• Gov't Name: Johnathan Porter
  • Age: 22
  • Reppin': Los Angeles
  • Twitter: @bluefacebleedem
  • Instagram: @bluefacebleedem
  • Notable Releases: Singles: “Thotiana,” “Stop Cappin,” “Bleed It,” “Respect My Cryppin’”; EPs: Famous Cryp, Two Coccy; Guest Appearances: G-Eazy’s “West Coast,” French Montana’s “Slide”
  • Label: Cash Money West/Republic
  • Currently Working On: Buss Down EP due this summer.
  • Surprised About Who Is Missing: “No.”
  • Influenced by: Girls, gang-bangin’. Just being broke. Now I’m rich. Money, cars, clothes. Shit, I done did and that I want to do. It’s kind of like therapy.”
  • As a Freshman in High School: I was lit. I wasn’t popular, but I had cool friends, so it was lit. My favorite subject was lunch time.”

TRUTH ON BEING AN XXL FRESHMAN: “[I found out I was going to be a Freshman when] my manager called and told me. It’s lit [being an XXL Freshman]. It’s another thing I can add to my catalog. Another thing off of my to-do list. I’m grateful and accomplished. I think it’ll add to what I got to offer, what I’ve done, where I been, you know, build my résumé.

I don’t think [the XXL Freshman cover] is something you have to do. I think it’s there for marketing, promotion and stuff like that. A whole new audience is going to see you, what you got going, your face, who you are. For some people, that’s all it really takes for them to be a fan or tap in. It’s good marketing and promotion. It’s going to draw you in as soon as you see me. When people hear me rap, they are just going to be curious. Shit, like that helps out my career a lot.

I knew I was going to make [the 2019 XXL Freshman list]. Everybody knows I’m going to make it. [When my family found out that I was a 2019 XXL Freshman] they were happy because they supported. When fans see [that I am a 2019 XXL Freshman] I think they are going to feel proud to be a fan and they going to appreciate me more and probably defend me more. You know, I be needing a lot of defending.

It means a lot [being an XXL Freshman] my first year in the game. [My favorite part of my first year in the game was] making a million dollars. Going from worrying about money to not worrying about money. It’s all unreal. It’s hard to take in. That’s been the best part.

Also splurging, buying shit I’ve always wanted, clothes that I always wanted as a kid. You know every kid got shit that they always wanted and they couldn’t get. Right now, I’m in the phase of just buying the stuff I couldn’t buy when I didn’t have it. I’m just enjoying the ride. I got my hands up.

[My favorite part of the 2019 XXL Freshman experience was] probably the photoshoot. I couldn’t tell you my favorite year. Shit, they was all lit. They was all the wave at the time. I feel like everybody [who is a 2019 XXL Freshman] is good for a good song. You know, it’s a lot of artists to where it’s like, as long as we consistently make one good song the wave is just going to keep going. I couldn’t say that I stuck with somebody. I do have a song with YK Osiris.

What stands out about me the most? Probably my chains. I don’t know. I’m unique. I’m myself. I’m funny. Shit, I don’t know. I really don’t.”

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BLUEFACE'S 2019 XXL FRESHMAN INTERVIEW

There hasn’t been many things Cardi B and Nicki Minaj have been able to agree on lately. One thing the two hip-hop queens have been able to see eye-to-eye on is that Blueface’s hit song “Thotiana” is one of the hottest records of 2019. Peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, the Scum Beatz-produced single spawned several other remixes and established the emerging rapper as the next big thing in hip-hop.

Prior to becoming one of the hottest new acts in the game, Blueface, who began his rap career in 2017, had already delivered two projects before securing his spot in the 2019 XXL Freshman class: 2018’s Famous Cryp and the EP Too Coccy. Carefree in his approach to crafting his music, the 22-year-old rapper has drawn comparisons to legends like E-40 and Juvenile due to the off-kilter flow that finds him rapping against the current of whatever beat he’s on.

“I knew I was going to be a 2019 XXL Freshman,” this year's 10th spot winner admits in his 2019 XXL Freshman interview. A former college football player, Blueface has had a rookie season that has included accomplishments such as going viral, co-signs from the likes of Drake and Quavo, collaborations with G-Eazy ("West Coast") and French Montana ("Slide"), a gold plaque ("Thotiana") and a record deal with Cash Money West.

Hailing from Los Angeles, he credits his hometown with shaping his swagger. “I feel like that has a lot of influence on my slang, the way I dress, my pieces and all of that,” says the rapper behind records such as “Bleed It” and “Dead Locs.”

Motivated by success, Blueface has also found inspiration in making his fans proud. Thankful for their support, he deems living up to their expectations as “the ultimate goal.” “Me and my fans, we gonna go up,” the rhymer affirms. “They gonna want to defend me more, because you know I need a lot of defending these days, because I have a lot of haters.”

Blueface is currently headlining the Buss Down tour and prepping the release of his project of the same name. Although he’s content with his position in the game, he envisions a life of leisure when looking to the future. “Ten years from now, I see myself in a crazy mansion [with] probably about 10 bitches," he continues, “I’ll just get to sit at home and hang with the bitches all day.”

See what else Blueface has to say about being a 2019 XXL Freshman in the video above.

See Photos of Blueface Behind the Scenes at the 2019 XXL Freshman Cover Shoot

BLUEFACE'S ABCs

Hard work has paid off for Blueface. The 2019 XXL Freshman became one of the most buzzed about artists of 2019, following the success of his hit song “Thotiana.” He's kept the momentum going with singles like “Stop Cappin,” the Rich The Kid-assisted “Daddy” and “Bussdown” with Offset and by adding his unique flare to tracks from French Montana, G-Eazy and newcomer NLE Choppa. “I feel like I’m the sole inspiration for my come up,” Blueface says in his 2019 XXL Freshman interview. Aside from boasting about the position he rightfully earned, this year’s 10th spot winner pulled up for XXL’s ABCs.

