this is a much more opinionated video than usual, so let me know if you guys agree / disagree and why. thanks!

XXL went from being every up and coming rappers dream, to just being another place where wanna be rappers catch up on how to get the internet to troll them

It’s not a disinterest in rap, and makin songs instead of the cypher is NOT goin to make ppl care. It’s the fact that the caliber of artist they get are basically whoever they can get. If someone actually KILLED the cypher I bet you they’d go VIRAL just because we haven’t seen that in so long. The views are low cuz the artist they get don’t really have the fan bases they pretend to have. Central Cee & Drake just dropped a freestyle and went viral cuz they actually rapped very well on it.

I also think XXL no longer searches for “up and coming” talent but “one hit wonders” or artists with an underdeveloped catalogue. If someone makes one or two viral TikTok sounds, that doesn’t necessarily mean they should be a Freshman.

A song with Denzel Curry, Lik Yachty, Lil Uzi, 21 Savage and Kodak Black should happen in 2026 as a 10 year anniversary

I think one thing you didn’t mention and definitely hurt the later classes is when the freshman flat out wouldn’t do their freestyles or cyphers. Like Gunna in 2019, literally didn’t do a freestyle or cypher. Just took the cover shot and left. To me, that belittled XXLs brand and made it seem like some artists are bigger than them.

I think instead of the cypher they should do a filmed session in the studio with the group of artists and the the dj and create a fully produced orginal song together with a low budget music video to go along with it in the end. Thatll be something fresh, protects non rappin or lyricist artists, and further highlights the talents and personalities of the artists and dj. Overall like an episode of Kenny Beats the Cave.

I think a big reason is the artists themselves don't care. Assuming they even accept the offer to begin with, you usually get at least one artist who doesn't do a freestyle or cypher. This year Central Cee and Glorilla didn't do either and treated the cover like a photoshoot. If the artists don't care why should we?

Short answer: real artists don’t get coverage anymore

Im completely out of loop about rap and the culture in general, but the state of rap you described sounds like how rock was the last ~10ish years, with no real notable newcomers or new sounds and just a general air of staleness, people have also been saying rocks dead for years but recently theres been more interest in rock and new bands and singers and albums and it feels alive again I say all this because I feel like theres a certain eb and flow with what musics popular, rock had it for a while then rap came up for a while now rock is having a minute and im sure rap will be back with new artists and sounds within the next couple years, you just need to give the culture a bit of time to marinate

mattyballz is one of the very few music critics talking on hiphop (or any genre really) that comes off as knowledgable without sounding condescending. especially with hip hop you always get these guys that seem to be playing who knows the deepest cut, or talk with airs like their opinion is some objective truth, making the reviews about/centering the reviewer instead of the music. the videos on this channel are more like opening up a window into the hip hop scene with an enthusiastic guide.

I think it's obvious. They've tried to elevate artists that are not good rappers that only have popularity hoping that would turn into clicks. But, the freestyles and cyphers are not what that artist's following care or want from them. XXL can either go back to actual artists that can showcase their skill/Artistry or continue this decline.

I don't think cyphers are outdated. Cyphers are, like freestyles, a way to show if you truly got it like that as a rapper. Rapping over any beat is also their test to your greatness and you deserving to be on the list.

I also think that XXL and the artists they pick play a mutual benefit to both. Many artists nowadays are very disposable, not in a mean or degrading way. It’s just longevity is not common as it used to be. Many artists are one hit wonders or they fail to keep a fanbase. The ideal artists XXL wants these days will either have a short career or they’ll consider themselves “too big for the cover”. Short form content such as TikTok and viral popularity validation is leading to worse off music. In a way it’s comparable to fast food, you’ll get that quick dopamine hit but you’ll feel empty or bad after consuming. Not as many people are checking for XXL videos because the artists truly aren’t interesting anymore besides being laughing stocks.

i think the problem with XXL and rap in general have is that every "upcoming" rapper is just a copy and paste of every other rapper that has gotten some buzz in the past 5 years, as well as the fact that there are so many more new genres and sub-genres to listen to every year that are subjectively WAY better than basic rap, i think if they'd take a few artists from genres that are popping and have every cypher be a different genre of new wave artists they could really make some noise again, but due to corporate greed and unawareness they will most likely never change at all

We Love You MattyBallz

I think xxl freshman classes is one of those things that really only works as well as the performers do, and since xxl essentially takes whoever they can get and have a dated, obviously flawed structure for the class, the actually popping artists don't take it seriously. Central Cee and Glorilla were the biggest rappers for this year and they did little to nothing for the things people care about like the cyphers and the freestyles.

