Founders |
|
---|---|
Staff writers | Ayabulela Tshofela |
Categories | Music magazine |
Frequency | Monthly |
Publisher | Townsquare Media |
Founded | 1997 |
Country | United States |
Based in | New York City |
Language | English |
Website | xxlmag |
ISSN | 1093-0647 |
XXL [note 1] is an American hip hop magazine, published by Townsquare Media, founded in 1997.
In August 1997, [2] Harris Publications released the first issue of XXL. It featured rappers Jay-Z and Master P on a double cover. [3] In December 2006, XXL took over the struggling hip-hop producer and DJ magazine Scratch (another publication owned by Harris Publications), re-branding it as XXL Presents Scratch Magazine. However Scratch shut down less than a year later in September 2007.
Other titles with limited runs have been launched under the XXL brand, including Hip-Hop Soul, Eye Candy and Shade 45 . XXL has released many other special projects including tour programs, mixtapes and exclusive DVDs. XXL also maintains a popular website, which provides daily hip hop news, original content and content from the magazine. [4]
In 2014, Townsquare Media acquired XXL, [5] King and Antenna from Harris Publications.
On October 14, 2014, Townsquare announced it would continue print publication of XXL. [6] In December 2014 the company reported that the magazine would be published on a quarterly basis. [5] Later it was changed from a quarterly basis to a monthly basis.
The magazine's past editors include Reginald C. Dennis (formerly of The Source ), Sheena Lester (former editor-in-chief of RapPages and Vibe music editor), Elliott Wilson (formerly of The Beat-Down Newspaper, ego trip and The Source, currently locked in at #7 slot on The Source's Digital 30 list.) [7] [8] and Datwon Thomas (former editor-in-chief of King).
In May 2009, Datwon Thomas resigned from XXL and executive editor Vanessa Satten, who had been with XXL since 1998, was named the new Editor-in-Chief. [9]
The magazine commissioned A Great Day in Hip Hop, which is a black-and-white photograph of over 200 hip hop artists and producers in Harlem, New York, taken by photographer Gordon Parks on September 29, 1998. [10] It was commissioned by the magazine as a homage to Art Kane's A Great Day in Harlem , photographed in 1958. [11]
In August 2005, Eminem and XXL teamed up to release a special issue titled XXL Presents Shade 45, designed to simultaneously give maximum exposure to his radio station Shade 45, the station's associated radio DJs, the Shady Records label as a whole, and G-Unit Records' artists. XXL executive publisher Jonathan Rheingold stated that typically magazines based around particular artists were not favorable, but "since Shade 45 is a truly authentic and uncensored rap radio channel, the marriage with the XXL brand made sense," feeling that it would interest rap fans.[ citation needed ]
In November 2008, XXL released XXL Raps Volume 1, which included music from 50 Cent, G-Unit, Common, Jim Jones, & Fabolous.[ citation needed ]
In September 2006, XXL put a special 90-minute DVD called XXL DVD Magazine Vol. 1, which featured exclusive interviews and content with big-name rappers such as 50 Cent, Ice Cube, Fat Joe, Paul Wall, & Mike Jones. [12]
On August 20, 2013, XXL marked its sixteenth anniversary by releasing its 150th issue, which featured the first solo cover on the magazine from Drake, along with rappers such as Kendrick Lamar and B.o.B reviewing classic albums. [3]
This section's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia.(January 2023) |
Beginning in 2007 (skipping 2008), [13] XXL releases its annual "Freshman Class" list. The issue features 10-12 artists-to-watch, all appearing on the cover of the magazine. The list has a history of showcasing unknown/underground rappers, as well as artists considered to be on the rise. The list creates significant marketing buzz among listeners and artists alike, and is credited for giving many artists their first taste of fame. [14] [15] [16]
The 10th spot winners are highlighted in bold.
Occasionally, the Freshman Class list may contain extra additions to include more rappers. The 2011, 2013, 2019, 2021 and 2024 Freshman Class lists, for example, had 11 rappers. In the case for the 2013 list, XXL added an honorary extra spot for Chicago rapper Chief Keef due to the artist being in a six-day jail stint and therefore being unable to attend the photo shoot in New York City. [22] In 2014, 2020, 2022 and 2023, the Freshman Class lists included 12 rappers.
For most Freshman covers, after the list has been announced, an artist will come out and say that they were offered a spot on the cover by XXL but chose to decline it. Other times, XXL themselves will reveal someone that they asked to be on the cover and were directly told by the artist that they were not interested. Below is a list of rappers who have declined the offer of being an XXL Freshman, and the various reasons why they declined.
