This year’s XXL 2015 Freshmen list features Vince Staples and Fetty Wap, among others.
The magazine reflected on eight years of the series and chose 52 of the best albums by rappers that have been given the freshman crown.
Class of 2009’s Ace Hood made the list with 2013’s Trials & Tribulations album.
“After years of (largely unrecognized) hard work on Def Jam, Ace Hood’s Cash Money debut finally achieved some of the crossover success he had been working for,” XXL says. “While ‘Bugatti’ was rightfully inescapable last year, Trials & Tribulations also contained a deeper roster of personal songs than Ace’s previous albums. His work ethic and passion really came through in the music, and the result was his best project yet.”
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Only one of Kendrick Lamar‘s albums made the cut, his major label debut, 2012’s good kid m.A.A.d city.
“There’s no question that any album nominated for not only one, but four Grammys is anything less [than] dope,” the article says, “especially when one of the nominations is for Album Of The Year.”
Fellow Compton, California rapper and class of 2011 artist YG made the list with 2014’s My Krazy Life.
“After a relentless grind in the mixtape circuit, YG’s My Krazy Life was a surprisingly good effort that showed the West was shifting back to the top of Rap’s mountain,” it says. “Fueled by his hit single ‘My N*gga,’ as well as frequent club banger ‘Who Do You Love,’ YG guided us through Compton with tight beats by DJ Mustard.”
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Billboard’s Top Rap Artist, Iggy Azalea, makes the list with 2014’s The New Classic.
“The New Classic is the highest-ranked female Hip Hop album since Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday,” the magazine says. “It sold over 50,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.”
Independent rapper Troy Ave made the list with, 2015’s Major Without a Deal.
“Although the album’s sales are a hot topic on the Internet at the moment, Troy was able to secure some top-level features for this project including 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe and Jadakiss,” the story says. “But the Brooklyn rapper also held his own by churning out a steady stream of radio-friendly records. Troy has proven over and over that he’s not gonna let the haters hold him back, and if listeners can get beyond the backlash they’ll find an album worth bumping.”
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To read the full list, go to XXL.com.
For additional Kendrick Lamar coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
