In a new interview with Hypebeast, Lil Yachty, who was picked for the 2016 XXL Freshmen class, thinks that the 2017 class “bullsh*tted” their cipher, but explains that he loves the picks. “Of course my favorite is Ugly God. He’s my brother, but I love XXXTentacion, Playboi Carti and MADEINTYO,” he elaborated. “I love Kamaiyah, she’s like my big sister. Actually, the whole class is fire. I feel like they bullsh*tted their cypher. I love the people though, they make great music.”
While he may not be the authority on lyrical dexterity and accuracy, considering his “Peek-A-Boo” snafu, the kid has shown a certain knack for conceptual rap verses, like the Simpsons-themed rap he kicked for Jimmy Fallon and The Roots. While some, like Vic Mensa, may be less than impressed with Yachty’s rap style, he’s at his best with fun, upbeat sounds when he is given the freedom to flex, like his guest spots on Macklemore’s “Marmalade,” Kyle’s “iSPY,” or D.R.A.M.’s “Broccoli.” Yachty certainly has as many fans as detractors, including actor David Hasselhoff, and a small army willing to defend him online — at least poke fun at the curmudgeons who deem his easygoing, freewheeling rap style a cancer to the art form, like Joe Budden.
Make sure you check out the full interview, linked above, and just for fun, the 2017 Freshmen and Yachty’s 2016 Freshman Freestyles.
