Mixtape's 2022 Freshman Class

Every year, XXL puts out a “Freshman List” of who they think are the best up-and-coming artists in the game. These heavily debated lists have predicted the rise of many hip-hop stars in past years. With so many big releases this year, we feel like XXL left out some freshmen that are on the rise and changing the game. We compiled a list of these artists and why we expect them to leap into the mainstream in the near future. Here is Mixtape’s 2022 Freshman Class.

Graphic by: Quinn Carletta

D. Savage 

D. Savage, born Dylan McCord, is a 24-year-old rapper out of Queens. His music can be closely associated with “lean rap”, which is a genre of rap that mixes cloudy, psychedelic beats with lyrics about heavy drug use and the lifestyle in which that entails. It’s a genre pioneered by rappers like Future and furthered by current stars like Lucki. He has been dropping music since he was 17 and entered the mainstream with a snippet of his song “I Know”. This song was released back in 2017 and currently sits with over 25 million streams on Spotify. Since then he has signed a major label deal under Capitol Records and has released three albums with features from big players such as Lil Yachty and Trippie Redd while continuing the underground sound by putting smaller artists on. 

This has been a long overdue appreciation of an artist whose impact has been felt on the underground sound for multiple years now. He is one of the last members of the Soundcloud era who have neither transitioned into the mainstream nor fallen into oblivion. You still hear the influence of this era on his 2021 project “BPL”. Many of the songs have intro snippets of common internet memes as the beat creeps up on you and you’re bobbing your head. If you haven’t checked him out yet, you may miss the bandwagon of one of the best young artists in the game. - Kai Murphy

Kenny Mason

“I know I'm fortunate I ain't get shot up/I just hit the charts and I shot up/Now I'm bout to bring Jayxin and Vonte and Scott up” Kenny Mason proclaims on his track “43”, explaining his emergence as a talented artist from the streets of Atlanta and his plans to bring his close ones with him to the top. The self-proclaimed “pup” has exploded onto the scene with a versatile range, heavily influenced by grunge and trap, and massive cosigns and support from big dogs like J. Cole and Freddie Gibbs. 

Mason first emerged in the rap scene in 2019 with a trap banger single called “Hit”, and in the years following he gained major industry backing. Mason released his first album Angelic Hoodrat in 2020, with a supercut in 2021 that added features from Gibbs and Denzel Curry. Before the release of his sophomore album RUFFS on September 28th, the year already looked like Mason was about to blow. He had recently dropped a feature verse on Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats’ Unlocked 1.5, screamed the chorus to Dreamville’s smash-hit “Stick”, and featured on two choruses for JID’s masterpiece The Forever Story. 

Moving in a slightly different direction, RUFFS shows an impressively cohesive blend between hyper-trap, punk rock, and grunge elements. The style of Mason’s newest cut fits perfectly into the current rap scene, where spacey synth beats and Travis Barker-esque drums have been dominating. Mason’s music identifies perfectly with the generation that grew up listening to Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Nirvana, and My Bloody Valentine, as the Atlanta-native blends these styles seamlessly. It’s safe to say, whether it’s an 808-heavy trap beat or a filthy grunge guitar line, Kenny Mason’s music is made for today’s scene and he’s destined for success. - Harry Sutton

Wesley Joseph

Wesley Joseph is a British-born songwriter, producer, and filmmaker. The 25-year-old was one of the founding members of the OG Horse Collective, a group of rappers, singers, designers, and photographers, which then included fellow UK artist Jorja Smith.  

Joseph came on the scene in 2021 with the release of three singles: “Imaginary Friends”, “Martyrs”, and “Ghostin”, all of which showcase Joseph’s psychedelic and mellow tone that he brings with his music. However, Joseph’s 2021 debut project, Ultramarine, is a big step up from his previous singles. Ultramarine sees Joseph pulling from elements of hip-hop, alternative R&B, and electronic music. It is on Ultramarine where we can really hear Joseph showing off his range rapping on harder hitting cuts like “Thrilla” and the title track “Ultramarine”, and singing on tracks like “Ur_Room” and “Patience” featuring Jorja Smith. 

