Ten Years of the 2016 XXL Freshman Class: Documentary and Lookback at an Iconic Generation

Ten years ago, hip hop magazine XXL assembled a group of young rappers who would go on to shape the direction of modern rap in a major way. To mark that anniversary, XXL is launching a summer long tribute program celebrating the 2016 Freshman Class, made possible in part by Rémy Martin. Part of that retrospective is a documentary about the cultural impact of the class, along with video features in which DJ Drama interviews the artists involved about what the cover meant to them and the lasting legacy they have built.

The class consisted of ten artists, each bringing their own sound and perspective: Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Lil Yachty, Denzel Curry, G Herbo, Anderson.Paak, Lil Dicky, Dave East, and Desiigner. Together they represented a turning point in rap music, the moment when the streaming era fundamentally changed the way artists built their sound and their careers.

In the ten years that followed, the classmates racked up some impressive achievements. 21 Savage grew into one of the most respected street rappers around, with multiple number one albums and a Grammy Award to his name. Anderson.Paak earned international fame as a Grammy winner and as one half of the duo Silk Sonic alongside Bruno Mars. Denzel Curry was praised for his lyrical sharpness, while G Herbo turned the sound of the streets into widely heard rap music. Dave East combined his music career with acting, and Lil Dicky carved out a unique niche by blending music, comedy, and television. Lil Uzi Vert and Kodak Black delivered generation defining hits, Lil Yachty evolved into a creative force and brand ambassador, and Desiigner scored one of the biggest hits of the decade.

The anniversary content will appear on a dedicated landing page that will be updated regularly over the next two months. For hip hop fans in the Netherlands, where the influence of the American rap scene is strongly felt in homegrown urban music, this retrospective is a great opportunity to see how artists like 21 Savage and Anderson.Paak have left their mark on a generation that is now dominating the charts itself.