XXL Magazine Explains Their Freshman Cover [Video]

Well, somebody had some explaining to do! Take a look at this interview between XXL Editor's and the radio crew at NY's Hot97 as they discuss this year's cover and how they go about selecting the freshman class.

Previous: XXL Freshman Class of 2012 Announced

XXL Freshman Class of 2012 Announced

Let the debating begin. You'll have our answer to the cover as soon as we can get it to you. In the meantime, hit the jump to give us your opinion on how XXL did this year with their picks. We're expecting a lot of disappointment from most...

XXL Presents: Common's 50 Greatest Verses

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Now with nine studio albums under his belt and many guest appearances on top of that it's difficult to choose the standout verses of Common's extensive discography. The folks over at XXL have put together this list of "50 Greatest Verses" from one of the G.O.A.T.

Previous: Common: This Is Hip Hop (Directed by Court Dunn) [Video]

50 Candidates for XXL's 2012 Freshman Class

One of the most controversial and anticipated moments in hip-hop news every year is the release of XXL's "Freshman Class". Each year, the hip-hop powerhouse lets go of a list of artists that they believe are the next big thing in the game. However, this year they decided to do things a bit differently. XXL picked 50 artists that they believe are "Freshman Class" worthy. After a group of professionals choose their nine Freshmen, they are letting the fans decide the tenth and final spot. So, before the voting ends on January 1st, head on over to XXL to cast your vote for your favorite artists. Hit the jump for the full list.

Also, be on the lookout for our own "Freshman Class" list to be dropping before the voting ends.

Cortez – Lookin For Trouble ft. Sha Stimuli & Mickey Factz

Cortez has a mixtape, XXL Freshmen: I’m In A Class All By Myself, hosted by DJ Me$$iah dropping December 6th. With this track, he brings in a couple familiar names to so real hip hop fans in Mikey Factz and Sha. These guys kill it over the Kanye instrumental.