With the quality of Joseph’s releases so far, he is someone I think deserves a lot more recognition. Joseph holds a lot of potential with his creative production and lyricism, and he should be on the rise especially with the release of his new single “Cold Summer” as well as if he keeps collaborating with Jorja Smith. Look forward to Joseph becoming one of the more popular UK artists in the coming years. - Davis Fulling

Destroy Lonely

Despite his album dropping just a few weeks into August, Destroy Lonely, a 21-year-old rapper out of Atlanta and son of rapper I-20 (formerly known as Infamous 2-0), still managed to release one of hip-hop’s albums of the summer. NO STYLIST is a rage classic that proves Lonely’s potential as an artist, as the 19-track tape only contains one 12-verse feature from fellow Playboi Carti signee, Ken Carson. The Carti influence on Lonely’s sound and the production of the album is very recognizable, predominantly on the consecutive tracks “DANGEROUS” and “CRYSTLCSTLES” with their guitar-based instrumentals that take after the “rockstar” and “vamp” image heard on Whole Lotta Red. Yet, Lonely comes into his unique sound on tracks like “NOSTYLIST” and “VETERAN,” where his impressive vocals fit perfectly with the layered, euphoric synth melodies of his beats. 

This familiar but distinctive sound of NO STYLIST was very well received from a fan point of view, earning him his first appearance on Billboard’s Top 200 albums following its release. Not only this, but also Lonely is also a favorite on TikTok with the title track and his 2019 viral single, “Bane,” both being used in over 400K videos total. Lonely begins a solo tour for his album this Winter, so fans will be eagerly waiting for what is to come next from the young rapper; hopefully for a body of work that could establish him as the face of the Opium label. - Alex Wojcik

Redveil

It would be hard to make a freshmen class list of rappers without having the would-be freshmen in college, Redveil. You wouldn’t think he’s as young as he is, as the DMV rapper floats over his self-produced jazzy beats like he’s a seasoned rap veteran. Redveil hasn’t just caught our attention though, as Tyler, The Creator listed his song “Drown” as one of his favorite songs of 2020, and he’s been a supporting act on Denzel Curry and Freddie Gibbs’ most recent tours. Songs like “Weight” and “pg baby” are prime examples of why Redveil has gained the attention of larger rappers, as his samples are reminiscent of the early 2000s, but he still finds a way to make them sound modern and cleaner.

His influences, such as Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Earl Sweatshirt, are prevalent in his sound as well, as it’s not just his beats that will blow you away. Redveil’s songs and albums might be short, but they are packed with meaningful and sincere lyrics about his youth, the people around him, and his future aspirations. These themes make up a majority of his most recent album, “learn 2 swim”, as he tells us about his youth in Maryland, but also how “every season I’ma blast off and reach that different level.” He intriguingly connects his past and future, making it clear to us why he raps with such tenacity. Redveil has high aspirations and all the ability he needs to achieve them, including already having a soon-to-be trademarked “redveil” sound. - James Kelly

Mike Dimes

Arguably one of the more recognizable names on this list, Mike Dimes rose to prominence after his single, My Story, went viral on TikTok. Gathering millions of views on social media led to the Texas-born rapper being able to share his upbeat and high-energy music on a more mainstream level, leading to his 2021 debut album DLOG. Following DLOG was his single NO TRENDS, a gritty, upbeat song about making a path for yourself and breaking social norms. This year he released his new album, IN DIMES WE TRUST, which was a commercial success. Songs like NO TRENDS and HOME have gathered over 35 million streams each on Spotify. 

