XXL Freshman Cover Snubs

For almost 10 years the XXL Freshman cover has been one of the most debated lists in Hip-Hop. Of course, every year someone gets “left off” and opinions go flying.

Trying to pick and predict the next big stars in rap year after year is no easy task. With so many rappers to choose from, it’s inevitable that a talented, “deserving” rapper is going to get overlooked. Some years, it’s who is left off cover that matters more than the artists who are on it.

2016’s edition is no different with artists like Young Dolph and OT Genasis not making the cut despite having some of the biggest songs of the last year both together and separately.

Another factor that has to be considered in making the list is that some artists who are invited choose not to come. Everything from schedule conflicts to accusations of being “scared” have come up as reasons why.

While the XXL Freshman cover criteria seems to slide and change year after year, people’s strong opinions about it stay steadfast. Here is a list of some of the biggest snubs and turn downs.

Mistah F.A.B.

Mistah Foreva Afta Bread has had a reputation as one of the most lyrical rappers and best freestylers in the game for years now, but he has never appeared on the XXL Freshman cover. He looked to be a shoe in for the 2008 cover on the strength of surviving the rise and fall of the Bay Area’s Hyphy movement, but it didn’t happen for him.

Waka Flocka Flame

Circa 2009-10 Gucci Mane had a whole clique of disciples that were primed to be XXL Freshman that year. At the time though, OJ Da Juiceman was the only one with more than one recognizable hit. Waiting in the wings was Waka Flocka Flame with his bubbling smash “Oh Let’s Do It.” So for the 2010 issue XXL chose to roll with OJ since Waka only had one song out at the time. OJ went on to live in infamy over his XXL Freshman freestyle, while Waka would go on to become a bigger star and one day land the cover by himself.

Drake & Nicki Minaj

As dope as the 2010 XXL Freshman class was (J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Nipsey Hussle, Freddie Gibbs) two glaring omissions were Drake and Nicki Minaj. Granted, they weren’t the big superstars they would become yet, they still figured that they were too big for the cover at the time. Drake went on record saying that him declining the cover was a form of “returning the favor” to XXL for not putting them on the cover when they were actually freshmen putting out their very first albums. The both of them would later cover the magazine together.

Dom Kennedy

To this day, no one can seem to find a reason why Dom Kennedy has NEVER appeared on the XXL Freshman cover. People forget that he’s never been on the list because most assume that he was on it already. For the most part, the music and the image he promotes is the epitome of what the XXL Freshman is. During his best years of eligibility from 2008 to 2012 every excuse in the book was thrown as to why he wasn’t selected. Whether it was because he hadn’t been out long enough or he had been out too long, it started to seem like him getting left off the list was personal.

A$AP Rocky

When A$AP Rocky did not appear on the 2012 XXL Freshman cover all hell broke loose as people went as far to say that the magazine was losing its credibility. XXL did have Rocky on their list but he did not appear on the cover because he was too busy “touring and stuff” according to an interview. He also went on to say that he thought most of the people on the cover were “corny” anyway. He would later end up with his own cover the next year alongside French Montana.

Vado

Harlem rapper Vado was supposed to be on the 2011 XXL Freshman cover with Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill, Big K.R.I.T., YG and few other names that went on to succeed but he wasn’t there. Why? Because his mentor Cam’Ron felt that XXL came knocking a year too late and chose to decline the offer. At the time Cam felt that Vado deserved a cover all by himself and that he was going to be on the front of an upcoming issue of The Source. That never happened and Vado hasn’t been on the cover of anything since.

Young Thug

Young Thug was expected to appear on the 2014 XXL Freshman cover alongside Chance The Rapper, Rich Homie Quan, Kevin Gates, Troy Ave, Vic Mensa and others. Even though XXL Editor-In-Chief Vanessa Satten didn’t think he qualified to be on the cover yet since he only had two hit songs out at the time, he was still invited. Thugger agreed to be on the cover but he flaked the night before and never gave a reason why.

Earl Sweatshirt & Tyler, The Creator

It is pretty odd that no Odd Future member has ever made it on to the XXL Freshman cover. None of the members have ever seemed to sweat the issue though.

Tory Lanez

Two months before XXL even revealed the cover, Toronto’s Tory Lanez hopped on Twitter and said that he declined being on the cover, because you care.

https://twitter.com/torylanez/status/721071654152105984