If there were an artist on the Freshman '16 that was more of the contradiction of the traditional rapper it would be Lil Dicky, but on the other side of that of the spectrum if were a rapper being measured with the most bars on the Freshman '16 cover it would be Lil Dicky. With an awkward style and a killa flow, Lil Dicky is steadily paving his own lane in hip-hop. His biggest hit to date '$ave Dat Money' ft. Fetty Wap and Rich Homie Quan, has over 47 million views, which is funny since it is also a contradiction of the average rap song. Where he advocates for you to save your money opposed to the normal rap song that glorifies spending excess amounts of money on houses, cars, clothes, hoes, meals, rap videos, and of course the club. The path to stardom has also differed from Lil Dicky, so much in hip-hop we hear about the struggle, we hear about the lifestyle of growing up in the ghetto and hustling to make a way out, while music ultimately becoming the avenue in which rappers make it. In Lil Dicky's case he grew up pretty much well off in a middle-class suburban neighborhood and also went on to join corporate America at an advertising agency, before deciding to quit and pursue a career in rapping. And as his resume states on 'Professional Rapper' a song with the legendary Snoop Dogg, Lil Dicky shows he is qualified and is prepared for all that comes with being a professional rapper. At first look many people write off Lil Dicky, he's awkward, he's white, he's not wearing the Cuban link chain nor is he Polo'd down to the socks. But I think 9 people out of 10 would admit after you get past all that the talent and the bars blow you away. He also gives hope to the 20-year old somethings out still chasing a dream. So if 15 minutes of fame is a real thing, then Lil Dicky is undeniable is on the clock. Here are some quick facts about Lil Dicky.

Rap Name: Lil Dicky
Born: March 15, 1988 (age 28), Cheltenham Township, PA
Record Label: Independent
Latest Mixtape: Professional Rapper
Twitter: @lildickytweets

I know what your thinking, not another Curry. But before you ghost ride the page, realize that this Curry's story starts on the polar opposite coast. I talking about Florida, home to some of the biggest artist like Trick Daddy, Dj Khalid, Rick Ross, and now the spot light is shining on Denzel Curry. An artist following the independent label movement is making a name for himself and gaining notoriety for the work he has put in. Denzel Curry is one of the more reserved artists on the cover, choosing to keep certain aspects of his life private such as woman or record deal offers, which is a very different look in an age where consumers want to know more of the day-to-day life of the artists they love. An interesting fact is that Denzel Curry is influenced by Big K.R.I.T which is reflected in some of his earlier work such as 'King Remembered in Underground Tape 1991-1995'. Sort of full circle for Big K.R.I.T who has been quoted as saying that in that conversation of top 5 that one day there will be that little kid in the corner of the room yelling what about K.R.I.T tho? And it seems like Denzel Curry was that kid. With a spasmatic flow, and hard hitting vocals it seems that the energy of this artist is what attracts fans to such a unique artist. The more imporanant question is what will be his future? Mainstream or underground, as far as now it seems like he is shooting for the stars. Here are some quick facts about Denzel Curry:

Rap Name: Denzel Curry
Born: February 16, 1995 (age 21), Carol City, FL
Record Label: Nostalgic 64
Latest Mixtape: Imperial
Twitter: @RavenxMiyagi

 Anderson . Paak probably one of the most interesting artists in the Freshman '16, that is quickly becoming the new wave on the scene. Has doesn't consider himself a rapper, but an artist in the purists sense, this can be seen with his ability to play different instruments like the drums or the piano, which is characteristic of artists alike. Even his name is something interesting to examine, 'Anderson' his middle name, and '.Paak' is the mis-written last name when translated from his Korean background. But don't forget the 'dot' cause as he feels, he was slept on for soo long that he wants you to pay attention to every last detail. And if your paying attention its undeniable that he draws comparisons to the Andre 3000s and CeeLo Greens of the world, where substance and most of all SOUL are the main ingredients of his music. He has been further boosted into the public eye with his recent B.E.T. awards performance where he not only sang and also played the drums in a room full of the most thugged out rappers he proved he could survive. A huge co-sign for Anderson .Paak has been his recent signing to Aftermath records the label of the one and only D.R.E thats Dr. Dre to be exact. And as history has shown Dr. Dre dropping an album equals new artist that will catapulted into the limelight and this time it is Anderson .Paak. The highly anticipated 'Compton' album showcased Anderson.Paak's talents on 6 songs, which is not an easy task for an album over 10 years in the making. This left most listeners wondering who exactly is Anderson. Paak? An answer that is becoming clearer every time he gets on the mic. One thing for sure is that not only does Anderson .Paak have the resources of the great Dr. Dre, but he stands on his own and has the uniqueness to carve out his own sound and in general terms do it his own way. Here are some quick facts about Anderson .Paak:

