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Once again, XXL Magazine has released their annual Freshman Class cover, which showcases some of hip-hop’s most exciting up-and-coming rappers. And once again, the Internet is pissed.

XXL put out their cover out around noon Tuesday, and that basically set Twitter off for the entire day.

Hip-hop fans blasted the site for a variety of reasons: some complained that French Montana and Roscoe Dash were too old. Some, like Azealia Banks, were pissed that Iggy Azalea was on there. Others were screaming about rappers like A$AP Rocky and Chip Da Ripper being left off.

All we can say is it worked.

The main reason why XXL puts together lists like this is the discussion and argument that evolves. Covers like this get people talking, and it brings attention to XXL. This year is no different.

XXL is successful at causing conversation, but how successful are they at predicting long-lasting rap careers? That’s the real question. To find the answer, we went and looked back at the last four covers and, using a simple pass/fail grading system, we’ve evaluated every single one of the rappers who have appeared on one of XXL’s Freshman issues.

But, before we get to past covers, let’s quickly look at rappers who turned down the opportunity to appear on the XXL cover:

Cassidy:

Cassidy was actually originally one of the ten MCs to appear on the first Freshman Cast cover, but the rapper, who already released two albums at that point, balked at the last minute. Legend has it, Cassidy changed his mind because he wanted himself and Swizz Beatz to get their own cover. XXL said no and the magazine replaced him with Papoose.

Drake & Nicki Minaj:

XXL were a little late on Drake and Nicki Minaj. The magazine asked the two to appear on the 2010 cover, but they both declined. The reason? Well, they were already hot — they didn’t need the cover. We think Drake put it best when he said: “Technically, we were freshman when they didn’t put us on.” This ended up being the right choice for the two, because they eventually received their own cover together later that year. 

A$AP Rocky:

Before the list was even released, rumors started spreading around that A$AP Rocky turned down XXL’s offer. In an interview with DJ Drama, A$AP had this to say about it: “Nah, not even. I was busy. I don’t know who they talked to because I wouldn’t have minded doing it.” Hmm, sounds a little fishy to us. 

Chip Tha Ripper:

The day XXL released their 2012 list, Chip Tha Ripper went to Twitter and said, “Being on XXL Freshman list is NOT a good look. At all. I turned them down.” Is this true? Who knows, but XXL’s Music Editor, Adam Fleischer, later Tweeted, “First part of that is opinion. Second is false.” 

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XXL’s 2008 Freshman List

Lil Boosie:

Rap music is the last thing on Lil Boosie’s mind. The New Orleans native was on his way to becoming a superstar after releasing hit singles like “Wipe Me Down” and “Zoom.” But Lil Boosie just couldn’t shake the streets. The rapper kept on getting arrested for minor traffic and drug offenses. Then in 2010, the hammer really came down; he was indicted on first-degree murder charges for allegedly putting a hit on a man. Boosie, who’s currently serving an eight-year bid for trying to sneak drugs into two State prisons in Louisiana, will go to trial in April. If convicted, he could get the death penalty. You kind of need to not be in jail or dead to be hot.

Grade: Fail

Lupe Fiasco:

Throughout all the boycotting and label drama, Lupe Fiasco has been able to maintain his relevancy. Last year, Lupe released his third solo album, Lasers, and even though critics bashed it, it was commercially successfully: The album debuted at number one on The Billboard 200 list, selling 204,000 copies.

Grade: Pass

Saigon

It took Saigon over four years to do it, but he finally did it. On February 15, 2011 he independently released his debut album, The Greatest Story Never Told. And after spending years talking up the album as one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history, the LP came and went without leaving much of a mark commercially or culturally. Even though The Greatest Story Never Told was quite good, the album only sold 11,000 copies in its first week, and most hip-hop fans felt like it just came too late.

