Finesse2tymes – 2023 XXL Freshman
- GOV'T NAME: Ricky Hampton
- AGE: 31
- REPPIN': Memphis
- TWITTER: @1finesse2tymes
- INSTAGRAM: @1finesse2tymes
- TIKTOK: @1finesse2tymes1
- NOTABLE RELEASES: Songs: “Back End,” “If You Still Wit Me” featuring Lil Baby, “Get Even”; Mixtapes: Hustle & Flow, Goin’ Straight In, Federal 4 Real Free Finesse, 90 Days, 90 Days Later (Deluxe); Guest Appearances: Gucci Mane’s “Gucci Flow,” Juicy J’s “Be Careful” and “Work Out”
- LABEL: Mob Ties/Bread Gang/Atlantic
- CURRENTLY WORKING ON: Untitled project due this year.
- WHO ELSE SHOULD BE PART OF THIS YEAR'S CLASS: “Big Homiie G and Sett. Big Homiie G, he’s Bread Gang, N Less. And Sett, he’s 1017. They was popping up and coming. They got the streets boiling.”
- INFLUENCED BY: “Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, Kevin Gates. I really never met a lot of rappers to be able to say that they inspire me because I have to literally meet people in person to be able to judge them. I can’t judge you off of what nobody said or what I seen on social media, none of this s**t. So, I judge people off energy, my energy, what I feel about ’em.”
- AS A FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL: “I actually got locked up my freshman year. I was 15 years old. I got tried as an adult. I got bound over for some aggravated robberies when I was 15. So, my freshman year started off like I ain’t never seen a high school. The person that I was? I don’t know. I don’t want to be too thuggish, but at the same time, I can say I probably would of... Where I went is what was supposed to happen.”
And it kind of showed me where things were going, how fast things were going and it kind of helped me maneuver. It kind of helped me on learning who I was and who I was becoming. So, it was life changing. Put it like that. It was like knowing that when you get to XXL, this is the thing when we was [reading] in jail. This [is the] s**t that we can’t wait to come out ’cause we want to see who the new rappers is and who the new, you know what I’m sayin’?
So, to know all the guys back in, all the good guys back in the can, they going to see this s**t, and they’re going to be like, “Damn, my guy. Same guys I was just with, eating noodles and s**t with.” [I was] locked down with like them guys, you know what I’m sayin’? So, I liked it. I feel good about that.
[When the cover comes out] I ain’t thought about [how I plan to celebrate] yet. I’ve been working so hard that celebrating ain’t even been like my priority. I’m [31], so throughout my life, I’ve been locked up 15 years. I don’t see a lot of birthdays and Christmases and Thanksgivings, and them days was regular to me in jail. So, them the days that were kind of traumatizing and depressing. But since you put it on my agenda, I might have to do something when it comes out.”
Watch Finesse2tymes' 2023 XXL Freshman Freestyle
Finesse2tymes spent a great deal of his life behind bars—half of his life to be exact. His circumstances built character, embedded vigilance within himself and a demeanor that's tough like teflon. After being released from prison, he kicked his rapping aspirations into full gear. The Memphis native had already gained momentum in his hometown, but it was tracks like “Back End,” “If You Still Wit Me” featuring Lil Baby and “Get Even” that earned him attention and acclaim, not to mention his entrancing southern drawl and distinct pronunciations. All that leads up to this moment: Finesse's 2023 XXL Freshman freestyle.
2023 XXL Freshman Finesse2tymes, 31, has a story to tell, in which he utilizes nostalgia to the fullest extent. In his freestyle, the rapper takes it back to elementary and high school days, where beating your hand on the lunchroom table to create the vibe for a freestyle was the primary way to spit in front of peers. For Finesse, he grabs a nearby stool and beats upon the top of it with his fist, adding depth to the imagery he's created within his rhymes.
"The labels didn't want nothin' to do with me/Say I'm a gangsta, I'm a liability/Every time I turn around, nigga tryna get on, so they rap about killin' me/Expressin' my feelings to b***hes when I was locked up, but they still wasn't feelin' me/They were callin' it jail talk/They were handlin' me like I fell off/Now it's water on me/All the way to my feet/Now it's water on me, all the way to me feet, when I'm walkin' in it like I sailed off," he spits.
Finesse2tymes then name-drops Iggy Azalea and Ice-T's wife, Coco Austin. "Yesterday, I was feigning for a White b***h/Had me tryin' to knock Iggy Azalea off/Threw the missile at Coco or somethin'/Ice on my T, so I know she gon' f**k with me/Kicked her straight out the spot/I ain't got no feelings/B***hes thinkin' I box, I don't kick it/You don't get it," he raps.
Touching on his social media spectators, Finesse wastes no time calling out those individuals, along with women who have been seeking his attention and vice versa. "The n***as like donations/B***hes wanna see me like she got me on probation/Police-ass n***as, they stalkin' my pages/They want me under investigation/They'll see you do better and that make ’em hate ya/Won't even tell you congratulations/I'm a boss, but I don't give out applications/I don't f**k with nobody, I'm masturbatin'/Whether I rock a Finesse set, the baguette set, Vapor Maxes, I'm doing it/I just landed in first class, she was bad, so I pulled off with the stewardess," he raps.
Finesse2tymes has the streets, clubs, car and bluetooth speakers, and more on lock with his breakout singles. He's also offered several mixtapes, such as Hustle & Flow, Goin’ Straight In, Federal 4 Real Free Finesse, 90 Days and the deluxe to the aforementioned effort, 90 Days Later. This is only the beginning, though, as rapping is a craft Finesse2tymes takes seriously. In less than a year, he's elevated while putting on his home team as well as the men he was incarcerated with. He's proof of perseverance and defying the odds.
As he prepares to drop several new tracks this summer, and release his debut album by the end of the year, watch Finesse2tymes spit over 60 seconds worth of bars in his 2023 XXL Freshman freestyle below.
Watch Finesse2tymes' 2023 XXL Freshman ABCs
Finesse2tymes seemingly prioritizes two things in his everyday life: family and money. The rising Memphis rapper has made a name for himself through his unique cadence and matter-of-fact rhymes centered on his environment, past encounters, cash and fame. The Mob Ties/Bread Gang/Atlantic Records signee had already captured the streets' attention, but transcended across regions, garnering radio play with his 2022 hit "Back End," which was recently certified gold. Finesse has a long way from the troubled life he speaks candidly of and also shows glimpses of on his social media—primarily his time in prison, which spanned over 15 years. however, has entered into a new space with his success, one that he gave a front row seat into in his XXL ABCs.
Diving right into it, Finesse2tymes goes for advice when it comes to the letter A. "I would say advice because that's what I seek," he says. "I seek for advice. I like to give advice." Expectedly, Finesse chose cash for the letter C, but opted for self-reflection and selected doubt when it came to the letter D. "Sometimes we doubt ourselves and sometimes I doubt myself. I feel like that's one of my flaws."
Giving a look into his vulnerable side, Finesse dedicates the letter G to his grandmother. "That's my favorite lady," he says. Then when I comes, Finesse happily states he's incredible, patting himself on the back because of the type of person, father and artist he is. For J, he calls out janky promoters, and also shows a bit of self-awareness, using no for N. "That's what I gotta start telling people," he expresses. "I'm tired of saying yes. No."
Watch Finesse2tymes share his likes, dislikes, some of the favorite people in his life and more in XXL's ABCs below.
Watch 2023 XXL Freshman Class Revealed
See the 2023 XXL Freshman Class
More From XXL
