Every year, the annual XXL Freshman cover creates a huge buzz, opening the door to much debate about whether these coveted 10 (now up to 12) artists deserve the spotlight as “the next big thing.” Since its inception in 2008, the cover has become bigger and bigger, now being practically a rite of passage for new artists in the game. Check out my breakdown of each class below and the covers in the gallery – and then give us your opinions in the comments and on Twitter! Can’t wait to hear what you guys think!
Guess Who Was Supposed To Be On The XXL Freshmen Cover But Cancelled At The Last Minute!
This year’s XXL Freshmen cover was revealed yesterday, with the ‘Dirty Dozen’ being Ty Dolla $ign, August Alsina, Chance The Rapper, Rich Homie Quan, Isaiah Rashad, Lil Durk, Kevin Gates, Troy Ave, Vic Mensa, Lil Bibby, Jon Connor and Jarren Benton…the latter of whom was voted in by fans. One person who should have been on the list but cancelled at the very last minute, though? Young Thug! I’ll get into those details in a second…but I’d like to add my little inside info first. I originally received the list before everyone got together to shoot the cover, and there were 10 people listed, as well as one slot that was TBA. The only two missing from that list were Kevin Gates and Chance The Rapper, and judging by the popularity of Chance, I’m going to make an educated guess that Kevin was the last-minute addition. Just a little tidbit! Now on to Young Thug! During her interview with Sway In The Morning this morning, XXL’s Editor in Chief Vanessa Satten revealed the ATL rapper was scheduled to be on the cover, but called 10:30pm the night before the cover shoot and said he wouldn’t be making it. Interesting move! They also discussed other artists who are bubbling right now that didn’t make the cut…like Sage The Gemini (he was left out because he had a major label debut already) and IAMSU!, who they said is likely to be a contender for next year, and broke down why they included singers for the…
NBA: LeBron James, Kevin Durant & More Share Their Favorite Music Artists
We always say it — music & sports go hand in hand. Ever wonder what your favorite NBA players are listening to in their headphones while getting ready for a game?! This list randomly comes out, but now we have an updated list from LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett & more. Check it out…
(Photos) Diddy, A$AP Rocky, Meek Mill, Ashanti, Cassie & More Sport Their Fanciest Furs In Harlem For #MMM
What is MMM? I’m going to assume it means Money Makin’ Mitch, an homage to the 2003 movie Paid In Full – the story of Harlem’s iconic drug dealers Rich Porter, AZ and Alpo. Last night after the Super Bowl, Diddy and his famous friends paraded around in their fur coats, all using the hashtag #MMM, and even spotted filming while stopping at Harlem’s Jumbo’s Hamburger Place (formerly Willie’s Burgers.) All said and done, Diddy had A$AP Rocky, Nelly, French Montana, Jermaine Dupri, Bow Wow, Ashanti, Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, Jadakiss, Rick Ross, Lil Durk and Cassie stuntin’ in their furs for whatever he was doing. “Ima start stuntin on you n*ggas again!” Diddy captioned one photo. “Remember I told you all! You have been warned! It’s Mitch B*tch! Puff Daddy live from NY #MMM Coming soon!” Ooh, we’re getting that 90s Puff back? I’m not mad at that one bit! Check out the pics in the gallery. I’m sure PETA is totally thrilled.
(Video) French Montana BET Hip Hop Awards Vlog!
Coke Boys TV recently released French Montana’s vlog from the BET Hip Hop Awards weekend. To check French out in the studio with Diddy, working on Lil Durk’s “Dis Ain’t What You Want” and more, click below.
(Video) Stalley, Mavado, Uncle Murda, Jim Jones & More Perform At Starfest 2013!!!
The Staten Island Yankee Stadium received amazing performances by some of hip hop’s top lyricists! The Starfest 2013 crowd was kept in constant movement with performances by Ohio native Stalley, reggae’s Movado, BK’s Fab and Uncle Murda , the veteran Jim Jones, French Montana and Lil Durk! Hit the jump for clips of the performances!
