G Herbo Reflects on the 2016 XXL Freshman Class and the Timing That Changed Rap

This year marks a decade since the 2016 XXL Freshman Class, a snapshot that now reads like a turning point in modern rap. The group brought together 10 artists who would go on to shape the genre in very different ways: Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Lil Yachty, Denzel Curry, Anderson .Paak, Desiigner, G Herbo, Dave East and Lil Dicky.

In a conversation with DJ Drama for this series, G Herbo looks back on that class and the long road from then to now, weighing the version of success he had in 2016 against the one he’s built since. The memory, at least for him, still feels strangely close.