What do you think if they did a XXL Senior list with legends who could freestyle ?

I think we’ve all said this in our minds that nobody cares about these lists anymore, imo 2018 and 2019 was the last decent covers we got, the others afterwards were just either mediocre or the recent one that just came out was so sub par that it made 2022 a good list, I think a factor in why it’s falling off so quick is there’s barely any rappers that are big and coming up anymore well except for Ice Spice but she turned it down and good for her, so yeah XXL is just slowly falling off

The mainstream rap culture is basically dying. Fans are getting tired of the same ole things and mainstream rap is sounding artificial these days. Overall theres not a ton of real movements out there to accompany the music like there was before. Right now the culture feels like a group of individuals with the most Tik Tok clout.

I totally agree, its something i couldnt put into words, but yea. We havent really gotten a huge new wave since the SoundCloud era. So people arent having much interest in the lists like they used to, or really in rap genrally speaking. Personally ive went from a huge hip hop fan to being captivated by rock and metal. I still love rap but i totally forget about the lists and any new popping rapper. Im sure theyll hit the mark again. Loved the video!

I love when Matty puts so much good words on Mac's name. He was my favorite person, and got me through so much hard times. I've been going through such a dark time lately so it's been so comforting to hear others say or mention his name in such a light

Matty been killin it lately🔥🔥🔥🔥

3 valid points for sure 🔥 I would say #2 is the biggest in my opinion with the rise of social media too cyphers are pretty outdated

I think that the reason why rap is sort of dying out is because everyone sounds the same. And the people who are different aren’t getting promoted enough. Because the record companies only want to sign rap artists who have a lot of instagram followers. They are “afraid” of signing someone who is different because they are scare to loose money. So they want to do what works for them

Yess I was waiting for this! RIP XXL

You have some of the best content on KZfaq right now. I'm proud of you buddy, keep going! 🤘

XXL should just have them make an actual song and have them perform it as a cypher, it'll show their skills better because rap is more than just freestyling now, and imagine if the song is actually good and it starts going viral, then XXL can profit off it.

I agree but also I’m excited to see what changes this brings moving forward :)

The Cypher, historically is reserved for the "spitters". It's where the MC's who are LYRICALLY inclined can showcase their skill. The rappers who don't normally get mainstream attention could get the chance to shine in a cypher. Now it's just a showcase for microwave food.

I think letting new and upcoming producers make beats for the cyphers could help because these prods are super underated and super talented

It’s crazy how i know all the 2016 XXL names to this day that’s how yk they were at their peak then

You been goin crazy keep going harder love man❤️

You're bang on about the lack of rap artists blowing up rn, or even being deserving of it lately.. BLP Kosher has been the only artist to get me hooked on his music since Nardo Wick, it's just been lacking a lot i'm sure there's some good ones hidden like you said but it's just not intriguing me enough to even look into them anymore

The US and South African Hip-Hop artists should be helping each other. A lot of great music that can rejuvenate the culture.

Great video. Harder to find XXL content prior to 2011

Love Mondays for Matty uploads

You probably won't see this but I started following just two weeks ago & I must say your content is F'n awesome!! The way you explain things it's straight to the point without being boring. You definitely deserve more subscribers than what you already have. Keep it up Matty!!!! Big love from the big apple! 💯🙏💙

Dude, its all about experimental and industrial rap. That subgenre is so broad it can go anywhere. Clipping, death grips, AFK, Lil Ugly Mane, Shabazz Palaces, Ho99o9, JPEGmafia, Danny Brown, Injury Reserve, Show Me the Body, all doing great stuff. All still very underground. Id love to see more young hip hop artists get into more boundary pushing styles

You have a point with the “rap in general is kinda getting stale” I completely understand that and agree, I’m 21 and all my life I’ve listen to rap my mom listened to people like 50 cent and snoop dog, she listened to all the og rap so I grew up on rap and I personally listen to, polo g, mozzy, and omb Peezy, however in the last month I’ve been listening to more aggressive rap (drill) because regular rap is just getting old, it’s all the same with the same lyrics just said in different ways, idk I just know I personally agree because my music taste has changed.

mom wake up new matty vid dropped 😩

100% agree about rap losing "musical market share" to other genres. I frankly am not informed enough to say it's "going stale" but that phrasing about market share was right on the money.

