ Mustard. They’ve been killing the streets, Mustard has been going hard. He’s someone that’s always easy to get into the studio and work with and always has new material. Mustard is crazy. Besides that, I’ve really just been focusing on the album, and it’s crazy because L.A. is such a good place right now. The West Coast is really busy and everyone is just out and doing shows and on the road. It’s just dope to see everybody doing everything and it’s cool that everybody acknowledges it.

You and Mustard have done a lot of work in the past. He recently got signed to Roc Nation. How do you feel about that?
I thought that was dope. He had mentioned it prior to the situation and I didn’t know what was going to happen. Then I saw it and it hit him up to congratulate him and everything. His response was, “Yep, I’ve got a new project, a new record, let’s work.” And that’s always what I like to hear. Straight to work.

You said something about how when you’re making an album you don’t want to ride the coattails of others by having a lot of features. On this upcoming album, are you staying on that course?
I’m in the middle on that. Like I said, when I have the new fans that I have to prove myself to, I still feel like on this first project I have to give them more Kid Ink just because it’s a bunch of brand new eyes. At the same time, with the major label situation and just my core fans knowing that I can make some features happen and wanting different features to happen, I’m looking more into what’s being asked for and what’s brand new. I’m definitely going to have some new, different features. Not just the regular, expected. I’m not gonna have a record with the same features that someone else has on a record for the radio at the same time. As long as I can keep it different and out of the norm, I’ll definitely have a couple just to make it exciting for my core fans.

Ill Will, you’ve worked with Kid Ink since 2010. What’s your relationship like?
DJ Ill Will: Technically, I am his manager. It’s a different relationship. It’s almost like a Batman and Robin situation, where without him I wouldn’t be as successful as I am and without me, he wouldn’t be as successful as he is. Like he’s through and through an artist. He lives and breathes music, doesn’t answer his phone, doesn’t handle any business, doesn’t have any fucking idea what’s going on behind the scenes.

So it’s almost like a perfect relationship where I am his advisor to help him make the right decisions and put him in the right situations. He’s just going to be himself and be the artist his fans want to see. It’s almost like a perfect relationship for us because I don’t have to creatively involve myself to be Kid Ink. Kids want that in itself. They want Kid Ink. They don’t want a manufactured Kid Ink. It’s kind of a beautiful relationship.

Ink: It’s crazy too because, like he said, they don’t want a manufactured Kid Ink. In the beginning, a lot of people tried to push it like Ill Will is doing this. Forcing this and making this happen. He didn’t make that. It was like I still had to go in and make the music and still write those songs. Of course, there are different relationships that he had and different features he can pull, but at the same time I still had to write and create those records. You know, still get into the studio with those people and just keep myself in a humbling point. But I don’t trip on anybody’s opinion. You got to be creative.

Previously: Download Kid Ink’s New Mixtape, Rocketshipshawty

The post Kid Ink Talks About His RCA Debut And Why Fans Don’t Want A Manufactured Artist appeared first on XXL.

LA native Kid Ink is set to perform on May 6 at the Gramercy Theatre. XXL is giving fans the chance to win a pair of free concert tickets to one Kid’s upcoming shows.

The first person to correctly answer the trivia question below and email their answer to XXL@harris-pub.com with “Kid Ink XXL Ticket Giveaway” in the email title will win tickets to Kid Ink’s show for May 6th in New York City. The contest will end on May 3.

Question: What campaign and with what non-profit corporation did Kid Ink join this March?

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The countdown has officially started for Hot 97’s Summer Jam. The biggest festival in hip-hop is a little different this year. It will mark the 20th anniversary of the East Coast-based concert.

Today, we get the line-up for the Festival Village stage, which is the prelude to the main show. Artists who will be gracing the stage will be Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson, A$AP Ferg, Smoke DZA, Bodega Bamz, Troy Ave, Kid Ink and Vinny Chase will be joined by 2013 Who’s Next Battle winner Radmiz.

Summer Jam 2013 is set to kick off on June 2 at Met Life Stadium. You can purchase tickets here.

[via MissInfo]

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Kid Ink originally had this beat produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League for his latest mixtape, Rocketshipshawty. According to 2DopeBoyz, Machine Gun Kelly ended up purchasing the instrumental to use for his song “See My Tears.” Still, the RCA Records signee let loose “Full Speed” that’s about his fast-rise to the top. Listen below.

[via 2DopeBoyz]

The post Kid Ink Heads to The Top With His New Song “Full Speed” appeared first on XXL.

In celebration of his newly inked deal with RCA Records, L.A.-based rapper Kid Ink re-released his single “Bad Ass” off his latest mixtape, Rocketshipshawty. This time, he brings his MMG cohorts Wale and Meek Mill for the official remix. The clip, which we showed some exclusive photos of the videoshoot, features the trio hanging around hot firewomen and more. Check out the video above.

Previously: Download Kid Ink’s New Mixtape, Rocketshipshawty

The post Kid Ink ft. Meek Mill & Wale “Bad A**” [Video] appeared first on XXL.

Photography By:  S Dot B Photography and Born Original

Kid Ink is putting the finishing touches on his new video for “Bad Ass.” After announcing his signing with RCA Records, the 2012 XXL Freshman wanted to up the ante by enlisting MMG superstars Wale and Meek Mill.

We were able to get our hands on exclusive photos from their videoshoot last week that features them surrounded by fire backdrops. Behind the direction is Alex Nazari. Check back next week for the video when it officially drops.

You can also purchase “Bad Ass” on iTunes.

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While talking with his hometown radio station Power 106 recently, RCA signee Kid Ink says he’s got a session with Pharrell coming up, and hopes to work with Alicia Keys, too.

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