XXL magazine is preparing to roll out its eighth annual “Freshman issue,” and earlier this week it opened up the polls for readers to vote for an MC to join the batch of rappers the editorial staff already selected for the cover. Regardless of my own reservations about the pomp and circumstance around the buildup to the XXL list and its eventual release, the issue remains a big milestone and goal for countless up-and-coming rappers. (The issue also offers a macrosnapshot of an increasingly fractured national scene, which isn’t an easy feat to pull off.) Chicago was well represented on last year’s cover (four out of the 12 artists are from here) and this year seven locals are on the readers’ ballot for the coveted final spot: Johnny May Cash, Dreezy, Lil Herb, Spenzo, Tink, Mick Jenkins, and Alex Wiley.
Leor Galil writes about hip-hop every Wednesday.
