5 most deserving rappers for 2024 XXL Freshman 10th spot

BigXthaPlug

Dallas rapper and songwriter BigXthaPlug is one of the hottest rising stars out of Texas in hip hop right now. BigXthaPlug has gone from drumming up a little bit of noise from those surrounding him in the city in South Dallas in 2020 to garnering millions of streams daily on big platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

BigX had his real breakout moment a couple of years ago when the single "Texas" started popping off on YouTube and other social media platforms. "Texas" was BigX's first song and music video to reach over 5 million views on YouTube in early 2023.

The emphatic and distinguishable delivery style and creative/well thought out bars BigX is able to write gives him a distinct presence in today's southern hip hop landscape. He's shown the ability to craft trap bangers and funky rap hits that have seen mainstream success in the last 18 months, including songs like "Mmhmm" and "Back on My BS" on projects titled AMAR and The Biggest, which were both released in 2023.

BigX's debut studio album AMAR and first commercial EP The Biggest were his first two charting projects on the Billboard 200. "Mmhmm", a leading single on the EP The Biggest became BigX's highest-charting song/project to date in late 2023, topping the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 63 on Dec. 16.

The Dallas rapper has continued his mainstream success well into 2024 on the charts and streaming services. He's spent three straight weeks in May among the top 50 weekly Spotify Top Artists in the USA, placing BigX ahead of massive stars in the music industry like Dua Lipa, Lil Uzi Vert, Doja Cat, and Bruno Mars, among other huge names.

BigX has made even more waves in the culture with the collective he's formed under the UnitedMasters label imprint called 600 Ent. Fellow Texas rappers Ro$ama and Yung Hood are signed to BigX's collective. And the trio released a project together in May 2024, titled MEET THE 6IXERS.