Rap Name: Anderson .Paak
Born: February 8, 1986 (age 30), Oxnard, CA
Record Label: Aftermath Entertainment
Latest Mixtape: Malibu
Twitter: @AndersonPaak

New York, the undeniable birthplace of hip-hop and also some of the of some greatest MCs to rock the mic. How do you know a rapper comes from New York? This question is harder to answer today than it was in the beginnings of hip-hop. There is a certain tone that New York rappers had, it was hard, grity, slick, but most of all it was New York. It seems nowadays MCs shy away from this style of rap, some saying it is dated, while others would call it that classic nostalgia rap that made you fall in love with hip-hop. One MC that is reminiscent of this classic New York style is Dave East, a rapper from Harlem who is fully embracing his New York roots and also co-signed by one of the best New York Rappers straight out of Queens, you may know him as rap legend 'Nas'. Dave East is signed to Nas's label Mass Appeal and is expected to be the next New York rapper to carry the torch for a city where as Jay put it, "If you can make it, then you can make it anywhere.". And if you want to claim New York one thing you better  have is bars. Dave East has quickly been embraced by the New York's most lyrical such as Jada Kiss and Nas and even making an appearance on Fabolous's 'Summer Time Shootout' mixtape.  If Jay has J. Cole, then Nas is looking to similarly have Dave East as the next to take the throne. Will a classic Ether/Takeover battle occur between J. Cole and Dave East, we could only hope so. New York, top 5, who knows, but Dave East is steady on his way. And who knows there may be a kid right now that stands up in the corner and says 'What about Dave East'. Here are some quick facts about Dave East:

Rap Name: Dave East
Born: June 3, 1988 (age 28), East 'Spanish' Harlem, New York
Record Label: Mass Apeal
Latest Mixtape: Hate Me Now
Twitter: @Dave East

I got broads in Atlanta
Twistin' dope, lean, and the Fanta
Credit cards and the scammers
Hittin' off licks in the bando
Black X6, Phantom
White X6 looks like a panda
Goin' out like I'm Montana
Hundred killers, hundred hammers
Black X6, Phantom
White X6, panda
Pockets swole, Danny
Sellin' bar, candy
Man I'm the macho like Randy
The choppa go Oscar for Grammy
Bitch nigga pull up ya panty
Hope you killas understand me
- Desiigner (track: "Panda" Chorus)

Already half way thru the Freshman '16 class and you may be wondering, where do we go from here? What artists really has the radio single to sky rocket him into hip hop elite? Or which will be just another 1 hit wonder that ended up on that mixtape CD you made when you were on the way to the club? Only one word can describe the success of this next artists and that is "Panda". The club anthem and surely one of the most searched songs on Genius.com, has the potential to be either the 'Baby Got Back' of 2016 or the start of a promising career. Desiigner much like others on the Freshman '16 list has similar cadences and a similar sonic sound of Future, yet this artist hails from a territory where music has a much grittier tone, I'm talking Brooklyn. With a backing from Kanye West's G.O.O.D music label, Desiigner is the most tooled for success when it comes to an abundance of resources and wisdom that surrounds him. But this gift can also be a curse as far as the expectations and criticism that comes with it all. This can be seen first hand after the recent release of Desiiger's debut album 'New English'. In a Pitchfork Review, Matthew Ramirez called New English, "The the last five years of hip hop watered down.". This is just one of the ways that when you ask for attention, sometimes you get it. All in all Desiigner probably has the most to prove out of all the Freshmen '16. That kind of pressure can either break you or make you shine, but best believe his 15 minutes have started and it will be interesting to see what he will do with it. Here are some quick facts about Desiigner:

Rap Name: Desiigner
Born: March 25, 1997 (age 19), Brooklyn New York
Record Label: G.O.O.D. Music
Latest Mixtape: New English
Twitter: @LifeofDesiigner

21 Savage, an up and coming Atlanta rapper is steadily growing into his own in the heavily saturated Atlanta scene. `21 Savage an interesting name. His name comes from searching for available Instagram names. He was 21 and he figured 'Savage' wasn't taken and to his surprise it wasn't.  Also he like other XXL Freshman '16 have only been rapping for a year, yet he has an incredible ability to pump out music at an almost Future pace. An interesting story about 21 Savage is that he started recording on a Macbook with a simple microphone, but his brother thru a home robbery was able to obtain a better Macbook and higher quality microphone. Still new to the rap scene and rapping in general, it will be interesting to see the progression and evolution from a rapper to an artist. Here are some quick facts about 21 Savage:

Rap Name: 21 Savage
Born: October 22, 1994 (age 21), Atlanta, GA
Record Label: Independent
Latest Mixtape:
Twitter: 21Savage