When XXL released their 2015 Freshman Class cover earlier this month, there were mixed reactions over the 10 artists featured. A look at social media found many rap fans clamoring for the inclusion of Lil Herb or Mick Jenkins without giving some of the newly named Freshmen a chance to shine. DMV native GoldLink debunks all speculation regarding his selection with his thought-provoking XXL Freshman Freestyle.

The rhymer gives the listener some substance here. "We built the pyramids / One percent of the five percent understand the true intimacy and power we contributed to your country, let alone your world / So how is it that we are stuck in the business where the system perpetuates us on the side? / To keep us in the condition where we ain't made to survive," GoldLink eloquently raps.

He also gives a special shout out to an R&B princess gone too soon. "I once told myself that the prettiest picture was painted on the plainest day / Beautiful bliss in my wrist stroke my life's pain / The struggles of success reaching for a higher plane / Lord, if you take me, make me crash with Aaliyah's plane," he finishes brilliantly.

Despite not emblazoning his name on the walls of the mainstream, GoldLink has developed a strong niche in the underground. With a tinge of Wale embedded in his blood, you can see that the 22-year-old has the ability to wow you lyrically. If you haven't already, go check out some of his tracks including "Sober Thoughts" and "Planet Paradise."

Watch GoldLink go to work in his XXL Freshman Freestyle above. Prepare to press the reply button to hear him drop these gems again.

See XXL Freshman Class: Where Are They Now?

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