The year 2016 for hip hop has been monumental in introducing more modern styles while still maintaining classic hip hop fundamentals. From rags to riches, rappers such as 21 Savage have had to adjust from street life to life in the spotlight. The 2016 XXL Freshman Class consisted of Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert, Denzel Curry, G Herbo, Lil Yachty, 21 Savage, Lil Dicky, Designer, Anderson Paak, and Dave East. XXL is a notorious hip hop/ rap magazine and being featured in the freshman class is a major accomplishment. Previous members of the freshman class include Lupe Fiasco, Kid Cudi, J Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance the Rapper.
The artists of this year’s freshman class come from all over the country and most have passionate fan bases in their local cities. The class consists of 19 year olds to 30 years old and carries a very high expectation for the future.
High expectations and new lifestyles can be difficult to adjust to and pose problems for artists that were in high school less than a year ago. Kodak Black, or Dieuson Octave, has had a rough track record with the law. His legal issues include being charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of cannabis, and fleeing from officers in April of 2016, and in September, Kodak was sentenced to four months in jail for two misdemeanor drug charges. Among the other freshman no one comes near to Kodak’s criminal history. Designer also has drug and weapon charges and Lil Uzi Vert was recently arrested after attempting to flee the Atlanta PD on a dirt bike. Talent can only take you so far, and legal issues seemed destined to affect some of the 2016 Freshman Class.
Two members of the Freshman Class were recently nominated for Grammys: Anderson Paak and Lil Yachty were nominated for Best New Artist and Best Rap/Sung Performance respectively. Although winning a grammy is a different challenge being nominated for such an award is an astounding honor. Kodak Black’s “Lockjaw” just recently went gold which is extremely impressive given that he is only 19. For some in the class the future is very bright while others will have to avoid obstacles and keep their life on track if they want to cement their name into the hip hop history books.