The Best XXL Freshman Rappers of All Time
In honor of the 2022 XXL Freshman Class being announced, let's take a look at the best XXL Freshman rappers of all time. Since the first 2007 class of up-and-coming rap artists, the annual XXL Freshman Class serves as the most accurate prediction of future hip-hop superstars across the music industry. Over 150 esteemed rappers have joined this prestigious group, including Grammy Award-winning artists Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper, Megan Thee Stallion, Macklemore, J. Cole, and Anderson .Paak. While many of these rappers have broken countless records and continue to sell out concert venues worldwide, some of these rappers passed away too soon and currently rest in power, such as the great Mac Miller, Nipsey Hussle, and Pop Smoke. Their legacies live on forever, and their music will always inspire the next generation of rap's leading talent.
From Big Sean and Logic to Jack Harlow and Latto, vote below for the greatest XXL Freshman rappers of all time, and feel free to check out some of their discography lists afterwards if you'd like to discover more of their incredible music.
XXL Freshman Class: 2011
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most skillful and successful hip hop artists of his ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2010
Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany but raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2007
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( LOO-pay), is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and activist. He rose to fame in 2006 ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2018
Destin Route (born October 31,1990), better known by his stage name J.I.D, is an American rapper and songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records. His debut album, ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2016
Denzel Rae Don Curry (born February 16, 1995) is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Raised in Carol City, Florida, Curry started rapping while in sixth grade and began working on his first ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2019
Cordae Amari Dunston (born August 26, 1997; formerly known as YBN Cordae and Entendre), known mononymously as Cordae, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Cordae gained popularity by ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2016
Brandon Paak Anderson (born February 8, 1986), better known by his stage name Anderson Paak, is an American musician and record producer from Oxnard, California. He released his debut album, O.B.E. ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2013
Sir Robert Bryson Hall II (born January 22, 1990), known by his stage name Logic, is an American rapper. He was born and raised in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He has amassed a large Internet following ...more- 9
XXL Freshman Class: 2009
Olubowale Victor Akintimehin (born September 21, 1984), better known by his stage name Wale ( WAW-lay), is an American rapper. He first rose to prominence in 2006, when his song "Dig Dug (Shake It)" ...more XXL Freshman Class: 2011
Malcolm James McCormick (January 19, 1992 – September 7, 2018), known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ...more- 11
XXL Freshman Class: 2010
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Sean signed with Kanye West's GOOD Music in 2007, Def Jam ...more XXL Freshman Class: 2016
Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is an American rapper known for his mixtapes The Slaughter Tape (2015) and Slaughter King (2015) and his EPs Free ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2011
Justin Lewis Scott (born August 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Big K.R.I.T. (a backronym for King Remembered in Time), is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2014
Chancelor Bennett (born April 16, 1993), better known by his stage name Chance the Rapper, is an American hip hop recording artist from the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. In 2013, he ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2010
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), known professionally as Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and actor. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2020
Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998) is an American rapper from Louisville, Kentucky. Starting from 2015, Harlow had released several EPs and mixtapes before he was signed to Don Cannon and DJ ...more- 17
XXL Freshman Class: 2009
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), better known by his stage name Kid Cudi (; often stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American singer, rapper, record producer and actor from Cleveland, ...more XXL Freshman Class: 2010
Ermias Joseph Asghedom (August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle (often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$le), was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and community activist. ...moreXXL Freshman Class: 2013
Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott (born January 20, 1995), better known by his stage name Joey Badass (stylized as Joey Bada$$), is an American rapper, actor, and record producer. Raised in Brooklyn, New ...more- 20
XXL Freshman Class: 2011
Keenon Daequan Ray Jackson (born March 9, 1990), better known by his stage name YG, is an American rapper and actor from Compton, California. In 2009, he released his debut single, "Toot It and Boot ...more XXL Freshman Class: 2019
Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion (pronounced "Megan the Stallion"), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Originally from Houston, ...more- 22
XXL Freshman Class: 2020
Taurus Tremani Bartlett (born January 6, 1999), better known as Polo G, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for his song "Pop Out" with Bronx rapper Lil Tjay, which has ...more - 23
XXL Freshman Class: 2019
Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 21, 1991), better known as DaBaby (formerly known as Baby Jesus), is an American rapper and songwriter from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is best known for his ...more - 24
XXL Freshman Class: 2012
Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn, better known by his stage name Future, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer from the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. After releasing a series of ...more - 25
XXL Freshman Class: 2016
Herbert Randall Wright III (born October 8, 1995), better known by his stage name G Herbo, (formerly Lil Herb) is an American rapper and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Herbo is signed to Machine ...more
