Every year XXL Magazine does a "Freshman" issue that covers the myriad artists they believe could be the next to blow up in the world of music.
People like platinum- and gold-selling artists Lupe Fiasco and Kid Cudi have been two of the most successful artists that have been featured in their "Freshman" issue.
Being on this highly coveted list is usually some sort of firestarter, on a larger level, to these artists' careers, and this year's "Freshman" list has been possibly leaked – though there's no way to verify if the leaked document is real or not.
The leaked list is being circulated by outlets like SOHH.com, VladTV and others and after examining this list, it is completely probable that many of those artists are on the "Freshman" list.
The exciting thing about this leaked list is the inclusion of two Milwaukee artists – Gerald Walker and Streetz-n-Young Deuces, which could provide an unprecedented boost to Milwaukee hip-hop's national reputation.
Both SNYD and Walker have found relative levels of success in different markets outside of Milwaukee and Wisconsin, so this would completely validate the work they are doing.
Does this list seem like it's real to you?
Born in Milwaukee and raised in the Milwaukee suburb of Brown Deer, Concordia University Wisconsin alumnus Poppe has spent the majority of his life in or around the city and county of Milwaukee.
As an advocate of Milwaukee's hip-hop community Poppe began popular local music blog Milwaukee UP in March 2010. Check out the archived entries here.
Though heavy on the hip-hop, Poppe writes about other genres of music and occasionally about food, culture or sports, and is always ready to show his pride in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