Year | Artist(s) | Reason | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Drake | Respectfully declined and felt they were chosen too late in their respective careers. | [40] |
Nicki Minaj | |||
2011 | Vado | Respectfully declined and felt he was chosen too late in his career. | |
Tyler, the Creator | Respectfully declined. | ||
2012 | ASAP Rocky | Respectfully declined. Schedule was too slim due to touring. | |
2014 | Young Thug | XXL claims he never showed up to the photoshoot. | |
2015 | ILoveMakonnen | Not responsive to XXL. | |
PartyNextDoor | |||
2016 | Tory Lanez | Declined as he believed he was chosen too late in his respective career. | [41] |
Post Malone | Stated he was tired and was not up to flying to New York for the photoshoot. XXL editor-in-chief Vanessa Satten claimed Post's publicist stated that Post did not want to be boxed in as a hip hop artist. | [40] | |
2017 | Young M.A | Felt beyond the list. She asked to have a solo cover but they disagreed and said that she needed more attention to her name before that could happen. | [42] |
YFN Lucci | YFN Lucci initially refused to play music for XXL. He later changed his mind days before the shoot but it was too late. | ||
Cardi B | XXL was not sure if Cardi had a better television career or rap career at the time and felt she was leaning more towards television. | ||
Famous Dex | XXL stood away from adding Famous Dex after there was evidence shown that he beat up his girlfriend. They further spoke on XXXTentacion's addition to the 2017 list (as it was controversial), saying that although he was accused of beating up his ex-girlfriend, the incident was not caught on camera, XXXTentacion had not been found guilty, and that he was arguably having a major influence on his generation. | [42] [43] | |
2018 | Lil Skies | On Instagram Live, he explained that he respectfully declined due to XXL apparently telling him that he would be the 10th Spot Freshman before the voting process even began. Although he respected some decisions made on the 2018 list, he claims that the list was mostly rigged. | [28] |
Rich the Kid | He "happily declined" after hearing that the reason XXL asked him to be on it was because Lil Skies declined the offer. | [29] | |
2019 | Juice Wrld | Respectfully declined. | [44] |
Benny the Butcher | He was asked by Jay-Z to not accept because Jay thought declining would be for the better. | [45] | |
2020 | Pop Smoke | Pop Smoke agreed to be on the cover but he died before he could attend the shoot. XXL originally planned to add him on the cover to honor him, but Pop Smoke's team asked them not to do so. Although XXL was not able to add him on the cover, they were able to add an unreleased interview to honor him in the issue. | [35] [33] |
Don Toliver | Don Toliver only wanted to be on the cover and did not want to take part in other aspects of the list, such as the freestyles and cyphers. | [46] | |
Lil Tecca | Respectfully declined. | [ citation needed ] | |
2021 | $not | Respectfully declined because he felt like other artists needed it more. | [47] [ better source needed ] |
Kenny Mason | Respectfully declined. | [ citation needed ] | |
2022 | Ken Carson | Declined the list because Destroy Lonely could not be added. | [ citation needed ] |
Yeat | Respectfully declined. | [48] [ better source needed ] | |
2023 | Ice Spice | Schedule was too slim. | [49] [50] |
Alonzo Keith Mathis Jr., better known by his stage name Gorilla Zoe, is an American rapper from East Point, Georgia. He joined the Bad Boy Records hip hop group Boyz n da Hood in 2006, following the departure of its lead member, Jeezy. His first album with the group, Back Up n da Chevy (2007) was met with lukewarm critical and commercial reception, leading to their subsequent disbandment. He then signed with Bad Boy, an imprint of Atlantic Records in a joint venture with Block Entertainment as a solo act to release his debut studio album, Welcome to the Zoo (2007).
Asher Paul Roth is an American rapper from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his 2009 debut single "I Love College," which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and foresaw the birth of frat rap, a college-oriented subgenre of hip hop.
Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson, better known by his stage name YG, is an American rapper. He released his debut mixtape 4Fingaz in 2008, and its follow-up, The Real 4Fingaz, the following year. The latter gained recognition for its local hit song "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 67 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings in October 2009, which entered joint-venture with Atlanta-based rapper Jeezy's record label, CTE World, in 2013.
Ariyan Arslani, professionally known as Action Bronson, is an American rapper, professional wrestler, chef, songwriter and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, New York, he released his debut mixtape Bon Appetit ..... Bitch!!!!! in January 2011 and independently released his debut album, Dr. Lecter, in March 2011. In August 2012, Arslani signed his first major-label deal with Warner Bros. Records, but was later moved to the Atlantic Records-distributed label Vice Records.
Black Hippy was an American hip hop supergroup from South Los Angeles, California, formed in 2008. The group consisted of West Coast rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and ScHoolboy Q. Black Hippy was constructed after all of its members had signed to Carson-based indie record label, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).
La'Reonte Wright, known professionally as Dizzy Wright, is an American rapper and record producer.
Dequantes Devontay Lamar, known professionally as Rich Homie Quan, was an American rapper. Beginning his career in 2011, Lamar first saw mainstream success with his 2013 single "Type of Way", which peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 2015 single, "Flex " saw further success at number 26 on the chart. Alongside fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug, Lamar was a member of Cash Money Records' spin-off project Rich Gang, who found success with their 2014 single "Lifestyle".