Always repping for his side, the native of Los Angeles makes multiple references to his hometown. “A is for avenue,” says Blueface as he begins his ABCs. “Longwood Avenue to be exact.” He also shows the West more love when he nears the end of the alphabet, calling out “West” once reaching the letter W.

Now accustomed to the Cash Money lifestyle, Blueface, who dropped a cool million dollars on a house earlier this year, expects the finer things in life, like car service and fancy watches. So it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the “Bleed It” rapper chooses "Rolex" for the letter R and “valet” for V. With his mind on his mula, the 22-year-old, who says the letter M represents “money,” jokes that the letter N is for “No, you can’t have no money.”

Having gone viral for Crip Walking, the Famous Cryp has made his affiliations very clear. When coming across the third letter in the alphabet, Blueface, a member of the notorious California-rooted gang says, “C is for Crips.”

Watch up top as Blueface, who is currently headlining his first tour, gives his take on the ABCs.

BLUEFACE, YBN CORDAE AND RICO NASTY'S 2019 XXL FRESHMAN CYPHER

California and Maryland are about as far away from each other on the U.S. map as two states can be, but for 2019 XXL Freshmen Rico Nasty (Largo, Md.), Blueface (Los Angeles) and YBN Cordae (Suitland, Md.), hip-hop is the tie that binds.

The trio were grouped together for the cypher and roundtable segments of the Freshmen process and appeared to share a friendly chemistry despite never working together. The quickly-established unity makes for an interesting cypher round.

Rico Nasty, donning menacing face paint and a Louis Vuitton scarf, takes the plate first, spitting at a dizzying pace over the dreamy up-tempo D-Fresh-produced instrumental DJ Scheme is spinning.

“I ain’t never asked for a handout, but I came up now everybody got they hand out/I just got my truck matte red with the five percent tint and the rims blacked out,” she snaps. “Every nigga round me going to black out/Put the pussy on a nigga, make him tap out/Just say where and my nigga pop out/If you don’t get the picture, they gon’ carve you out.”

Blue and Cordae jokingly bust out The Woah dance in the background while she goes off.

YBN Cordae gets a beat switch for his turn up to bat, which is slightly slower. The GRAND-produced beat gives the “Bad Idea” rapper a chance to get his bars off loud and clear while Blue punctuates the rhymes with ad-libs. Cordae even cleverly finds a way to sprinkle both of his cypher partners’ name into his raps.

“Dump my old bitch ’cause she was too basic/Now my girl claiming that I’m too racist/’Cause I don’t really like green, only blue faces,” he spits. “Whole outfit new to the shoelaces/They say that he so classy, but I just want to be poppin’ like Rico Nasty.”

Blueface tags in last and swags over the track with his satisfyingly unorthodox flow. “Double XL, just went stupid/If he trippin’, he fallin', stupid/Drop-top Martin, no Lawrence, my shit roofless/I need a Kim Possible to play with my Rufus,” the "Thotiana" rapper rhymes. “Famous crip, if I pull up, then she blue it/Hate to be my ex because she salty like some Lucas/No time for nonsense, I need a deposit/I wanted to be rich instead of regular, so I left college."

Yeah, aight.

Watch Rico Nasty, Blueface and YBN Cordae’s 2019 XXL Freshman Cypher above.

BLUEFACE, YBN CORDAE AND RICO NASTY'S 2019 XXL FRESHMAN ROUNDTABLE INTERVIEW

The XXL Freshman process can feel like an “I made it” moment, with a full day of interviews, photoshoots and more interviews, the likes that some artists in the class have yet to previously experience. Rico NastyBlueface and YBN Cordae are grateful to have been inducted into the 2019 XXL Freshman class, but they refuse to rest on their laurels.

The trio, who also participated in the cypher together, are additionally tag-team partners in the roundtable discussion. They seem to enjoy the collaborative aspect of the day. “It’s really just dope, more so seeing the other Freshmen, because, like, I’m still a fan, at the end of the day, of the XXL Freshman class and of the artists as well," says YBN Cordae. "So, it’s really dope to like, ‘Oh shit, he’s on it.’ So, it’s really dope, just to mingle with everybody and get vibe.”

Rico Nasty adds, “Every year, [XXL] really points out whose been poppin' big shit throughout the year; creatively, fashion-wise. All the artists have one component or all of them, and that shit is like super fire seeing everybody get together.”

The situation causes Cordae to recall a previous time meeting Rico. “It’s a crazy coming of age moment,” he recalls. “I was in the studio with Rico like three years ago. We was going to the same studio, like three to four years ago. This is when she was like poppin' locally and I was just like 200 followers. I was on some fan shit. Then just to see her increase like every year and we both on here this year, it’s gon’ mean a lot for Maryland and the whole DMV.”

Blueface, who along with Roddy Ricch and Lil Mosey are the West Coast representers of the 2019 XXL Freshman class, brings up the significance earning a coveted spot.

“Y’all been doing this for years,” he says. “So, it’s good to be a part of the history, get your foot in. Hopefully, we stay in.”

Along with the benefits of earning a spot (Blueface: “More watches, more chains, more bitches, more money, more sneakers”), Rico admits there is some pressure to being one of the chosen ones.

“It feels like everything you do now has to be double-XL, you know, triple-XL,” she adds. “You gotta be big. You gotta go big or go home from here on out.”

Check out Rico Nasty, Blueface and YBN Cordae’s 2019 XXL Freshman roundtable discussion above.

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