Every year, the XXL Freshman cover spotlights emerging artists who have consistently invested effort to ensure their music reaches the intended audience. Some of them eventually become international superstars, while others establish long-lasting niches, and influence subsequent generations of rappers. The 2026 XXL Freshman Class presents one of the most diverse lineups in recent years.
The list features a combination of street rap, soft tracks, underground beats, and raw music. Instead of promoting a particular direction, this year’s class highlights the different routes to success in the modern rap scene and highlights the different sounds of rap.
Skrilla
If people think they don’t know Skrilla, they definitely know his work as the theme to the most infamous trend of this generation. His song “Doot Doot” aka 67 is a chart topper that became a viral sensation, which has forever changed the way Gen Alpha counts to ten. If you rock with his Philly Drill sound, artists like Meek Mill, Rockout Danny, and Pooh Sheisty will be in your wheelhouse.
Trim
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From starting out posting her freestyles on TikTok, Trim saw social media stardom recently for her song “Coconut Water” and “BOAT,” which features her fellow freshman YKNiece on the remix. Her flow and style show inspirations from female artists like Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim while bringing a unique South Carolina Flavor.
YKNiece
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“Take Me Thru Dere” and “Whim Whamiee” artist YKNiece has been all over the hot girl rap scene, picking up features with DaBaby, Metro Boomin, and Glorilla. She’s really captured the sound of what’s popular today, akin to artists like Sexxy Redd and JT.
Belly Gang Kushington
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Hailing from Atlanta, Belly Gang Kushington is best known for his song, “Friend Do” which also has a remix with YKNiece. Most recently, he was nominated for a BET Award for Best New Artist in May.
La Reezy
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La Reezy is a New Orleans based artist who recently started his come up with music like “Hardhead” and “Family Bizzy”, and just put out his debut album, Skiddle Banana. He takes the most inspiration from Tyler the Creator, but his youthful yet hardhitting sound is also similar to Baby Keem, JID, and MIKE.
Slayr
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Slayr is one of the more popular picks this year, amassing over a million monthly followers and holding a steady presence in the underground scene since 2022 with “FOURTH GEAR CYPHER!” His most recent album, Half Blood, has shot him up in popularity, with songs like “Love Blur” and “Sloppy Joe” blowing up on TikTok. His music is known to be sample and production heavy, representing a new spin on the rage vibe of the underground scene.
Sosocamo
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Sosocamo from North Carolina is a fresher face of this year’s freshman class. His most popular song, “keep steady,” has over 100 million streams on Spotify and was popularized by a Batman edit on TikTok. He released his sophomore album, big country, earlier this year. His deep, melodic cadence might remind you of artists like Future.
Chris Patrick
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Making music since 2019, Chris Patrick has gained acclaim from music fans for his smooth beats and flow. Alongside repping Jersey rap, he brings a refreshing R&B flavor to this year’s Freshman Class but still has the ability to flow hard. His sound ranges from Bryson Tiller to G Herbo. He’s appeared on soundtracks for the Steph Curry movie GOAT and Scary Movie 6, as well as on Kai Cenat’s Mafiathon 3 streams.
Trap Dickey
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Trap Dickey is another Freshman coming out of South Carolina. His hit single “Blue Devils,” got him off the ground in 2023 and eventually got DaBaby as a feature. This year, he signed with Top Dawg Entertainment and dropped his second album, The Ville.
Babyfxce E
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Babyfxce represents Michigan with a standout Detroit flow that you can hear from artists like Babyface Ray or Tee Grizzley. His song PTP has been popping off with over 30 million streams on Spotify, but he’s also known for featuring on BFB The Packman’s “Kentucky Love”, which was trending on TikTok in 2024.
Hurricane Wisdom
Hurricane Wisdom is a Florida rapper who’s been dropping projects independently since 2021, but saw mainstream success most recently for “Giannis,” and earlier for his feature on SpotemGottem’s “Got A Lil Older.” His introspective writing is often paired with melodic production to create a unique product.
Miles Minnick
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Voted by fans as this year’s tenth pick, Miles Minnick is a christian rapper from the Bay Area, making history as the first of his kind in an XXL Freshman Class. He dropped his debut album, Via Dolorosa in 2025 and performed at Rolling Loud that same year.
The range in picks from drill to R&B to Christian Rap confirms the inclusive nature of XXL and the overall state of the modern rap scene and shows that all music is music, which values variety and constant exploration of new styles and genres.
The XXL Freshman cover is only the beginning of the long journey to rap stardom. Listeners can experience the freestyles, cyphers, and interviews that will help them discover the artists who have earned their spot on the cover. The 2026 XXL Freshman Class will allow the audience to identify the future superstars and support their careers on their way to greater success. While it is still unknown who will eventually become a household name, the XXL team has once again demonstrated its ability to spot the rising talent in the rap world. It is expected that several names on the list will shape the future of modern music.
