Welcome to Mixdown, an ongoing series where Pitchfork staffers and contributors talk about mixtapes, mixes, and other beat-based ephemera that may not be covered in our reviews section but are worth discussing. Today, Baltimore Sun writer Wesley Case comes thru to talk about the new XXL's 2014 Freshman Class.
Corban Goble: I miss the days of seeing this cover and not knowing who the hell nine out of 12 people were on here—and then racing to Cocaine Blunts, which I still advise doing—but these days, XXL plays it safe, perhaps taking the INTERNET OUTRAGE a little too seriously and making boring choices as a result. For those following the scene, picks like Ty Dolla $ign, Rich Homie Quan, and Chance the Rapper won’t register as bold selections, though none of those guys are household names. And yeah, they’re all “guys,” no women made XXL’s list this year (Angel Haze made last year’s cover, and Iggy Azalea made it the year before). The names I don’t know here—Jarren Benton and Jon Connor—seem like attempts to further cover their bases. Do you think anyone is missing here Wes? Does the Freshman Class matter?
Wesley Case: Glad to know I was not the only rap fan to Google “Jarren Benton.”
CG: He seems to be some kind of Hopsin offshoot, which is a good thing to learn early in the research process... so I know he's completely safe to ignore.
WC: My initial reaction was “hmm, not bad!” The emphasis on Chicago (Chance, Durk, Vic Mensa, and Bibby) feels easy but appropriate, Kevin Gates getting shine is never a bad thing, and Isiah Rashad backed-up his TDE affiliation with January’s still-slapping Cilvia Demo.
But of course, further examination leads to some head-scratching—R&B is apparently eligible now (August Alsina and Ty Dolla $ign), and, as you pointed out, the lack of women is a bit of a bummer. (3D Na’Tee, I see you!) Young Thug was going to be included, but XXL editor Vanessa Satten said he bailed last minute. Dom Kennedy? K Camp? The only thing I know is this cover remains an effective tool to get people to care—and actually debate—about a magazine, of all things, in 2014! Print ain’t dead, y’all readers just scared.
CG: I’m not sure if it’s what they intended, since Vic Mensa’s INNANETAPE definitely put him in the picture for the Freshmen list, but his inclusion seems like a choice that might seem savvy years down the line. But then again, I’m a fan of his new-ish direction and see some potential for him to blow up in a way he might not have.
CG: Also, there’s always rumors flying around that artists will decline the cover for a variety of logistical reasons. Here’s a story about YG declining the cover in 2012. Here’s one about Young Thug declining the cover. And Drake! Maybe declining the cover is the look here!
WC: Drake and Nicki Minaj declining a Freshmen cover and then using it as leverage for their own cover was great. (I bet Birdman rubbed his hands extra approvingly then.) Two more snubs for ‘14: Vince Staples, whose star-turn on Earl Sweatshirt’s “Hive” led to the underappreciated and vivid Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2. And I can’t believe we haven’t mentioned it yet, but XXL failed, once again, to include French Montana’s incredible bear hat/vest from 2012’s Freshmen cover. Frankly, it deserves a spot every year.
OK, what about the people who did make it: Who benefits most from his inclusion?
CG: Probably the still-on-the-rise guys like Lil Bibby and Troy Ave, as well as the guys (Connor, Benton) who don’t seem good at all. If you can make the cover XXL without having to really earn it, that’s a great look!
If I had to guess who the SUPREME STAR of the 12 would be, I’d probably say Chance—he’s had an audience excited about his music since Acid Rap dropped last year, and people imagine him doing great things, even though if it's not apparently clear what those great things might be. He has a certain star-like magnetism, though the overalls/sideboob look was a mistake. How bout you?
WC: Those overalls suck, but I would not bet against Chance. My pick is Ty Dolla, whose talent as a songwriter becomes more apparent with each new song (I thought he would struggle to top “My Cabana” and then he laughed in my face with “Paranoid” and “Or Nah”) and feature (“Sorry Momma” from YG’s album wouldn’t hit nearly as hard emotionally without him). I imagine Rich Homie Quan having a nice career, too.
CG: We talked earlier, and I think it's time to present what we would have done as the XXL cover if we were in charge:
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