The 2025 XXL Freshman Class Is Here

The coveted XXL Freshman Class and cover is officially here. At one point, this was a major milestone for up-and-coming artists—a signal they were next up and success was on the horizon. These days, with the rise of social media and TikTok, the cover isn’t as essential as it once was. Still, credit to XXL for keeping the tradition alive and giving new talent a real spotlight. This year’s class includes GELO, Ray Vaughn, Ian, and Eem Triplin, artists we’ve had our eye on all year. Also featured are Lazer Dim 700, Samara Cym, Nino Paid, Low Shimmy, 1900Rugrat, YTB Fatt, and Babychiefdoit.

The music game is tough right now, rap isn’t dominating streaming or charts like it used to. But there’s no denying the talent here, and we’ll be watching to see who breaks through. Check out the cover above and catch the full XXL announcement here.