Chicago rapper Lucki has taken to social media to express his frustration with XXL magazine’s approach to its annual Freshman freestyles. In a voice note shared on Twitter, Lucki accused the magazine of using the same format for the freestyles as they did in 2013, which he believes does not reflect the current state of music creation and consumption.

Lucki’s comments come in the wake of XXL claiming that one of its 2024 Freshmen failed to perform their customary freestyle, providing a “pathetic” excuse. The rapper argues that people no longer prioritize lyrics in the same way they once did and that XXL needs to adapt to remain relevant and maintain interest in the Freshman List.

The controversy surrounding this year’s Freshman class has been further compounded by the decision of another artist, Ice Spice, to turn down the XXL Freshman cover. Additionally, Rich Amiri, who was included in the Freshman class alongside artists such as Cash Cobain, That Mexican OT, and BigXthaPlug, revealed that he was the artist who left the shoot.

However, Amiri disputed XXL’s account of the events, accusing the magazine of lying. A trailer for this year’s Freshman freestyles features Amiri performing, which appears to contradict his initial claim.