Mike Dimes’ flow, delivery, and great selection of gritty beats really helped to set the narcissistic tone of the 21-year-old rapper’s style. He has a lot of fun with his lyrics, and it’s easy to tell that he takes influence from other artists like A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$, and OutKast. Having already been on tours with big names like EARTHGANG and Denzel Curry, it’s no question that Mike Dimes is looking to become hip hop’s next big thing. He already has a great album under his belt with IN DIMES WE TRUST, and I can’t wait to see what he does next. - Ben Price

Vory

The 25-year-old Houston, Texas native started his career writing songs for some of the biggest names in the industry: Beyonce, Drake, and Bryson Tiller. He helped write well-known songs like “Don’t” and “Mob Ties”, and even won a Grammy for his work on the song “Friends” from The Carters’ Everything is Love album. He was releasing his own music as well, dropping multiple EPs and projects starting in 2016. Vory signed with Capitol Records in 2018 and then with Meek Mill’s DreamChasers under the same parent company, Universal Music Group.

His career started to take off after the release of his 2020 self-titled EP Vory with highlights of “This Side”, “Ain’t It Funny”, and “Not Outside”. After this drop, his life changed for good when he captured the attention of Kanye West and worked heavily on West’s tenth studio album, Donda, which became a nationwide spectacle. Appearing on “God Breathed”, “Jonah”, and the extremely popular “No Child Left Behind”, Vory’s distinct and heavenly vocals became a standout on the project. He would work with West a second time on Donda 2’s “Lord Lift Me Up”, where his blissful voice coupled with the enchanting instrumental left listeners scratching for more music from him. 

He dropped his first studio album, “Lost Souls”, on June 3rd of this year after concluding his collaboration with West. The album gave us a personal look into Vory’s life as he bounces between his version of heartbreaking R&B and melodic rap over samples and atmospheric production; reminding me of the sorrowful vibe of Bryson Tiller’s Trapsoul. His unique style is very resemblant of smooth and moody R&B but with a significant level of swagger to it.  Lost Souls is his most cohesive work yet and it makes me excited to see how he capitalizes on this confidence. He certainly has the potential to be one of the next faces of Hip Hop R&B as he does not shy away from realness in his lyrics and his vocal talent is undisputedly amazing. - Noah Concordia

Capella Grey

With the rise of TikTok in recent years, allowing new artists to share their new releases has caused a hit-making culture in the hip-hop industry. A particular artist that used the algorithm to their advantage was the New York native Capella Grey. The Caribbean-style artist has been in the hip-hop scene as a producer and songwriter since 2016 helping to create the song “Love You Better” by King Combs and Chris Brown. It was not until 2021 that he hit stardom with his breakout “GYALIS” which would chart 38 on Billboard Hot 100 and reach 3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart. The song was deemed a “summer anthem” having 65 million streams and 300k TikTok videos, causing Hip-Hop sensations like Tory Lanez and A Boogie to create their own remixes of the song, and even giving him a Soul Train Music Award nomination for “Best New Artist”. 

Grey then dropped other singles like “One More Chance”, “Talk Nice”, and “OT” which features Ty Dolla $ign. He also made appearances on Chris Brown’s “Till The Wheels Fall Off”, Joey Bada$$’s “Welcome Back”, Russ’ “Seduce”, and Culture Jam’s “Bestie”, which also had A Boogie on the track. Expect the Jamaican Chris Brown-A Boogie hybrid to prove that he earned a spot on Mixtape’s Freshman List as he will bring his music to the next level, creating more catchy hooks, summer anthems, and dance crazy vibes. - Diamonte Giacovelli

Femdot

From Chance The Rapper to Lil Durk, XXL’s Annual Freshman Class has included countless Chicago natives that eventually got signed to big labels like Interscope and Alamo. Despite being described as having a New York 90s sound, Evanston-born rapper: Femdot (Fedi Adigum) grew up in Chicago, Illinois. With approximately 653,566 monthly listeners on Spotify, a recent single with Saba, and a performance at Chicago’s infamous Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash Music Festival, Femdot is on track to become a prominent figure in hip-hop. 

