Hip hop magazine XXL published its always hotly debated XXL Freshman cover yesterday (June 13, 2017) and it’s one that also happens to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the freshman franchise.
Among the ten rappers to make the final cut, there is just one woman, the very deserving Bay-area rapper Kamaiyah. In commenting on landing the spot, she wrote on Instagram, “When accomplishments like this happen I never view them as a gain for me I view this as a gain for us. Us as in every black girl in the ghetto with a dream, determination, perseverance, and drive. The way I dress is for you to be comfortable if not being sexualized isn’t your thing, the reason my hair is in braids is so you accept your natural state I’ve even embraced my weight gain as god wanting me to make it acceptable to be normal and not glamorizing societies new standards of beauty.” (See her complete statement below.)
Also on the list are Cali natives MadeinTYO and Kyle, plus Bronx-rapper A-Boogie, formally known as A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Philly’s PNB Rock, Atlanta’s PlayBoiCarti and Kao G, Portland’s Aminé, Ugly God from Houston and last but not least, XXXTentacion from Florida.
The original list of 111 nominees included ten women and given how much buzz some of them have been generating, it’s a little shocking that only one made the cut. One would think if there would be a year in which multiple women would land the front page, this would be it.
Female XXL Cover Nominees
070 Shake: North Bergen, NJ
BIA: Boston
Cardi B: Bronx
Crystal Caines: Harlem
Kamaiyah: Oakland, California
Kari Faux: Little Rock, Arkansas
Leaf: Brooklyn
Little Simz: London
Noname: Chicago
Princess Nokia: New York
Young M.A: Brooklyn
The magazine will hit stands on July 4th, and in the meantime XXL is promising a variety of features from each of the artist. If you are a big fan of any of these artists, you can catch them all performing for the XXL Freshman Show in New York at the PlayStation Theatre, on Wednesday, June 28th and in Los Angeles on July 14th at the Novo.