Grade: Fail

Rich Boy

Since dropping his smash first single, “Throw Some D’s” and his self-titled album in 2007, Rich Boy has released many excellent mixtapes. Unfortunately, that hasn’t led to an album dropping. In 2009, he put out the super dope “Drop,” which was supposed to be the lead single to his sophomore album, Resurrected in Diamonds. For reasons we don’t understand, the single never really picked up (which is a shame, because that sh*t knocks). We believe he has the talent, but he’s currently swimming around in one-hit-wonder lake until further notice.

Grade: Fail

Plies:

Plies had a relatively quiet 2011. He didn’t release any official albums. However, he did keep his name in the streets with the release of two tapes: Aristotle and I F*ck With The DJ. Before that, however, Plies was as prolific as any rapper in the game: he released four albums in the span of three years. Plus, he’s had genuine hit singles, with songs like the T-Pain-featured “Shawty,” the Ne-Yo-assisted “Bust It Baby (Part 2)” and “Plenty Money” being huge club bangers. Plies is starting 2012 strong with the release of his new mixtape, On Trial, and he has a new album scheduled to be released this year. He’s a success.

Grade: Pass

Young Dro

It’s amazing to us that Young Dro’s “Shoulder Lean” dropped six years ago. That song and his solo album, Best Thang Smokin’, were both bangers, and it had is thinking that Dro was going to take the spot held by his Grand Hustle label mate, T.I. But since that album, Dro has pretty much been ice cold. The only time he was noticeably on the scene was back in 2007; Dro was with T.I. when the Feds rapped him up for illegal firearms.

Grade: Fail

Gorilla Zoe

Even tough Gorilla Zoe has released three albums, you can’t really call the Atlanta rapper successful. He’s still only really had one hit, 2007’s “Hood Nigga,” and that was a marginal hit at best. In 2010, Zoe tried his hand at a gimmick where he released 28 albums in 28 days. The stunt was considered a failure that was high on quantity and low on quality. Thankfully in 2012, he’s slowing things down a little bit. He plans on releasing just one mixtape. Tomorrow, Zoe will put out his latest project, Zoe’s World. Maybe that tape will be huge for him, and it will lead to a big 2012, but until that happens, he’s a fail.

Grade: Fail

Papoose

Back in 2006, Papoose was seen as the kid that was going to bring New York City rap back to prevalence. He spit a killer verse on the remix to Busta Rhymes’ smash hit “Touch It,” and he signed a deal with Jive Records, worth $1.5 million. However, as it turns out, it looks like 2006 was his peak. Jive dropped him the next year, and his debut album, The Nacirema Dream, never saw the light of day. Since then, he’s just been releasing mixtape after mixtape, and he keeps telling his fans that an album is coming soon. In fact, Papoose has been more known for getting in a fight with Fat Joe and marrying Remy Martin (who’s currently locked up for shooting a woman in the stomach) more so than his music. Remy Ma will be home before we get an official Papoose album.

Grade: Fail

Crooked I/ Joell Ortiz

We’re grouping Joell and Crooked I in the same category because they’re both so similar. Both are acts that have tried to go the major label route (Joel with Aftermath and Crooked with Death Row) and in both situations things didn’t go over well. Both have small but rabid fan bases and both are known for their excellent rhyming. Oh and yeah: they are both members of Slaughterhouse, the super lyrical rap group, which also includes Royce Da 5’9 and Joe Budden. We think being in Slaughterhouse saves them from being a fail. The group is signed to Eminem’s Shady Records imprint, and they are getting ready to release their major label debut, welcome to: OUR HOUSE.

Grade: Pass

Final Verdict: 2008 was the first year of the freshman cover, and it definitely was the magazine’s weakest showing by far. In our opinion, they only hit on four out of the 10, and at least two of those are debatable. 

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XXL’s 2009 Freshman List

Ace Hood

Last year’s “Hustle Hard” was so big and so undeniable that it just saved Ace Hood from getting a fail. Before that song, things were pretty dicey for DJ Khaled’s young protégé. Ace Hood was putting out albums, but they weren’t moving any units. The success of “Hustle Hard,” however, tells us that there might be a bright future for the kid.

