Kali – 2022 XXL Freshman

KALI'S 2022 XXL FRESHMAN FREESTYLE

Never judge a rhyme book by its cover and never underestimate the power of a strong woman with a inimitable work ethic on her way to getting the bag. Twenty-one-year-old Atlanta rhymer Kali is the personification of both of those sentiments, and she drives that point all the way home in her 2022 XXL Freshman freestyle.

2022 XXL Freshman Kali’s blend of feminine-yet-hard raps and witty wordplay is evident in her Freshman freestyle. She packs it all into a calculated, even-keeled cadence. The Toxic Chocolate rhymer wants all the smoke while looking glamorous with natural dreads she’s been growing since age 14, and rocking her iced-out, signature "Kali" chain.

"Double X-L my body, they want me to slide in this bitch/Don’t bring your hoe around me ’cause I might slide in your bitch," Kali spits, acknowledging her 2022 XXL Freshman status. "Shit, if she lucky, he want to fuck, too, so she better not trust me/500K and it’s stuffed in a duffy/It’s been five days and he sayin’ he love me/That nigga ain’t fuck, he barely hugged me."

From there, the California-born, Atlanta-bred spitter switches up the flow completely. She continues, "Running shit from Cali to the A/Real estate, I put bitches in they place/Why brag when it’s all in they face?/I need a scammer, B-O-A to Chase/Real shooter, when he spray, it ain’t mace/Bitch say I’m ugly, she must be laced, no Arrogant Tae/No bitch better, I’m arrogant, bae/That’s why he just shut up and do what I say."

In a world where things like social media influence and physical appearance often take precedent over talent, Kali is clear that it starts with the bars for her. The rap game isn’t just a vehicle for other avenues of success. That mentality, mixed with a flow that has been refined throughout most of her life is the exact recipe Kali cooked up in order to land a spot in the 2022 XXL Freshman Class.

Kali's been rapping since she was 12 years old. When she was in the fifth grade, the then-tween wanted her own room, but the only other available spot in the house was the one in which her stepfather used to make beats. With her request, her pops hit her with a hip-hop proposition: write and record a bunch of songs and the room was hers. She completed the challenge within a month, no longer had to share a room with her sibling and the rest is hip-hop history.

Just about a decade later, Kali is signed to Atlantic Records and released her new Toxic Chocolate EP this year. Songs like "Eat It Up" featuring BIA and "UonU" with Yung Bleu showcase her elevation. Now, she's a member of the 2022 XXL Freshman Class and has officially begun cementing her legacy in the rap game.

Peep Kali’s Freshman freestyle, powered by Puma, in the video below.

—Joey Echevarria

KALI'S ABCs

KALI, COCHISE, BABYFACE RAY AND BABYTRON'S 2022 XXL FRESHMAN CYPHER

During the 2022 XXL Freshman shoot in Atlanta this past May, selected artists were tasked with stepping up to the plate and leaving no crumbs behind by the time everything was said and done. The quad of Kali, Cochise, Babyface Ray and BabyTron did just that in their cypher. Fusing for a track strong enough to go platinum, the layered artists prove here that the only time they fold is when it comes to the dead presidents in their pockets.

The beat is laced by multiplatinum-selling producer Wheezy Outta Here. Offering his usual brand of romantic trap, the Grammy award-winning talent utilizes a combination of chordophone and woodwind instruments for the melody, along with a turbulent drum kit to match. Additionally, the foundation, best described by the viral clip of Future saying "sensational," is, of course, equipped with his standout producer tag, which came from an old studio session with Pluto and Young Thug.

Thanks to Georgia's own Kali, things couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. Talking greasy, she uses an array of flows to detail her player mentality when it comes to having prospects and authentic motion in the rap game. "Niggas only hard to they homeboys/Niggas only hard to that weak-ass bitch/Flashin' them guns in the videos, and don't even know how to load up a switch/I ain’t even havin' no sneaky link, ’cause a nigga gon' brag on the shit," she spits.

Next is Florida's own Cochise, who's typically known for his high-pitched delivery, zippy cadences and carefree bars that precede his lively ad-libs. He puts all of those on display here. Keeping things fun and truly going off the top, he raps about being in the presence of his day ones and recruiting people’s girlfriends to keep them company. "OK, excuse me, got your shawty she loosie/I slap on her booty/She show me the boobies/And all of my niggas we getting some cuties, OK," he rhymes.

Third up is the respected Detroit rhymer Babyface Ray. Prevailing with his signature conversational flow, ’Face flexes about staying true to himself from an infant. Despite always having special qualities, he expresses that, nowadays, he has juice on tap, flexing, "Face yo' baby, face her, baby, drive her crazy/New Mercedes, huggin' me good the new 580/Blue 500, done made 500, just call me the greatest/From nothin' to somethin', now I’m a stunna like Weezy and Baby."

Rounding things out is another Michigan native, BabyTron. He opts to go a cappella, emphasizing his caption-worthy bars about being a savage-hearted hustler who gets to the bag by any means while also being quick to put his enemies in one. "Play with us or one of mines, be done left y'all/Why you playin'? Once it's up, you can’t press pause/Sonic to the blues, get to runnin' like the hedgehog/Catch ’em in a Off-White tee, get ’em X'd off," he raps.

Talk about ending the Freshman rollout on a high note.

Watch Kali, Cochise, Babyface Ray and BabyTron’s 2022 XXL Freshman Cypher

—Kemet High