Before the 2020 XXL Freshman class will be revealed this summer, the Freshman hopefuls are here to show and prove why they deserve a spot in this year’s class. The 10th Spot voting, powered by SoundCloud, launches today (March 30), which means hip-hop's rising newcomers are vying for a spot on the 2020 XXL Freshman cover.
Drenched in authenticity, New Orleans-born, Atlanta-bred rapper Yung Mal is looking like the next to blow out of the south. After coming into the game alongside Lil Quill with their popular Blessed Lil Bastards series in 2017, the pair soon inked a deal with Gucci Mane's 1017 Eskimo Records. However, a brief stint in jail for Quill led the 25-year-old Mal to work on solo music, and he dropped his debut solo effort, Iceburg, in August of 2019. The project, which was released on 1017 Eskimo and Alamo Records, features appearances from Gunna, Lil Gotit, P'ierre Bourne, King Von, Quill and more.
Just six months after his first tape, Mal showed how serious his work ethic is by dropping a second project. March 2020's 6 Rings features Lil Keed, Lil Gotit and Doe Boy and plenty of bangers. Mal still has more on the way, too. The southern spitter has plans to drop new music every Friday, proving he's not slowing down anytime soon. With blunt lyrics and a relentless work ethic, Mal believes he's off to do big things, with one of those being a spot on the 2020 XXL Freshman cover.
Now that you've heard his pitch, remember to vote for your favorite artist beginning March 30. The 2020 XXL Freshman 10th Spot will run for one week. This is where the public gets the chance to vote an artist into the XXL Freshman Class. Go here to make your vote count for your favorite artist.
Once you've voted, head over to XXL’s YouTube page to take a look back at the 2019 XXL Freshman Class, which features DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, YBN Cordae, Rico Nasty, Gunna, Comethazine, Tierra Whack, Lil Mosey, Roddy Ricch, Blueface and YK Osiris.
And watch all the 2020 XXL Freshman pitch videos that have been released on XXL’s YouTube page here.
See Photos of Every XXL Freshman Ever Inducted Into the Freshman Class Over the Years