Grade: Pass

Curren$y

Curren$y has been on a crazy grind since he left Young Money back in 2007. From 2009 until now, The Hot Spitta has released six official independent albums and a number of critically acclaimed free mixtapes. He’ll probably never make huge records, but that independent money is coming in by the truckloads. You got to respect that.

Grade: Pass

Kid Cudi

When it’s all said and done, Kid Cudi might go down as the most successful former XXL Freshman. He’s already had two successful, critically acclaimed albums, and he has put in major work with Kanye West. Cudder has no plans of stopping, either. The rapper/singer has added rock star to his résumé by releasing an alternative rock album.

Grade: Pass

Wale

MMG saved Wale. Wale’s 2009 debut album, Attention Deficit, was a flop, moving only 28,000 copies in its first week. After dusting himself off a little bit, The DMV-native took his talents to the hottest team in rap, Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group. The rest is history. In November he released Ambition, his second official album and the first one under MMG. The album was a smash, selling 164,000 copies in its first week, and it’s currently creeping its way to gold status. It took a quick press of the reset button, but Wale is, without a doubt, one of the hottest rappers in the game.

Grade: Pass  

B.o.B.

Most people view B.o.B. as a pop artist more than a rapper. That’s a hint at being hot, don’t you think? “Nothin’ on You,” “Airplanes” and “Magic” were three of the biggest crossover singles of 2010. 2012 is the year that his second album, “Strange Clouds,” will be released. And even though it’s still early, the album’s first two releases, “Strange Clouds” and “Play the Guitar” have already been huge looks for the rap star.

Grade: Pass  

Asher Roth

Other than “I Love College,” what has Asher Roth done? He’s released some mixtapes, but all of his buzz seems to have evaporated. We don’t think he has ever fully recovered from a comment he made after visiting Rutgers back in 2009. While at the university, the rapper Tweeted “…At Rutgers stirring up a ruckus…Been a day of rest and relaxation, sorry Twitter – hanging out with some nappy headed hoes.” The rapper quickly apologized and claimed it was all a joke, but things have never quite been the same.

Grade: Fail

Charles Hamilton

Charles Hamilton is the perfect example of how an accumulation of fails can snowball into no career. Hip-hop fans gave him hell when he announced that the deceased J. Dilla, someone he never met before, was the executive producer of his debut album, This Perfect Life. Then, a clip of Charles getting Pacquioed by some chick was passed around the blogs. Things were pretty much punctuated when a video of

Series Jones getting in Charles’ a*s during a battle was released. Last year, Charles released a whole gang of music and mixtapes that largely went unnoticed. He also had a short stay in rehab. This guy has just been one big fail since that cover.

Grade: Fail

Cory Gunz

Even though Cory Gunz is young, he has a lot of miles in this game. Cory, the son of rapper Peter Gunz, has been putting out mixtapes since 2004’s The Apprentice Mixtape Vol 1. We know being successful in rap is a marathon, but DAMN, that’s a long time. Last year he signed with Young Money, and he was featured on Wayne’s hit single, “6 Foot 7 Foot.” But still, we have to put Cory as a fail based off of the fact that he’s been in the game for so long, and he still hasn’t put out an official album.

Grade: Fail

Blu

Blu’s 2007 collaborative album with producer ExileBelow the Heavens, is a hip-hop classic. If you haven’t heard it, give that a quick download, and thank us later. No matter how great that album was, however, Blu has seems to have stalled his own momentum. Instead of releasing a proper follow-up, Blu has been recording all of these weird side projects and experimental LPs that just haven’t been as good as Below the Heavens. He has a niche following, but it’s not enough to give him a grade other than fail.

Grade: Fail

Mickey Factz

There’s one image of Mickey Factz that we’ll forever have imprinted in our brain: Mickey Factz b*tching up when Raekwon and his goons came and punched Joe Budden in the eye backstage at Rock The Bells 2009. Sh*t just hasn’t been the same for the Bronx-native since. He’s been irrelevant for the last three years. 

Grade: Fail

Final Verdict: 2009 was a little better than 2008’s cover, but not really by much. Using our system, only five rappers get a passing mark. 

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XXL’s 2010 Freshman List

J. Cole

Don’t call him J. Cole anymore. Call him Grammy-nominated, gold-selling J. Cole, thank you very much. Really, what more can we say about this kid? He can rap, he produces music, he has substance in his lyrics and he can make a hit record. XXL hit it right on the head with this one.

Grade: Pass

Pill

Wale aligning himself with MMG was the best thing that the DMV-based rapper ever did. It didn’t quite work out the same for Pill. Pill joined the team early 2011, but by the end of the year he was gone.

He never really clicked with the group. If anything, it seems that his brief stint with Rick Ross might have stalled his career more than anything: Two years before signing with Ross, Pill’s “Trap Goin Ham” was one of the biggest street records of the year.

Grade: Fail.

Nipsey Hussle

Nipsey Hussle’s Bullets Ain’t Got No Name series let the rap world know that this young L.A. rapper had some serious spit. However, Nipsey was never quite able to capitalize off the success of those tapes. In 2010, Nipsey left Epic Records and tried to go the independent album. Things are looking up for the rapper, however. He just signed a deal with MMG. That might lead to some big things, but until that happens, Nipsey is a fail.

Grade: Fail

Wiz Khalifa

Wiz is a superstar. The little dude built up his Taylor Gang brand like crazy over the last two years. His official solo album, Rolling Papers, was a smash and the success of that album has let him build up his own stable of talent, which includes Juicy J and LoLa Monroe.

Grade: Pass

OJ Da Juiceman

What the hell happened to OJ Da Juiceman? The Atlanta rapper seems to have fizzled out faster than he appeared. Since he appeared on Jadakiss’ hit single “Who’s Real,” Da Juiceman has made as much noise as mouse out here. It even seems like Gucci Maine isn’t really f*cking with him, opting to work with V Nasty instead of his former partner in crime. Ugh.

Grade: Fail

Freddie Gibbs

Freddie Gibbs made one of the quietest power moves in hip-hop last year. He signed to Young Jeezy’s CTE label. Since then, Gangsta Gibbs has been putting it down heavy on the blogosphere. He’s released numerous collaborations with Jeezy, and he put out one of last year’s most gangsta tapes, Cold Day In Hell. There’s still no album yet, but that’s OK. We know it’s coming, and he gets enough love out here for him to get a pass.

Grade: Pass

Big Sean

It took him about five years, but Big Sean is Finally Famous. The rapper’s debut album came out last year and it was bigger than anybody expected. The album spawned three huge singles: “My Last,” “Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay” and “Dance (A$$).”

Grade: Pass

Jay Rock

One of the most exciting up-and-coming groups in hip-hop is Black Hippy. The group consists of Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock. Since joining the group, Rock seems to rhyme slightly less gangsta. He now comes off as a little more introspective and thoughtful. We like the direction, and we thought his debut album, Follow Me Home, which came out last year, was excellent. He’ll probably never really blow commercially, but he’s doing enough independently to get some love. 

Grade: Pass

Fashawn

Fashawn’s 2009 debut album, Boy Meets World, was met with much critical fanfare. Since then, he hasn’t stopped pumping out music, releasing four mixtapes since his album dropped. His second album, The Ecology, drops this year. He’s an underground rapper that gets a lot of underground love. We think he’s cool with that. He gets a pass.

Grade: Pass

Donnis

XXL seems to have whiffed badly with Donnis. We haven’t really heard much from Donnis since 2010, the year he signed his deal with Atlantic Records and dropped his Fashionably Late EP. An A&R might have lost his job because of this dude.

Grade: Fail

Final Verdict: 2010 was the first year XXL actually surpassed the .500 mark. We passed six out of the 10 rappers on the cover.  

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Meek Mill

Meek Mill doesn’t even have an album out, and it already seems like he’s a star. “Ima Boss” was the song of the summer last year and the release of his banging Dreamchasers mixtape made sure his momentum stayed strong.

Grade: Pass

Diggy Simmons

We haven’t seen a kid Diggy’s age that can rhyme like this in long time. He seems to really have all areas covered: He has various flows, he’s lyrically nice and he can make any kind of song you need. He has the skills that rap-heads respect and the looks that the young girls want. Things will really take off for the kid when he releases his debut album, Unexpected Arrival, later this month.

Grade: Pass 

Big K.R.I.T.

Over the last two years, two of the best hip-hop projects came from Big KR.I.T., and they weren’t even official albums. 2010’s K.R.I.T. Wuz Here and 2011’s Return of 4Eva both contained everything you needed in a banging album: dope beats, advanced lyrics and heartfelt songs. Big K.R.I.T.’s official solo album is supposed to drop later this year. Leading up to that album, K.R.I.T. will release another mixtape titled 4evaNaDay. K.R.I.T. gets a big pass from us. He will be this year’s J. Cole. Watch.

Grade: Pass

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar makes beautiful music. Section.80, the independent album he dropped last year, was unlike any other LP released in 2011. On the album, Kendrick laid down the ills of the hood over jazzy ’90s-style production. The response of that album has been incredible. It also made Kendrick Lamar one of the can’t-miss rappers of 2012.

Grade: Pass 

Cyhi The Prynce

Cyhi The Prynce has done his own solo projects, like his two Royal Flush mixtapes and his Jack Of All Trades tape. But, really, we just know him as the guy who messed up Kanye West’s “So Appalled” track. He could be the next Big Sean, but we’re not sure yet. We’re still just really upset about “So Appalled,” so he’s a fail to us. 

Grade: Fail

Lil Twist

The children are the future. That’s why we still have so much faith in the boy Lil Twist. Say what you want about him, but the Young Money future star has that demographic locked down. His debut album has seen some pushbacks (it was supposed to drop back in 2010), but something tells us Wayne won’t let the young boy fail.  

Grade: Pass

Yelawolf

In 2011, Yelawolf successfully proved that he could turn his unique rock/rap sound into some success. He dropped his debut album, Radioactive, in November and the LP was very well received. He hasn’t really had any big singles yet, but his flow and his hooks are too good for that to last long. Plus, he’s signed to Eminem’s Shady Records. Em knows potential when he sees it.  

Grade: Pass

Lil B

Lil B has one of the most loyal, fanatical fan bases we have ever seen. The people that love him REALLY love him and we think it has a lot to do with his grind. Since he dropped 6 Kiss in 2009, B has released countless amounts of mixtapes and street albums. Some would argue he’s trash, but try telling that to a Lil B fan. He’s branded himself well; B gets a pass from us.

Grade: Pass

YG

Every XXL freshman cover needs to have one rapper who’s completely painted with tattoos. YG was that guy last year. Since he’s been on XXL, YG really hasn’t taken advantage of the opportunities that come with that cover. He put out his Just Re’d Up tape, but that kind of just got lost in the shuffle of mixtapes out there. YG is cool, but he needs to do more.

Grade: Fail

Mac Miller

Mac Miller made history. The indie rapper’s debut album, Blue Slide Park, was the first independently distributed debut album by an act to check in at number one since Tha Dogg Pound’s Dogg Food album back in 1995. The album sold 144,000 copies in its first week. Add that to the fact that more and more people are opening up to his style of rap (he has a song with Raekwon and Posdnuos coming soon) Mac Miller passes with flying colors.

Grade: Pass

Fred The Godson

Pros: Bronx-native Fred The Godson is one of the best young rappers out coming up now. Plus, he gets a lot of love from some of hip-hop’s most respected MCs (he’s already done songs with Jadakiss, Pusha T and Raekwon.) Cons: He’s probably way too regional. So regional, in fact, we wonder if he can really reach broad success in this game. We’re kind of on the fence, but until he shows some more depth, he gets a fail.

Grade: Fail

Final Verdict: XXL had a great year picking stars last year. Using our scale, XXL got eight out of 11 right.