XXL's Freshmen list always sparks debates and conversation about the MCs chosen, and those who weren't chosen. This year the list seems pretty well-recieved, however people were still questioning the choice of Logic, as well as the honorary Freshman Chief Keef. XXL Editor Vanessa Satten spoke with MTV News to explain those two Freshmen choices.
Satten explained when it comes to Chief Keef, "We locked Chief Keef down as one of the first Freshmen, and that was back in October," she said. "There was no album, there was no jail bid, there was no legal drama. So that happened after we locked him down."
Since the XXL staff were unsure how Keef's legal situation would play out, they decided to keep him as an honorable mention on the list. They've been able to get a post-jail interview with him which they'll release when the magazine hits newsstands on April 9th. Satten added, "Sometimes rules are meant to be broken. We felt it was wrong for him to not be part of that group."
Satten also explained the choice of the lesser-known DMV native, Logic, and compared his situation to that of 2012's Freshman, Macklemore, who was also little-known at the time he made the cover (and has now gone 5x platinum). "I think that you guys are going to be surprised by some stuff with Logic, I think from the business deals and situations that he's got going on that are unannounced," she said. "The world was open to Mac Miller, so I don't understand. They're not the exact same thing, but they go in a similar lane."
