Drake Explains Why He and Nicki Minaj Declined XXL Magazine Freshmen Cover

To let Drake tell it, he and Nicki Minaj aren't industry freshmen anymore. Young Money’s bread winners have been going strong for well over a year with separate critically acclaimed mixtapes, arena tours, big name features and high profiled co-signs.

Since their meteoric rise, Drake and Nicki's absence from XXL Magazine's second Freshman cover, an issue that highlights 10 promising rap rookies, has been heavily discussed.


With the third installment of XXL’s coveted list approaching, Drake and Nicki Minaj will not be sharing the cover with the industry’s “New Breed of Hustlers.” “Technically, we were freshmen when they didn’t put us on," Drake told Imflashy.com. "So now, I just feel like we’re returning the favor.”