It’s finally here!

On Monday (June 13), XXL unveiled its highly anticipated 2016 Freshman Class cover list.

Fans from all over the world, hip-hop heads, and the industry folks can at last dissect and discuss the annual Freshman Class or how XXL calls it “The New Wave.” Desiigner, Dave East, Denzel Curry, G Herbo, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Dicky, Lil Yachty, Anderson .Paak, 21 Savage and Kodak Black graced the 2016 edition.

To get some insight on the selection process and to dig deep in the minds of XXL, we recently chopped it up with the magazine’s editor-in-chief Vanessa Satten, as she dished on the process of getting on the cover.

The boss lady revealed that the process begins in the fall and consists of staff attending shows across the country, speaking to people in the music industry, interviewing those close to the Freshmen cover candidates, and truly taking a grasp of who’s hot and who’s not in the industry.

Read our full interview with Vanessa below to get an inside look at the grueling process of landing a primary spot on the XXL Freshman Cover. – Lupe Looove