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Vote to Lock the 10th Spot in XXL’s 2026 Freshman Class
XXL opened voting for the fan-selected 10th spot in the 2026 Freshman Class. Fans can vote once an hour from April 27 through May 3 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Past 10th-spot picks include Lil Yachty, Blueface, Iggy Azalea and XXXTentacion.
Every summer the XXL Freshman cover becomes a kind of barometer for what the rap world is paying attention to: who’s trending, who’s about to break, who already quietly has. This year, as the magazine gears up for the full 2026 roster, fans get to decide one final piece of that puzzle — the coveted 10th spot — and voting kicks off today.
Starting April 27, XXL opened the official voting page, letting readers pick the artist they want to complete the class. The mechanics are simple and persistent: you can cast a vote once every hour for seven days. Voting wraps up on May 3 at 11:59 p.m. EST, and the results will fold into the magazine’s full reveal.
“We’ve seen that the fan-selected slot often highlights an artist who’s already creating a scene of their own — and this year’s round of nominees reflects that same momentum. Fans have a real say in the final composition of the class,” said an XXL spokesperson in the announcement.
That fan-chosen seat has a track record. Past 10th-spot winners include Lil Yachty, whose early XXL nod dovetailed with his viral rise; Blueface, who was polarizing and unavoidable around his placement; Iggy Azalea, who used the moment as an international springboard; and the late XXXTentacion, whose appearance preceded a major, if controversial, breakout. More recent winners range from DC the Don and Skilla Baby to EBK Jaaybo, the fan pick from 2025.
Elsewhere in XXL’s online hub, the magazine points readers to its YouTube channel for the decade-plus archive of cyphers, freestyles and sit-downs that have grown into the Freshman tradition. If you want to revisit last year’s class, the 2025 Freshman lineup — Ray Vaughn, BabyChiefDoIt, Ian, Eem Triplin, 1900 Rugrat, Samara Cyn, Gelo, Loe Shimmy, Lazer Dim 700, Nino Paid, YTB Fatt and EBK Jaaybo — is queued up alongside the classic cypher performances that sometimes feel like the moment an artist first becomes name-recognizable.
Speaking to the momentum around the ballot, some fans treat the hourly voting window like a ritual; others see it as a civic duty for regional rap scenes that want representation on the national stage. Either way, participating is straightforward: visit the 10th spot voting page, pick your choice, and refresh every hour until the deadline.
Follow XXL on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to catch the full class reveal as soon as it drops. If you want to track the history of the list and the careers it’s helped launch, XXL’s “See Every Freshman Class Over the Years” archive remains the best place to start.
Quick facts: Voting opens April 27. You can vote once per hour for seven days. Voting ends May 3 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