Femdot doesn’t cater his music to what he thinks people want to hear, he writes and raps about what he believes in, and made that very clear in his most recent album, Not For Sale. His range of not only lyricism but also sound is impeccable. Being a recent college graduate, he rapped on a melancholic beat about niche subjects like the stress of academia, money, and drinking on his song “No Scholarships.”

Unlike “No Scholarships”, his most streamed song, “94 Camry Music”, is a slower, upbeat song with a rugged nostalgic undertone. On this track he describes his struggles as a youth dealing with a battle between crime, religion, and relationship dynamics. His style of music is somewhat reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar’s early days. Femdot is a storyteller, his music transports you in a way many artists struggle to achieve. His pure authenticity and drive will take him far in the industry. Fedi might be a freshman but he’s got the mindset of a senior ready to take on anything. - Kira Desai

Tkay Maidza

Tkay Maidza represents everything great about contemporary hip-hop. The twenty-six-year-old’s music is groovy, inventive and full of character. Maidza effortlessly switches between rap, R&B, and pop, always leaving the listener on their toes. Though the Zimbabwean/Australian artist released music as early as 2014, she found her stride with the “Last Year Was Weird” trilogy. The first installment of said series, Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 1, was released in the summer of 2018 and gained some traction due to its refined vision compared to her earlier work. 

It was 2020’s Vol. 2, which was met with immediate critical and fan acclaim, that showcased Maidza at her best. All seven of the songs on this tape play with a myriad of instrumental and vocal styles alike. One track will be an industrial banger featuring JPEGMAFIA, and in a matter of minutes, Tkay and Kari Faux will be collaborating on a buttery soul cut. This high level of (well-executed) versatility continued in Vol. 3 as well, showing that Tkay is genuinely able to make a project that can be as dynamic as it is ambitious. 

Maidza has an indisputable charm and confidence, never shoehorning herself into any sound. Her creativity alone warrants consideration for our freshman list, but it's Maidza’s near-flawless execution of so many clashing styles that make her an obvious choice. Whenever she decides to release her second full-length album, I fully believe Tkay Maidza to put the music world on notice. - Jonah Weintraub

Kay Flock

Hailing from the Bronx, Kay Flock is arguably the latest rapper to push to the front of the New York City drill scene. The now 19-year-old’s 2021 debut album “The D.O.A. Tape” and two of its songs, “PSA” and “Is Ya Ready”, quickly became anthems associated with his name. Flock was quickly brought to mainstream success through his feature on the Lil Tjay single “Not In The Mood”, which also featured Fivio Foreign. All three artists on this track were from NYC, and with Fivio riding a wave of popularity from his recent feature on Kanye West’s “Donda”, more eyes were on this song. 

The following spring, Kay Flock found his greatest success yet with the official release of “Shake It”, featuring Cardi B, Dougie B, Bory 300, and a prominent sample of Akon’s “Bananza”. The infectious energy of this hit perfectly coincided with the exponential rise in popularity of “getting sturdy”, the viral style of dancing from NYC. “Shake It” instantly became a go-to song for getting sturdy, and with the widespread popularity of the style of dance, it is unlikely that “Shake It” will disappear anytime soon. 

Kay Flock himself is currently in jail awaiting trial, having been arrested on December 23, 2021, for the alleged shooting and killing of a man in Harlem, though Flock’s lawyer is making a case for self-defense. Despite jail keeping him away from the recording booth, Kay Flock deserves, at the very least, credit for his quick rise to fame, a true marker of his potential to be a solidified star in the rap game. His hard-hitting delivery and especially his impeccable beat selection, coupled with the colossal rise in popularity of New York City drill music in the past couple of years, set Kay Flock up in a spectacular way to continue to boom as an artist when he is next able to get a hold of a mic. - Jack Mullins