​In what has become an annual tradition, the minds over at XXL magazine recently unveiled the elite class of fresh-faced rappers they dub the Freshman 10. Mostly products of Internet buzz and/or critically acclaimed mixtapes, the Freshman class issue has risen from a gimmicky excuse to put non-famous but promising rappers on the cover to a legitimate honor for those who are given a spot (just ask Lil Wayne's homie, Jae Millz, who took aim at this year's crop after being conspicuously excluded). Is it a gauge for stardom? Well, the honor has been met with mixed results. Some have gone on to become sort of famous (Kid Cudi, Asher Roth); others have remained underground (Blu); and others have just...well, frankly, they never belonged in the first place (Ace Hood).

Last night, six of them--all non-native New Yorkers, including Nipsey Hussle (Los Angeles), Jay Rock (Los Angeles), Donnis (Atlanta), Pill (Atlanta), Big Sean (Detroit), and Freddie Gibbs (Gary, Indiana)--took the stage at the Highline Ballroom to introduce themselves to a city that's never less than skeptical of new rappers, especially those who come from out of town. (Three of them -- Fashawn, OJ Da Juiceman, Wiz Khalifa --were not in attendance for reasons unknown, though OJ was booed last time he was here. The fourth MC missing in action, J. Cole, headlined his own show the night before at SOB's for Hot97's annual Who's Next concert series).

For all involved, the goal of the performance was simple: Demonstrate to skeptics that they rightfully deserve to be on the cover of XXL and will hopefully be back in said magazine again in the future. So did they show and prove? Well, yes and no. Below, a breakdown of last night's performances categorized from worst to best.

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​--On Tuesday, we noted that R. Kelly had announced his "Ladies Make Some Noise!" tour, which included an NYC stop on October 16th. Now the venue has been revealed-- the WaMu Theater At Madison Square Garden--and tickets are on internet presale right now. The password? LADIES. This man and his machine are so far beyond you and me it is unfair.

--Jay-Z's bodyguard got in a scuffle with a TV reporter who got a little too close to Jay and Beyonce while rap's number one power couple was vacationing in Croatia (?!). The reporter tossed a tripod at the bodyguard, who then sensibly tossed the whole fucking rig into the Adriatic Sea. Leave Jay-Z alone, world! He will be ruling us when everything else is just ash and Rihanna in a garter belt.

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"I mean Aspen, Portland: They're on the West Coast, but for an L.A. dude it's like the middle of nowhere. We got U.S. Marshals hopping on the bus in Salt Lake City."

Not since the emergence of The Game on the national hip-hop scene has Los Angeles had such a promising new rapper as Nipsey Hussle. A member of the notorious Rolling Sixty Crips from the Crenshaw and Slauson neighborhood of Los Angeles, Nipsey has--on the strength of two volumes of his Bullets Ain't Got No Name mixtape series, narrated in a sing-songy flow that recalls an edgier Snoop Dogg--steadily gained national attention. It's a fact not lost on his musical sponsor, Game, who has brought Nipsey along on his most recent national tour, which stops at the Blender Theatre on Saturday. We talked to Nipsey about his youth, his music, and touring in America's other badlands.--Chris Ryan

Tell me a little about growing up in LA

I grew up on the Westside of L.A.: Crenshaw district. That area was controlled by gangs and in my teenage years I got involved with that lifestyle. I like to say I grew up better than some and worse than others. I don't like to tell no sad story about how it was so rough coming up. I had the same drama a lot of young black kids had: drugs, gangbanging, violence. But I also had a love for music and when I saw a lot of my friends, a lot of the people around me going off to jail, music is what sent me in a different direction.

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