While earlier cyphers felt like stiff auditions, this group looked like a house party. Uzi spent as much time dancing and ad-libbing for his peers as he did rapping.
The year 2016 wasn't just another year for hip-hop; it was a total cultural reset. At the heart of this explosion was , the Philadelphia "rockstar" who walked into the 2016 XXL Freshman Class with purple hair, a red leather man-purse, and enough melodic energy to flip the industry on its head. 🔥 The Legendary 2016 Cypher UZI - XXL
Before the group cypher, Uzi stood alone for his solo XXL Freshman Freestyle . While critics at the time debated the "mumble rap" wave, Uzi's performance was a high-speed display of the "machine gun" flow that gave them their name. While earlier cyphers felt like stiff auditions, this
"Told that boy he can dress like me, but he can't be me / Told that boy I don't see no competition like I'm Stevie." At the heart of this explosion was ,
Looking back, the 2016 class aged like fine wine. Uzi went from a polarizing newcomer to a diamond-certified superstar with hits like "XO Tour Llif3".
Out of the entire class, Uzi holds the record for the most songs certified platinum (4) and multi-platinum (5) as of 2020.