Posted by Coi Leray knew she was destined for greatness. The last few months of 2021 have solidified that train of thought. The North Jersey and Boston-bred artist, who dips in both her rapping and singing bag, secured her first platinum-selling track with "No More Parties" this year. Though the song finds Coi moving away from party life, she's still out here celebrating the many wins she keeps accumulating, including being a 2021 XXL Freshman. The top honor, which she dubs "an appreciation stamp" had to go to Coi for continuing to elevate. She's come a long way from riding in the big drop on 2018's "Huddy."
“When I first got the call, I already knew I was going to be a Freshman," the Republic Records signee affirms. "I put in the work, for real, for real. I went platinum in less than three months, my numbers are crazy. We got over [55] million views on YouTube alone, which is to the 'No More Parties’ video."
While she was included as an artist in the running for the past two Freshman classes, the 24-year-old artist knows now is the time. "And besides what I have been dropping, I’ve been hopping on remixes like Pressa’s 'Attachments,’ from Canada, which is going crazy; DDG’s’ “Impatient,’ which we just dropped a video, which is going crazy," says Coi, whose debut album, COI, arrives this summer. "There are so many more people that I have been working with and just everything that I’ve been doing. I knew it was going to happen. I was destined to greatness. It was only a matter of time. Timing is everything, you know?" She's got verifiable proof of success on hip-hop's clock.
But Coi knows better than anyone that the road to this level of fame comes with its fair share of headaches. "It took a lot, throughout the trials and tribulations to just get here," she admits. "It’s a lot of fucking blood, sweat and tears I can tell you that much. God is good. It’s a blessing to be here and without my team, I wouldn’t even be able to be here. It takes a really strong team to really build a brand. I’m more than an artist, I’m a brand." One she hope will be everlasting.
Coi, who's one of four women on the XXL Freshman cover this year along with Flo Milli, Rubi Rose and Lakeyah, is the artist with vitality and dynamic energy that shines on every song, in every video and throughout her social media presence. She brings these qualities, along with plenty of melody, to her Freshman freestyle.
The rising star keeps it real about her trust issues, family and pain in her lyrics. "I'm not poppin' out ’til I got a couple Ms sittin' right in my bank account/And my family dependin' on me, I'm the one that's gon' make it out/I'm so paranoid, I think everybody gonna snake me out/I think everybody out to get me now/So that's why I'm geeked up off this Henny now/Yeah, I'm numbin' the pain, I don't feel it now/And I got ’em so mad ’cause I'm winnin' now/Yeah, the glock on my waist I might air it out/Fit it right in my purse, I don't wear it out/Make sure the bag matchin' my shoes, they Maison Margiela, my chains I'ma wear ’em out," she raps.
Before she caps off her final bars, she switches up her flow and shows love to her favorite jeweler: "Fell in love with this money, yeah I count it in my sleep/Avianne this water, yeah, he got it from the sea."
Watch Coi Leray add her special sauce to her 2021 XXL Freshman freestyle, powered by BODYARMOR, below.