Kill ’Em With Success
Who’s the biggest and best Freshman of all time? You get to decide.
Words: Peter A. Berry, C. Vernon Coleman II, Kyle Eustice and Grant Rindner
Editor’s Note: This story appears in the Summer 2025 issue of XXL Magazine, on newsstands now and available for sale on the XXL website. 

For eighteen years, XXL Freshman has been a cornerstone of hip-hop, showcasing some of the genre’s biggest talents early on. Since 2007, we’ve tasked ourselves with meticulously finding potential stars that could done day have their very own cover. Each year, 10 or so artists get stamped into XXL Freshman history. Instead of being an exact science, it’s more like a lesson in social studies.

As a whole, there have been more success stories than not, with picks like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, XXXTentacion, Future, Lil Durk, Nipsey Hussle, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage and more going on to be some of rap’s biggest acts. Other rappers have gone on to gain cult followings in their own right. There are even some Freshmen who have since passed away, whose names continue to live on in major ways. So, who is the biggest Freshman alumnus of all time? We’ve decided to let the fans decide.

With 194 artists recognized as leaders of the new school for their respective classes, XXL has launched The Biggest and Best XXL Freshman Ever bracket to determine the ultimate valedictorian. To answer this question, the bracket narrows down the list to the top 32 artists, allowing fans to vote for the best Freshman ever. The selection criteria include commercial success, impact, influence and popularity. This means you will not see every Freshman nor every Freshman cover included in the bracket since there can only be 32 rappers taking part in the competition. Voting kicks off July 21 on XXL’s Instagram page. Check out the matchups here.

Read More: Here’s What Every XXL Freshman Class Has Brought to Hip-Hop

Take a look at the Freshmen competing for the crown below.

See The Artists Competing in the Biggest and Best XXL Freshman Ever Bracket

The summer 2025 issue of XXL magazine featuring the artists competing for The Biggest and Best XXL Freshman Ever bracket is available to purchase here. The issue also includes interviews with all 12 members of the 2025 Freshman Class and producer Cardo Got Wings, as well as conversations with Larry June, Aminé, Key Glock, Monaleo, Tech N9ne, Nardo Wick and more, plus a look back at what the 2024 XXL Freshman Class has been doing.