Toosii And DDG Agree To A Boxing Match Days After Their XXL Freshman Class Induction

Celebrity boxing matches are all the rage these days. We’re a couple weeks removed from Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul’s matchup. Former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson and MMA fighter Brian Maxwell duked it out as well. And we can’t forget Nate Robinson and Jake Paul’s fight at the end of last year. That being said, there are some other names around the celebrity world who want to square off in the ring, two of those being newly-inducted XXL Freshman rappers Toosii and DDG.

Screenshot From XXL

Toosii hopped on Twitter to share his desire for a fight, writing, “I need a boxing match set up.” The tweet came to DDG’s attention after it was reposted by a hip-hop page on Instagram. In response, DDG wrote, “Did somebody say box?” to which Toosi replied, “Let’s set it up.” It appears that there isn’t any bad tension between the two rappers, so if the fight becomes a reality, it should all be in good fun.

This comes days after Toosii and DDG were inducted into the 2021 XXL Freshman class. They joined Blxst, Pooh Shiesty, 42 Dugg, Toosii, Iann Dior, Flo Milli, Coi Leray, Lakeyah, Rubi Rose, and Morray as the other acts on the annual list.

Pooh Shiesty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

DDG Sings A ‘Hood Melody’ In His Melancholy New Video

A day after featuring on XXL‘s 2021 Freshman list, DDG releases the latest single from his Die 4 Respect mixtape with hitmaking producer OG Parker. “Hood Melody,” which features a rattling, melancholy beat and contemplative, observational lyrics from the Pontiac native, backgrounds a video that finds DDG obsessing over all of the violent ends he can meet.

Although the song features a guest verse from perpetually troubled Baton Rouge rapper Youngboy Never Broke Again, the man himself was not available for the video shoot as he’s currently in custody after being arrested for felony firearm possession in Los Angeles in March. Youngboy was denied bail after prosecutors successfully argued that he would be a danger to the community and a flight risk. He was previously arrested on similar charges in his native Louisiana and has been connected with a fatal shooting in Miami in 2019, as well as avoiding prison time for kidnapping and aggravated assault after being caught on camera attacking his then-girlfriend at a hotel in Georgia.

DDG, on the other hand, has a bright future ahead of him thanks to appearances with Dame D.O.L.L.A. on the NBA star’s “Stuntin On You‘ video and the extended rollout of the Die 4 Respect mixtape, which included the Coi Leray-featuring “Impatient” video.

Watch DDG’s “Hood Melody” video above.

YoungBoy Never Broke Again is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Here’s a Complete List of Every XXL Freshman Over the Years

A look at all of the stars who have graced XXL Freshman covers over the years. Continue reading…

‘XXL’s 2021 Freshman List Includes Blxst, Coi Leray, DDG, And Pooh Shiesty

The 2021 XXL Freshman cover has arrived! Each year, rap fans wait and speculate in anticipation to find out which artists made the coveted list, mostly so we can all speculate and wait on their activities for the future — or debate whether they deserved placement.

But this post is just to let our readers know who all made it. This year’s cover includes plenty of Uproxx favorites like Blxst, DDG, and Pooh Shiesty, as well as 2020 fan favorites like 42 Dugg, Flo Milli, and Toosii. There’s plenty of female representation on this year’s list, with Coi Leray, Lakeyah, and Rubi Rose holding it down for the ladies. And breakout artists Iann Dior and Morray round out the list after some attention-grabbing features introduced them to a whole new audience.

This year’s list looks pretty well-rounded, as the breakout artists included have all made impressive debuts, charted highly, or garnered plenty of viral attention in the past year. Many regions, races, and styles are represented, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to South Central, Los Angeles, with many of the entries hailing from oft-overlooked origins when it comes to hip-hop such as Milwaukee, WI, Lexington, KY, and Corpus Christi, TX.

Last year’s cover included breakouts like Chika, Jack Harlow, Mulatto, and Rod Wave. And for those who didn’t make it, there’s always next year — or the chance for a surprise breakout.

Meanwhile, XXL is gearing up for the usual slate of Freshman programming, including freestyles, Cyphers, and profiles on these up-and-coming artists. Stay tuned.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Best Hip-Hop Hooks Over the Last Five Years

Hooks that last. Continue reading…