Nov 8, 2012

Daily Antics: Artist Spotlight: XXL Freshmen Classes

Every year we wait and look out for XXL's Freshmen class and like any kids in high school you get your new batch of new kids and they in 4 years they become popular and relevant. Its a good article to look back on if your keeping track. High school was always cutthroat in terms of who is going to take over and what oath each artist is going to take and where will they be when they graduate.



2010 marked the second freshmen classmates which included the like of Wale, Kid Cudi and Currensy. Now you think where are they now. Wale is a sneaker junkie that was given no love form Kid Cudi and now runs with the like of Stalley, Freshmen class alumni Meek Mill and MMG. Where is he now? well I cant say his career has done bad, but hes isn't making killer sales and selling out Madison Square Garden. Wale has been putting in work, but wasn't really given a chance. Attention Deficit was a great debut album so for Wale we would grade Wale : C+ for making it, but not reaching legendary status.

Kid Cudi, Currensy, Asher Roth, Blu and B.O.B  have all been successful but it different ways. Currensy being on next to every feature on this side of the earth. He has had success but I think he has reached his high. Currensy would be the kid in school that always smoked up with fellow freshmen caller Wiz Khalifa. Kid Cudi is the emo-kid that would make music about getting dumped and taking drugs.Asher and B.O.B has also seen success, but not much. Yes they have made money off their success, but Jay-Z status. Over they would recieve a grade: B because they still remain in the limelight.                                                                                     Ace Hood, Corey Guns, Blu, Mickey Factz, and Charles Hamilton all round out the classmates but happen to black kid that used to hang out with bad company and skip class and do bad shit. Which means they didn't have much time to make music too busy being thugs and hooligans. Charles Hamilton seemed to be on a high with all the mixtapes he dropped, but nothing came of it. Grade: D

The Freshman class of 2010 still had your regular weed smokers, gang bankers, soulful poets that care about expression and the pretty boys that seems to get all the girls even if they are not so bright. 

Wiz Khalifa stands as the valedictorian for the simple fact since this he has but in work. From mixtapes, movies, debut albums and songs being used in super bowls Wiz has done his thing and done it well. Not to mention he scooped up a popular seniors girl and knocked her up. Although I'm not a fan of Wiz you can not deny him of his success. Grade: A+                                                                      Nipsey Hussle and Jay Rock are those dudes in school that only wore the colors they represented and still have enough respect with each other not to try no dump shit. Nipsey Hussle has had his fair share of mixtape and has stayed in the public eye. When will he drop that album that wait to be seen, but I'm sure it will be dope. Jay Rock 1 fourth of the super group TDE has been in the game for a while not and has dropped his album Follow Me which has seen some success. Overall Jay and Nipsey have don't their share of work and cant be called wack. Grade: B+
Pretty boy Big Sean is the small shirt kid that the girl used to love of has seen some success with his Almost Famous mixtapes to his Final Famous debut album that sounded like a mixtape, but made some sales. Sean has since joined Kanye and G.O.O.D music to put him name on billboard charts. Grade: B
Freddie Gibbs and J.Cole they guys in the crew they were all about their craft. Was not a game to them, they knew what they wanted to do and planned on doing it. Gangsta Gibbs is well known for his mixtapes that are pretty much albums, but still has not put out that debut album. He hungry and you can hear it in his music alone. J.Cole is that kid with swagger that you can tell shit because he going to the top. Almost like when your kids and one of your friends had a dream and they were sticking to it. J.Cole's Debut album Cole world was good and seen some success, being on Roc nation will bring him more success, bu that remains to be seen. Grade: A


 

Last years Freshmen class had the most impact on social networks. From Diggy Simmons being on TV and having a famous father. (Rev Run).Mac Miller the weed smoking producers stealing tattoo getting young American has made quite the name for himself and is making it across borders. Lil B the base God who has a cult following Meek Mill who has recently dropped his debut albums and Kendrick who also dropped his album a week before Meek.
Still believed to be underground Yelawolf, Big Krit and Fred the Godson are making music but seem to be going under the radar. YG, and lil Boose are not much to talk about unless you live in the area and are fans of their music. When it comes to the comparing of school they would be the young kids that chill with the older guys that might not be much of anything in life, but for the most part this freshmen class put in work.
Mac Miller has been voted man of the year by Complex.com and is currently on a European tour. I have to say that Mac has his singles and is definitely more party rapper than music an, but its cool because he still had a good mixtape. K.I.D.S.
Meek Mill, Mr. Philadelphia has taken the music industry by storm, by making songs with Mary J Blige, Nas co-singing and being one of Rick Ross`s foot solders. Dreams and Nightmares debuted second on the billboard charts, which is saying a lot for meek. He has been out for a while but his status in the music industry has not yet been built. For Year he has has Meek will get a grade: B. For showing he can hang with the big boys and that he still has potential in this younge career of his.
Mac Miller Grade: A-
Big Krit has been making music for some time now but has seen a different kind of success, like the kid that everyone knew but wasn't the popular kid just that guy that we all knew said whad up and went bought our business. with his far share of success and short lived 15 minutes of fame Krit`s grade: B-
Overall the 2011 class has a bigger fan base than most, but their music doesnt compare to most classes, but for the most part they put in work and have recreated a fan base in their respects.

Now to the 2012 class who featured the first female rapper. One crazy Detroit rapper who nearly embodies OBD and two white rappers that but in work in Macklemore and MGK. 
I'm not a fan of the new school, unfortunately they don't speak to me like Nas and Jay-Z once did and maybe that's because I'm getting older and I'm in the same age group as most of best rappers. I'm sure in a few more years rap wont even matter to me, but for now we digress. 
Danny Brown is missing teeth, has the craziest hair style out right now and thinks he might be a Rock  star. Currently on tour with Asap Rocky and School BoyQ, Brown has a unorthodox styles that can be compared to not one person a unique individual. He get a grade D, for Detroit because I'm not sure if being so different means your good, but I can see Brown going much further. French Montana who has teamed up with Diddy and making hits with Ross seems to be only a mixtape rapper, his debut album is suppose to drop soon, but I'm not to sure it'll be good.not much to say about him other than he makes his not classics. Grade. D-

Iggy Azelia might be the best out this class or MGK whose a wild boy that don give....Iggy for me has to be the best out. Much remains to be seen from this class, but I'm giving Iggy Grade: B and the other lames who aren't even worth talking about F.

I get it, music has changed and I'm just not feeling, if I went back to school with some of these class I could buy what they selling, but for the most part the music they're spitting just doesn't do it for me anymore.

No comments:

Get Creative: