XXL Magazine has announced its 2025 Freshman Class, featuring 12 emerging rap artists chosen from 68 candidates. The annual list highlights the most promising new talent in hip-hop.
The 2025 XXL Freshman Class
This year’s class includes:
- Ray Vaughn
- BabyChiefDoit
- Eem Triplin
- 1900Rugrat
- Samara Cyn
- Ian
- Gelo
- Loe Shimmy
- Lazer Dim 700
- YTB Fatt
- Nino Paid
- EBK Jaaybo (10th Spot Winner)
Producer Cardo Got Wings will create beats for this year’s cyphers.
Selection Process and Challenges
XXL’s team held meetings with dozens of artists, listening to unreleased music and discussing career goals. The magazine says these 12 artists stood out for their talent, raw bars, real stories, and energy.
One notable issue occurred when EBK Jaaybo, the 10th Spot Winner, was arrested on his way to the photo shoot. He could not participate in the group activities but remains part of the class.
What’s Next
Over the next month, XXL will release freestyles, cyphers, and other content featuring each artist on their YouTube channel and website.
The Freshman issue is now available for purchase. It includes interviews with the 2025 class and other artists like Aminé, Larry June, and Key Glock. The magazine also looks back at the 2024 class and explores who might be the biggest XXL Freshman ever.
18-Year Tradition Continues
The XXL Freshman list has been discovering new rap talent for 18 years. The magazine notes that streaming has created a much larger pool of potential artists, making the selection process more competitive.
XXL calls this year’s class “a movement” and says they are bringing “heat you can’t ignore.”
