Posted by 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.
The borough of Brooklyn has birthed multiple artists who have been considered crown-holders of the genre and J.I., a.k.a the self-proclaimed "Prince of N.Y.," hopes his hip-hop lineage holds the same course. The Brooklyn native got his first taste of rap fame when he competed on Jermaine Dupri's reality TV hip-hop competition show, The Rap Game, in 2016. Despite not coming out victorious on that show, the exposure only pushed him harder.
After regrouping, the 18-year-old MC turned 2019 into his breakout year. The Latino lyricist put out the projects Hood Life Krisis Vol. 1 and Hood Life Krisis Vol. 2, with his most successful singles “Need Me” and “Blame on Me” appearing on the former and boasting over 30 million combined views on YouTube. J.I. began 2020 with his first headlining tour and has another multi-city trek planned for the spring, as well as new music on the way. Watch the throne.
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