A long-running music and culture franchise that helped identify the next generation of hip-hop talent—evolving from an emerging-artist editorial platform into a premium opportunity for brands to align with the future of music.

Strategy + Role: Built and scaled the XXL Freshman Class from an artist-discovery franchise into a sponsorable mass-scale media platform. Created new ways for brand partners—such as Reebok, Monster Energy, Corona, Church & Dwight, AEG, and more—to connect with emerging talent and hip-hop fandom. Developed and sold integrated sponsorship opportunities across content, digital, social, and live events/concert tours.

Business Impact: The XXL Freshman Class is more than artist-discovery; it’s a cultural signal that advertisers want to be close to. The global platform we built and scaled gave (and continues to give) brand partners a credible way to be part of the conversation surrounding emerging talent and hip-hop.