TRUTH ON BEING AN XXL FRESHMAN: “I first knew about XXL Freshman nine, 10 years ago. I guess it just popped up on YouTube. The 2016 class. All their style was different. It wasn’t the same. Everybody’s style, like, it was the new style. It was stuff we never seen before.

I didn’t look at it like I was gonna do it, but I knew I was gonna do it. I knew I was gonna be up because I rapped so much. I knew I was good, you know what I’m saying? I ain’t even look at it like I wanted that though.

[When I found out I was going to be a Freshman], I felt good. I kind of knew that y’all gon’ pick me. I knew I was gon’ be able to look back on it, like Kodak Black and them. I know they looking back on it when they were young, they probably like, Damn, you see what I’m saying? And that’s probably the most viral one.

I knew I would be able to look back on it 10 years from now. ’Cause I know I’m gonna be more famous than I am now in like 10 years. I know I’m gonna be able to look back on it and see where I started at. The town where I’m from, they’re gonna be like, ‘What the f**k?’

It’s important to be a part of the class ’cause it’ll help you, too. Even if you already famous, like, there are other people that don’t know you, too. They got their own family, too, XXL, they got their own crowd, audience. You get to show the world your style, see what I’m saying? I done seen other artists progress from it. I done seen folks blow up and all that.

Now is the right time to be a Freshman because I’m finna blow with my next album, my next few albums. I really want to drop five tapes this year. My supporters are gonna be like, ‘Lil twin done made it. He up. He finally up now.’

What makes me different? I let the people decide that. I just be myself. I don’t know how I’m standing out. I just don’t worry about nobody. Everybody got they own mind. Everybody grow up different. I call it dark, [the music I make]. The beat tell me what to say. I be completely empty until a good beat come on.

To celebrate, I’ma take it to the hood. Have the magazine in my hand. I’m gonna be taking a picture with the magazine, like, ‘Have you seen this?’ Show my mom. She’s gonna be proud of me ’cause I’m on a magazine. She gon’ be like, ‘Whoa!’

I just really wanna rap. I ain’t never did no cypher before, though, so I don’t know what to expect.

My goal is to prove all the haters wrong. Everybody that hate on me. There are probably not that many folks that hate on me, but I know it is. I know somebody hate me. My goal is to really prove them wrong. I’m probably already international, ’cause I got a Europe tour. Become a real mainstream artist. Global.”—Georgette Cline