2013 XXL Freshman Class

Are you ready for Oxymoron? Last night, 2013 Freshman class member ScHoolboy Q was performing at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California and blessed the crowd with a live leak off his upcoming major label debut. The dark sounding track is presumably titled, "Gangsta...

It felt like just yesterday that Trinidad Jame$ exploded onto the scene with “All Gold Everything.” Off the strength of the song—which originally appeared on his mixtape Don’t Be S.A.F.E.—he was able to get a Def Jam deal reportedly for $2 million. Now, the ATL rapper has rece...

Joey Bada$$ and the Pro Era take it back to school in their new video off PEEP: The aPROcalypse. “School High” finds the crew goofing off in class and the school bus. There are also some wavy animations to go with the song’s laid-back atmosphere. Watch the vi...

It's time for the XXL Freshmen mixtape. This year, the 2013 XXL Freshmen Mixtape with DJ Drama Gangsta Grillz Special Edition features 17 tracks and includes all of the Freshmen. Check it out below and tell us what you think. For anyone looking for individual track downloads, those can be found on DJ Drama's site...

You've seen the Freshmen cyphers and freestyles and now it's time to get to know the Freshmen a little better with the XXL Freshmen Roundtable. XXL Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Satten asks the Freshmen questions about influences, fans, making the cover and where they see themselves in the game...

Tomorrow (April 30), Chance the Rapper will be releasing his long-awaited mixtape, Acid Rap. In an effort to build more anticipation (its working), the Chicago rapper teams up with the self-proclaimed “Top Dawg Under Dog” on “Smoke Again.” This hazy effor...

iPad users click here to watch video People's Champ Dizzy Wright, Maryland's own (and recent Def Jam signee) Logic and Angel Haze go in, way in, for the third episode of the 2013 XXL Freshmen Cyphers. DJ Drama holds down the tables with a beat by Jahlil Beats. ...

Our current XXL Freshman Ab-Soul lyrically did damage in his cypher with Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson and Travi$ Scott. To follow-up, the TDE rapper releases “The End is Near” that features Mac Miller delivering some barbs of his own. Produced b...

iPad users click here to watch video The second episode of the 2013 XXL Freshmen Cyphers features Kirko Bangz, Trinidad Jame$ and ScHoolboy Q. You've seen their XXL Freshmen Freestyles and notable tracks and now you can see how they go in on the cyphers...

2013 XXL Freshman and Def Jam signee Logic blesses his fans by attacking a boom-bap instrumental with thorn-studded bars on "Nasty." (He's "nasty" with his lines, get it?) As an homage to the art of rapping about rapping, the Visionary Music Group poster child takes his fans on a trip throughout New York City's signature terrains to lash out his braggadocios manifesto... Read M

Tickets are now available for the Los Angeles leg of XXL's Freshman Live 2013 concert series. On Saturday May 18, two of the most acclaimed members of XXL's Freshman Class of 2013 will rock Los Angeles' Club Nokia as a part of XXL's Freshman Live 2013 tour. The performance wi...

iPad users click here to watch video Ab-Soul, Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$ and Travi$ Scott go off in the first episode of 2013 XXL Freshmen Cyphers. You've seen their XXL Freshmen Freestyles and notable tracks and now it's time to see what they're made of in the cyphers...