Denzel Curry Reflects On The 2016 XXL Freshman Class [Video]

Denzel Curry reflects on the lasting impact of XXL’s 2016 Freshman Class and explains why his classmates’ success still motivates him.

Ten years after joining XXL’s 2016 Freshman Class, Denzel Curry sits down with DJ Drama to look back on a lineup he considers the series’ most successful.

Rather than treating the anniversary as a nostalgia exercise, Curry points to the continued rise of classmates including 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert and Anderson .Paak as motivation to keep raising his standards. Their achievements, he explains, preserve the competitive energy that has always driven hip-hop while also showing how artists can push one another forward.

The conversation continues XXL’s 10-year anniversary series, following G Herbo’s own reflection on the 2016 class and DJ Drama’s return to the Freshman cyphers.

Watch the full interview below.