Starting off with the first XXL Cypher that was ever made, 2011 was a mixed bag. Don’t get me wrong — there was quality found among the MCs in this roster with Mac Miller (RIP), YG, Yelawolf, Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill and Big K.R.I.T., as they proved themselves with their verses, especially lyrically.
What was the first XXL?
In August 1997, Harris Publications released the first issue of XXL. It featured rappers Jay-Z and Master P on a double cover. In December 2006, XXL took over the struggling hip-hop producer and DJ magazine Scratch (another publication owned by Harris Publications), re-branding it as XXL Presents Scratch Magazine.
