Revisiting XXL Freshmen of the Past | 2011’s Class – Where Are They Now?

– Revisiting The 2011 XXL Freshmen –
Their Success & Where Are They Now?

The year 2011 XXL Freshmen featured one of the most star-studded classes in recent memory. With Compton’s golden child, Bompton’s golden child, Easy Mac with the Cheesy Raps, and of course, Philly’s Dream Chaser. This is arguably the best overall Freshmen class EVER!

As we’ve done three times before, with the 2007 XXL Freshman, the 2009 XXL 10 Freshmen and with the 10 XXL Freshmen of 2010, we revisit the 2011 XXL Freshmen. Here’s a second look at just how successful those artists were and a look at where those artists are now.

The 2011 XXL Freshmen

Lil B
The BasedGod. In 2007 with his group The Pack, Lil B released The Based Boys, their first album. Lil B released 3 solo mixtapes, signed to Soulja Boy’s SODMG Record Label and released his debut album, Rain in England before getting the XXL Freshmen mention. He signed to Amalgam Digital and the music releases just kept coming, mostly by way of digital only releases. The Bay Area bred emcee has made a career off of putting out an overwhelming amount of content and jumping right in the mix of controversy. He’s hopped in the ring with several rappers… and a notable NBA player [James Harden]. His album, I’m Gay (I’m Happy) really helped him build his mainstream buzz.

Where Are They Now?
The music has become less consistent, but Lil B still finds a way to grab attention. He released his “Basedmoji” app in 2015. He’s often seen on ESPN talking about which players are cursed and aren’t, particularly around NBA playoff time.

His last mixtape, Black Ken was released back in 2017.

Fred the Godson

A rapper from the Bronx who is heralded by some to be a lyrical genius and has worked with Dipset’s Jim Jones and Young Money’s Cory Gunz. The 34 year old emcee has released several mixtapes and a couple street singles but never quite met the buzz that gets created by even an average XXL Freshmen. He is well respected by artists nationwide having released singles featuring Diddy, Rick Ross, Jadakiss and many more.