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.
Over the last several years, Detroit's enjoyed a rap resurgence, and 25-year-old Detroit artist 42 Dugg is part of that new burst of talent. After taking up rap while locked up behind bars for six years, Dugg quickly found that he had a knack for vivid street rhymes. After unloading projects like 11241 Wayburn and 11241 Wayburn, Part. 2 in 2018, Dugg began to hit his musical stride as he earned thousands of streams on SoundCloud. That same year, he dropped "The Streets," a Babyface Ray-assisted single that helped give him his most visibility to date. The video for the track has been viewed over 7 million times on YouTube.
In March of 2019, Dugg, who'd recently signed with Yo Gotti's Collective Music Group along with Lil Baby's 4PF imprint, continued his rise by dropping his Young and Turnt project. Most recently, he landed his first-ever Billboard Hot 100 chart placement by appearing on Lil Baby's song "Grace." With a growing fan base, cosigns from Gotti and Baby and more, 42 Dugg is on the rise despite hitting a snag when he was recently arrested for firing a gun at a gun range while having a felony history. His most recently released, 14-track project, Young & Turnt 2, features Lil Baby and Yo Gotti.
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