TRUTH ON BEING AN XXL FRESHMAN: “My publicist had brought it to me and was like, ‘Hey, there’s XXL. They wanna have an interview with you, and that doesn’t mean that you got a spot, they just want to talk to you and stuff.’ And I was like, Oh Lord, is it my time? What’s happening? I think XXL is a scary thing, because it’s a very widespread platform. So, I think there’s a lot of love that could come from it and a lot of opportunity that could come from it. But on the flip side, there is a lot of ridicule that could come from it as well.

And so, being someone who didn’t think I was gonna get here with my music and was really just following fulfillment and trying to do things that I loved, and then ended up in a really good spot, it’s like, how do I wanna treat my music? ’Cause this is my freedom time. Do I want to treat it as like a competition or something that makes me feel maybe anxious, or that could put me in a place where I might be on a chopping block for people that won’t handle me with care, or that type of thing?

There was a lot of contemplating on if I really wanted to do it or not. Where do I leave representation for people like me if I don’t do it, you know what I’m saying? But also, is this going be the thing that stops me in my tracks? I didn’t wanna not take it out of fear.

I hold myself to a high standard. So, like coming here, I didn’t want to just d**k around, you know what I’m saying? I also thought there may have been other women here, but now knowing that I am the only woman here, it’s like, Damn, I can’t walk out of it now. I have to be the representation of what this is. I would consider myself on the conscious side of rap. So, I feel like that representation, I wanted that to be here as well.

Even if you weren’t looking for it, [XXL Freshman] was always a big thing when the cover dropped. Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa in 2014 [is a class I paid attention to], because I’m just such a huge fan of Isaiah Rashad, [who was also on the cover]. I was a big fan of Chance The Rapper, too.

I try to make music for the very extraordinarily ordinary person. That can just feel related to, and like, I’m not the baddest bi**h, I’m not the f**king this, I’m not the that, like, I’m quirky as hell and I’m gonna get nervous. I’m fly, too, but it’s just like, I’m a normal bi**h. I have normal f**king feelings. And like, here they are, and y’all probably feel that way, too.

I think [my fans] would expect [me on the cover], honestly. I feel like I’ve had a really amazing year. And I think a lot of people are checking for me. And the growth has been exponential. So, I feel like the fans are gonna be looking out for it. I hope I do them justice, though.”—Georgette Cline