So the XXL Freshmen list for 2013 came out and in terms of talent top to bottom they definitely did 100,000,000,000,000 X 3 times better than last year's list. For those who havn't checked the list yet it's: Ab Soul, Kirko Bangz, Trinidad Jame$, Dizzy Wright, Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson, Angel Haze, Schoolboy Q, Travi$ Scott, Logic, and Chief Keef bang bang. Only person that i'm mad who wasn't on there was Chance the Rapper. And all those people complaining about XV should just accept the fact he will never be on the cover. Now i have no idea what the standards are for making the list. Is it based on talent or ones they think will break through to the mainstream? So they need to get more specific on that so readers understand why choices were made. Right out the gate i never heard of/listened to Angel Haze or Travis Scott so XXL did their job their because now i'm bouta check them out. Plus Angel Haze did an interview with Nardwuar and i know the Human Serviette doesn't fuck with nobodies. Ima try to break it down the best i could now on the other people.
Puzzling choices are Q, Bronsolinio, and Ab Soul because them three are already upperclassmen. They're damn near graduation with the quality of work they've put in and for the time they've been relevant. I mean shit they each got their own tours and shit already. If anything them three should have made it last year. Joey Bada$$, Trinidad James, Chief Keef, and Kirko Bangz definitely blew up in the past year and if that's a qualification for making the list then they fit the bill for sure. Dizzy and Logic both have their loyal fanbases that claim how they're the future of hip hop/top five lyricist in the game right now on every dam one of their youtube videos so they are the internet darlings and if i'm not mistaken Dizzy was the final choice that was voted on. I'm guessing Hopsin voted like a million times because he seems like he has no life. Wassup Hop i don't do anything all day either. That being said other then Kirko and Trinidad and Sosa who already have their feet in radio, the only other one i see with mainstream appeal is Schoolboy and Logic. Schoolboy because he got radio play already with Hands On The Wheel and he seems to be aiming for that radio play. He is going to be the guy that is played at parties that everyone can agree is not a wack motherfucker. Logic because he is white. Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson, and Ab Soul have styles that is not radio friendly and definitely isn't the type to be played in clubs or stuff like that. Plus they already have fanbases that fully support what they do and they don't seem like the guys that would sell out but who knows.
If you guys read my Rap Crews post you already know i fuck with the whole Black Hippy Crew and i think it's significant that each member has been on the cover. Jay Rock never made the splash but Kendrick made up for it. Like i stated earlier i feel Soul Brother #3 will follow his big brother Jay Rock's path while Q goes the road of Kendrick in terms of mainstream recognition. Other ones i fuck with are Bronson, Dizzy Wright, Joey B (although Lil B killed him), and Trinidad James. Now Trinidad is nothing special but c'mon, Females Welcome and All Gold Everything are hilarious. I don't have to speak much on why they're good and if you don't know about them check them out, their material isn't hard to find at all. The three i don't fuck are Chief Keef, Kirko Bangz, and Logic. Chief Keef just is in the wrong place at the wrong time. His shit would be more accepted maybe like 10 years ago when that real gangsters were needed and he has the perfect dumbed down lyrics to go with it. Shit i applaud Sosa for still being alive because living in Chicago automatically lowers your life expectancy. Add to that being black. On top of that being in a gang and on top of that actually being a gangster i'm surprised the kid is still alive. And instead of saving countries all over the world who don't want our help why don't we do something about the 500 murders in Chicago. The place is a warzone it's not like old people are dying, young kids who are the future are the ones getting killed and doing the killing. I don't have a problem with the music he puts out because he has a lane and sticks to it and after all he is just being his hood's reporter which is what Ice Cube was for Compton and Chuck D said rap is CNN for black people. So if anything Chief Keef is bringing light onto the Chicago gang scene. That doesn't mean his stuff is good. Shit is shit and that's what his music is. It's good hype music because honestly who can't bob their head to I Don't Like. But this motherfucker either going to be dead, in prison, or irrelevant in 2 years. Kirko Bangz sucks. I know why they put him on but this dude is just a Drake copycat which is not someone to emulate for respect. Yeah Drank In My Cup got a lot of play last year but if anyone can name another song of his i'd be surprised. I don't know why autotune hooks are still around. I blame Future. Now on to Logic. First impressions mean a lot and the first song i heard from him is All I Do. I swear to god i was waiting for Mac Miller to come on any second because the dude sounds exactly like him style wise. He rapped about the same exact stuff as Mac. He looks like he works at Banana Republic, not that there's anything wrong with that, wassup John. I liked Walk On By way better than the other track but even then it's some generic shit. His flow is actually on point in this one but he isn't saying anything new or mind blowing. I do give the producer props for choosing the samples, i'm feeling them. Then I listened to Young Sinatra III and its right back to fuck this guy. 1 because Freddie Gibbs already killed that beat and 2 "i'm sipping wine while girls undress" was said right after "i'm lucky to be alive." Fuck you. I listened to one other song Tic Tac Toe and yeah i can't listen to this dude. He appeals to the same people that like Mac Miller. So if you like Larry Lovenstein you'll like this Wonderbread wizard.
It looks like XXL really was trying to come back after last years L, Roscoe Dash? It isn't the greatest list they have done but it is up there. I still think the 2010 one was the best so i put this one right behind the 2011 one in terms of number of quantity and quality of people on the cover. I know the 08 and 09 ones had some real dudes on there but that was when they only had like 3 dudes on the cover which i am not complaining if XXL cuts it back down to that number because all these dudes either will not blow up or have already done so. Support good music people. If they're broke they can't do it forever. peace.
Chance The Rapper- Prom Night
Chance The Rapper- 14,400 Minutes
MadGibbs- Shame
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