Jarren Giovanni Benton, is an American rapper from Decatur, Georgia. He signed with California rapper Hopsin's independent record label Funk Volume in 2012, and released his third mixtape, Freebasing with Kevin Bacon in June of that year. His debut studio album, My Grandma's Basement (2013) received positive critical reception and entered the Billboard 200. After the label shut down in 2016, Benton signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation two years later to release his fourth album, Yuck Fou (2018).
Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain is an American rapper. His mainstream breakthrough followed after his performances on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour alongside rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based hip hop collective The House, which he formed with rappers YGTUT, Michael Da Vinci (MikeyD), Chris P, and Brian Brown.
Victor Kwesi Mensah, known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip hop groups Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing his debut solo mixtape, Innanetape (2013). As a solo artist, Mensa has been signed to Virgin EMI Records, Def Jam Recordings, Capitol Records, and Roc Nation.
Cilvia Demo is the debut extended play by American rapper Isaiah Rashad. It was released on January 28, 2014, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). The album features guest appearances from Jean Deaux and Michael Da Vinci, as well as his Top Dawg label-mates SZA, Schoolboy Q and Jay Rock. The albums production was handled by several record producers, namely Ross Vega, Mr. Carmack, Joseph L'Étranger, Black Metaphor, The Antydote, Farhot, Chris Calor, D. Sanders and a member of the Digi+Phonics Sounwave.
Herbert Randall Wright III, better known by his stage name G Herbo, is an American rapper. He signed with the Chicago-based record label Machine Entertainment Group in 2011, at the age of 16. His debut mixtape, Welcome to Fazoland (2014), was released by the label, along with its follow-ups Pistol P Project (2014), Ballin Like I'm Kobe (2015), and Strictly 4 My Fans (2016). His debut studio album, Humble Beast (2017), was released by Cinematic Music Group and met with critical acclaim. He signed onto a triple-joint venture with Epic Records to release his collaborative album with record producer Southside, Swervo (2018), which served his first release on a major label; its sequel, Still Swervin (2019), served as Wright's second album. His third album, PTSD (2020), peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200, along with his fourth and fifth albums, 25 (2021) and Survivor's Remorse (2022); 25 was his first release with Republic Records.
Marquis Amonte King, better known by the stage name Shy Glizzy, is an American rapper from Southeast, Washington, D.C. He is best known for his guest feature alongside Brent Faiyaz on GoldLink's 2016 single "Crew", which peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap/Sung Performance.
Durk Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He initially garnered a local following with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), whose success led to him to sign with Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015) and its follow-up, Lil Durk 2X (2016) to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the artist in 2018.
David Andrew Burd, better known by his stage name Lil Dicky, is an American rapper, comedian, and actor. He first received recognition after the music video for his 2013 song "Ex-Boyfriend", became a viral hit—earning over one million views on YouTube in 24 hours. His 2014 single "Save Dat Money" marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and preceded his debut studio album, Professional Rapper (2015).
David Lawrence Brewster Jr., known professionally as Dave East, is an American rapper. East began his career in 2010, and gained attention in 2014 for his eighth mixtape, Black Rose. Its release caught the attention of fellow New York rapper Nas, who signed East to a recording contract with his label Mass Appeal Records in 2014, which entered a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings two years later.
Jordan Terrell Carter, known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. An influential figure among his generation, he has contributed to the progression of trap music and its rage subgenre. He first signed with local underground record label Awful Records in 2014, and later signed with ASAP Mob's record label AWGE, in a joint venture with Interscope Records two years later. Carter gained mainstream attention following the release of his eponymous debut mixtape (2017), which peaked at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-charting singles "Magnolia" and "Wokeuplikethis".
Raqhid Jevon Render, known professionally as Lil Keed, was an American rapper. He was signed to Young Thug's record label YSL Records, as well as 300 Entertainment. His song "Nameless" reached number 42 on the Billboard Hip Hop/R&B Songs Airplay chart.
Alyssa Michelle Stephens, known professionally as Latto, is an American rapper and singer from Atlanta, Georgia. She first appeared on Jermaine Dupri's reality television series The Rap Game in 2016, where she was known as Miss Mulatto and won the show's first season, but subsequently rejected an offer to sign with Dupri's So So Def Recordings.
Tahj Morgan, professionally known as jetsonmade, is an American record producer and songwriter. He has been noted as a pioneer of the growing rap scene in the Carolinas. He has produced many hit songs, with the most notable being "Suge" and "Bop" by fellow North Carolinian, rapper DaBaby, as well as "Whats Poppin" by Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow, and “@ MEH” by Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti. He is also noted for his popular producer tag, "Oh Lord, Jetson made another one!".
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)