This is a rather satisfactory analytical mini-documentary, Matthew Testicles. I shall pledge my subscription to be notified of future content, as should everyone else.

the 3rd 2016 xxl cypher with G Herbo and Dave East is one of the most focused cyphers out there and also, set the bar wayy too high.

I think rap listens are going down because alot of hiphop listeners are Hispanic and right now regional mexican music almost trap but in Spanish is having a really booming moment and those listener are going on that direction I'm speaking for myself but the views on that music speaks for itself

Never watched your videos before but this was solid stuff man good job. Thumbs up from me

BIGGEST POINT HE MADE IS RAP IS GETTING STALE! HE IS COMPLETELY RIGHT MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO OTHER GENRES FOR THEIR MUSIC.

Doubt it would be possible, but if they could get og lists back together like the 2016 list for a re-edition since they have all grown as artists, it would be huge. It’s very unlikely with the landscape of rap now, and there is a big possibility it would just turn out to be a corny cash grab to try and spark an old flame, but if done right could be crazy.

Mac and Kendrick sitting next to each other back then is so damn chilling. Rip to mac PITTSBURGH LEGEND.

you make a valuable point

Love your channel Mattyballz

fire

XXL should start categorizing the freshmen by cities that they’re from every year there’s always like 2-4 new poppin artists from each major city

Great journalism

Bro you’re a beast🔥🔥

This page is 🔥🔥 instant subscribe 💪🏾

I ment to say i love your channel after mattyballz your so interesting

We got you gang #Beloved 💪🙏🙏😎

anytime that boy mattyballz posts iss popcorn time lmao

You hit the nail right on the head biggest problem is the rap game is stale over saturated with the same sound and no creativity

Came from the Dontai reaction. Love the video and deserves the likes and subs 100%

It really only comes down to not any new artists bringing new waves as SoundCloud did

I agree with rap getting stale, in 2021 and 2022 I was listening to new music all the time but this year there really hasn’t been anything that’s caught my attention, so I’ve started drifting towards other genres

It’s a good commentary on the status of hiphop in my opinion. It’s almost a stealthy backhand to the artists on the cover. Also, did we all forget how hard everyone was clowning everyone except Denzel in that 2016 cypher? Even I think he was the only one who did well, but I’m glad 21 became a more mature artist alongside Denzel.

Good video

the print edition didn’t cease production in 2014, I had a subscription to it until late 2021ish and afaik it’s still running

Wow amazing video

Interesting video

Personally I think the rap community is oversaturated, and this is causing less interest. Of course there will always be new rappers and some talented ones to, but sometimes I think we don't need any new ones for the next 10 years

Good video keep up da good work

simple reason, there’s either no good new rappers out or the good ones don’t wanna be on it

Damn you tapped in for showing baby tron in that same breath. Respect 💪👌

Yea, I stopped watchin xxl years agoooo, so that part, and I agree with your statics and opinion as well, because even I’ve started to venture from rap due to the “new wave” comin in. Uzi’s pink tape was hard asf. I’m glad he hit the #1 spot, def a clear image rap will always hold value. As far as the rap game…any come back is possible.

In my opinion, part of the reason is there so many people all at the same point In there careers. Which as fans distribute views more evenly it makes it harder to blow up like previous artist have.

The fact is the format does not work for current new rappers. The freestyles and cyphers are things that people wanna see great rappers do, and most of these people that have ended up on the covers for the last several years aren’t that great at rapping. And it started with 2016. Yeah, it was entertaining because of the chemistry and all that, and it’s the most viewed, but it was also the first time that most of the biggest names weren’t really all that great at rapping. The cypher had entertainment value, but it was not a good cypher. And every year since, they’ve put these people that don’t even care about being a great rapper into things that are meant for great rappers. You don’t even see most of these people do freestyles anywhere else because that’s not what they do, which makes doing it for XXL seem pointless. And that’s why rap is getting stale too. The music has sounded the same for too long. Trap beats and variations of the same flow have dominated mainstream hip hop for years. We’ve listened to a few big rappers basically make the same couple of songs over and over for years. It’s not interesting because it’s all the same shit that it has been. Add in the fact that more and more popular rap became about killing, for sport in some cases. A lot of people love it, but a lot of people don’t at all and it’s pushing people away. I think there’s room for people to make whatever music they want, but there just been way too much death and killing pushed to the forefront.

