Every year around this time, XXL Magazine releases a slightly jaded, misguided XXL Freshmen list. It's kinda dumb because it usually features seasoned guys like Action Bronson (29) right alongside "young bucks" like Joey Bada$$ (18) and the term Freshmen generally connotes fresh meat. XXL 2013's Freshmen Class: The Mixtape includes 17 previously released/rare tracks from Bronson, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q, Joey Bada$$, Trinidad Jame$, angel haze, Logic, Dizzy Wright, Kirko Bangs, and Travi$ Scott. It's a damn good thing the DJ Drama-hosted mixtape's up for free download online; aside from Action Bronson's "November Rain" (Party Supplies), a Joey Bada$$/Bronsolino team-up, ScHoolboy Q's recent single "Yay Yay," angel haze freestyling over Purity Ring, and Ab-Soul/Harry Fraud's "Back Then," its' pretty fucking terrible!

A former top chef, Action Bronson is hands down one of the most skilled emcees in the game, who could easily MURK 9/10 $-accented Ringtone Rappers in 2 minutes or less! Here's one of Bronson's grandiose lyrical assaults, gutted straight outta "November Rain:" "Throw acid on your cheek, now you're a work of art / Beauty's only skin-deep, they'll still accept you. Stuff a 1/4 pound of drug inside the asshole of a German Shepherd / My jacket made of Cuban Leopard." From what I'm led to believe, Action Bronson's currently working on 2-4 separate projects including Saab Stories and Blue Chips II, in addition to his long-rumored VICE/Warner Bros. debut; Blue Chips and Rare Chandeliers are definitely worth checking out, if you're still slackin'!