The newest group of XXL Freshmen was released on Wednesday (June 21), and the list is packed with some of the hottest up-and-comers in hip-hop.
This year’s cover artists include Philadelphia’s 2Rare, UK rapper Central Cee, Milwaukee native DC The Don, Memphis stars Finesse2Tymes and GloRilla, Fridayy, New Yorker Lola Brooke, Florida’s Luh Tyler, New Orleans’ Rob49, Real Boston Richey, SleazyWorld Go, and Houston’s TiaCorine. The annual list has accurately predicted some of the biggest stars in hip-hop, as J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, Wale, Future, Travis Scott, and the late Nipsey Hussle have all made the list in the past.
According to TMZ, Ice Spice turned down the opportunity to appear on the XXL cover due to her hectic schedule. She chose to instead focus on the multiple festival and feature requests that she’s been blitzed with over the past couple of weeks. But it’s clear that Ice Spice doesn’t need the XXL cover to introduce herself to the world. She’s already amassed over a billion streams on Spotify and has recorded hit records with the likes of Nicki MInaj, Taylor Swift, and Pinkpantheress.