The Wakeup Show was the best for showing new and dope artists. Sway, Tech and DJ Revolution!

Great video dog

I was JUST talking to the homies about thisss!!! Bro really be reading my mind🔥 GREAT VID MATTY😈🤞🏼

cant wait til u blow up bro

The main reason I stopped caring about the freshman lists is the artists. They've gotten boring. The last 3 classes have been a snoozefest. I don't know if it's XXL's fault or if the landscape has just gotten dry, but a lot of the rappers from the recent lists sound like they just came out of a factory. They're generic, their buzz comes and goes, and they aren't doing anything that previous rappers weren't already doing better. I just don't see a reason to care. Not to say previous classes didn't have some forgettable artists, but the problem has gotten way worse. They still have some interesting picks (Babytron, Flo Milli, 42 Dugg, Doechii) but for the most part, it's gotten bland.

I think it will be a really long time before there is a “new” mainstream sound. The current state of Rap and Hip-Hop for people who consume it daily is almost all “underground” and has such a mass amount of different styles and cliques that people strive to hold opinions about their personal artists starting something new rather than multiple people developing it as a whole which results in XXL having to pick (in my opinion) very generic sounds in rap and hip-hop where it’s basically who has the most Spotify pull. The middle age people over there don’t care to go through soundcloud for picks they just wait for the labels to pay and submit

i didnt even know they did freshman mixtapes damn a 2016 tape wouldve been super crazy..

100% agree with you bro shit makes me sad fr

i think ur right but traveling down the road of them picking artists that are abt to blow and get big is more of why its been not doing well recently in my opinion. like u said the biggest artists in rap rn have either alrdy had a xxl or dont wanna do it, so theyre forced to go with the people who agree who still show promise which leaves u with glorilla and real boston richeyy. no disrespect to them but i doubt that anyone who listens to rap wants to see anyone on that xxl list. i could make a better 10 3 times over, bc i think what gets pushed and what’s actually liked is two very different things. maybe xxl could come back if they let the people decide on the top 10 artists. and they should allow write ins, sometimes xxl isnt in the know abt a powerful force in underground sound. i honestly dont think a duwap kaine xxl would b good but itd b dope to see sum like that bc i think he deserves that kinda recognition and ik alot of people feel the same way abt alot of artists, just not the ones they picked. if we could showcase up and coming talent better than i think it would stay just as relevant

I love MattyXXLBallz

You should do one on King as well.

A new sound I’ve been listening to is called Aesthetic Rap which although the genre is kinda dead rn but has lots of potential such as the rolling loud feature 1nonly.

mattys just trying to set the scene for his rap debut

I remember bumping the XXL Cyphers and RAW Cyphers like they were singles lmao

Vida Guera introduced me to my first XXL magazine 😉

Good or bad, talented or not, lyrical or not, modern sound or not, it’s all too over saturated. That’s why it’s hard to become mainstream. Everyone is able to have success off of their “small” or niche following. Achievements like the freshman list, or performing at Hot 97 Summer Jam come to have less significance, especially with newer artists not really caring about everything hip hop related. A lot of people rap just because and end up catching a hit, but they have no knowledge of or care to acknowledge the significance of those achievements. That is also a reason why people did not like Drake’s comment on Elliott Wilson at Rolling Loud. He had a point, but that leaves room for younger artists to lack respect for someone like Elliott.

I remember back then when I was in high school so many of my friends would hype up the yearly cyphers but now it’s not how it used to be anymore, they keep getting wack rappers on it now after 2017.

I think the KZfaq comments from 2016 are pretty much saying the same thing about kodak, uzi and 21 that people are saying about new artists now. The first time i saw that cypher someone had set it to Spongebob's "idiot friends"and to this day i can't hear the original track without losing it. People are always going to hate on what's current and celebrate the past

Wsg yall

I think the west coast scene, Detroit rap and drill scenes are up next

W twin W vid

Mattyballz you are most interesting youtubers love the vidoes you are the goat of the genre love your channel

I forgot the XXL had the new freshmen until one of my favorite KZfaqrs reacted to it in my timeline whereas in previous years I was seeking it out.

Matttttyyy ♥️😋

I remember when that 2016 cypher dropped. I thought Uzi killed it lol. never woulda thought he'd be championing Philly right now