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, launched Monday (March 30), which means hip-hop's rising newcomers are vying for a spot on the 2020 XXL Freshman cover.
Calboy popped up on rap's radar in 2018, and since then, the Chicago-born rapper has been steady moving. Thanks to Calboy's melodic tales of life in the struggle and overcoming hardship, his sing-song anthems like the 2018 song "Envy Me" have taken him to new heights. The song exploded on the video platforms TikTok and Triller in 2018 and 2019, leading him to a No. 31 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The video for the track has over 176 million YouTube views and has been streamed more than 268 million times on SoundCloud.
In May of 2019, the 20-year-old rapper released his debut major label project, Wildboy, which includes hits like the triple-platinum track “Envy Me.” Most recently, Calboy, who is managed by Meek Mill's Dream Chasers imprint, dropped his latest EP, Long Live The Kings via Polo Grounds Music/RCA Records. The effort features tracks with artists like Lil Baby ("Givenchy Kickin"), G Herbo ("Purpose") and Lil Tjay ("Barbarian"). The rising rapper is on a hot streak. Music isn’t the only thing Calboy is focusing on; he plans to release a sci-fi book, too.
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