5 most deserving rappers for 2024 XXL Freshman 10th spot

Voting recently concluded for the 10th spot on the 2024 XXL Freshman Class cover. The 10th spot for the XXL Freshman is voted on by the fans for the final spot among hip-hop artists in the class each year before the rest of the group if selected by their staff.

Who will be the 10th Spot in the fan voting for the 2024 XXL Freshman Class cover?

Some of the biggest names ever to be part of an XXL Freshman Class were 10th spot winners, including XXXTentacion (2017) and Lil Yachty (2016).

The 10th spot voting not only gives more rappers the chance to get on the XXL Freshman cover, but it also gives underground and smaller rap fan bases a voice to decide part of each class. Last year's 10th spot winner, DC The Don, is one of the rising forces from emo rap and trap in hip hop's underground.

You can view the complete list of rappers that were up for the 10th spot in the 2024 XXL Freshman Class here.

Considering that 2024 has been such a massive year for hip hop, between the Drake-Kendrick beef (among many other feuds from top names in rap in the modern day) and so many headlining albums releasing in the last few months, it's easy to overlook some of the rising voices in the underground. The 10th spot could give credence to a rising star in rap that deserves their time in the spotlight in an otherwise crazy year for the genre headline-wise.

Here are five rappers most deserving of winning the 10th spot in the 2024 XXL Freshman Class.

Veeze

Detroit rapper and songwriter Veeze has been around in the local rap scene in the Motor City for around a half-decade now. Veeze first started rapping in the late 2010s and caught some virality on social media with his 2020 song "Law N Order".

The attention Veeze garnered with his first hit song, "Law N Order," got him a spot on Lil Yachty's 2021 Detroit Trap album Michigan Boy Boat. In the last couple of years, since he was featured on Michigan Boy Boat, Veeze's popularity has continued to rise.

He got his first Billboard Hot 100 track on a collab with Atlanta rapper Lil Baby and fellow Detroit native 42 Dugg on the 2022 hit single "U-Digg".

Veeze's real breakout moment in the Detroit trap scene was the release of his sophomore studio album, Ganger, in 2023. Billboard named Ganger one of their 20 best hip-hop albums of 2023.

This album featured hit songs like "GOMD" and "Not A Drill". The former of those two tracks off Ganger got the attention of Lil Uzi Vert, who hopped on the song's remix.

Veeze is an integral part of the new Detroit trap scene that is one of the regions of the country to watch among the rising subgenres in hip hop. His unique flow and laidback delivery ensures Veeze will be a staple for years to come among the many rappers buzzing out of Detroit in the early-to-mid 2020s.