Every day this week and next week, the folks over at XXL will be rolling out a freestyle and a profile from each of this year’s Freshman class. After kicking it off on Monday with Fetty Wap, we’ve since gotten DeJ Loaf’s bars, and now Vince Staples and Raury. Check out their clips below!
2014 XXL Freshman Jarren Benton Reveals Tracklist For “Slow Motion” EP
2014 XXL Freshman Jarren Benton has been quiet since the magazine’s cover and cypher release, but he’s back with a vengeance. The Funk Volume member has released the first single “W.H.W.,” featuring Sy Ari Da Kid off of his upcoming Slow Motion EP. We can expect to hear guest appearances from Dizzy Wright, SwizZz and the newly retired and flown to Australia rapper, Hopsin. Hit the jump for the eight-track listing and more.
Wow, Guess Which Former XXL Freshman Says He’s Quitting Rap!
After being named as one of the XXL Freshman in 2012 alongside Danny Brown, Machine Gun Kelly, Macklemore, French Montana, Future, Kid Ink, Don Trip, Iggy Azalea and Roscoe Dash, L.A.-based rapper Hopsin went on to have a moderately successful career. It was much more on an underground level, but he consistently toured and put out solid projects, just not on such a mainstream level like some of his classmates. (Save for Don Trip and kind of Roscoe Dash…this may be the most successful class yet!) Unfortunately, the cutthroat rap game may have proved to be too much for Hopsin, and he took to his Facebook account last night to announce his indefinite retirement.
(Video) REVOLT Presents: ‘A True Story’ With Kevin Gates
Louisiana’s “Pick of Da Litter,” Kevin Gates has been making moves for a while now. However, “mainstream” media hadn’t really picked up on the New Orleans-borm artist until making XXL’s freshman list. Now, By Any Means — his latest mixtape — has given him a much bigger push. If you ask him yourself, this ordeal is nothing but a creative outlet to him: the bi-product of a self diagnosis. “I suffer from unresolved grief, so I have to record. That’s why I make music. I just allow the beat to play in, you can’t think a feeling.” See for yourself after the jump.
Troy Ave Addresses Game’s Notorious “Bigger Than Me”
No intro needed. You should know who Troy Ave is. If not, hit the search bar on this very site… In the meantime, if you haven’t heard Game’s “Bigger Than Me,” know that he had some choice words for XXL’s freshman class. Check Troy Ave’s response after the jump.
(Video) XXL Freshman Roundtable – Troy Ave, Lil Bibby, Jarren Benton & Jon Connor [Part 3]
This year’s XXL freshman have been diverse and controversial to say the least. XXL has created a platform for upcoming hotness to show off and their skills and the hard work shows. During part one of the roundtable chat Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa, Kevin Gates, Isaiah Rashad and August Alsina talk about being selected for the cover, performing in front of large crowds and much more. Part 2 involves Ty Dolla $ign, Rich Homie Quan and Lil Durk as they discuss the blending of Hip Hop and R&B and now, part three. Troy Ave, Lil Bibby, Jarren Benton and Jon Connor talk their mark as XXL freshman and more. Check it out down bottom.
