The cyphers are about presence, attitude and that undeniable spark that makes the audience pay attention. For many of these artists, this is their first national spotlight moment, where they can grab ...

Here is part 1 of the 2012 XXL Freshmen class cypher. In this 1st segment you’ll get to see Hopsin, Roscoe Dash, Machine Gun Kelly, Future and Danny Brown all kick a few bars while DJ Whoo Kid spins a ...

Over the last 17 years, XXL has proudly and confidently worked to predict the next rap stars to take over hip-hop. New artists burst onto the scene daily with the makings of the next J. Cole, Kendrick ...

Before XXL's staff selects the class members, they hold daily meetings with nearly 100 of rap's newest stars starting in January before wrapping in April with the final 12 artists chosen. Over the ...

Yesterday we saw the first part of XXL’s 2015 Freshman cypher featuring Raury, Tink, Kidd Kidd and K Camp. Today we get to see the second part of the cypher, this time including GoldLink, OG Maco and ...

The XXL Freshman Cypher is more than just a stage; it’s a statement. Every year, XXL handpicks a new roster of up-and-comers, setting them loose in a raw, unfiltered rap battle where they make their ...