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A 2005 cover of XXL, featuring Snoop Dogg and The Game.

XXL (say: double-x-l) is a hip-hop magazine from Harris Publications. The magazine's editor-in-chief is Elliott Wilson. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. ... Jayceon Terell Taylor (born November 27, 1979 in Los Angeles,[1] California), better known by his stage name The Game, is a multi-platinum American rapper signed to Interscope Records. ... Harris Publications is the publisher of King Magazine, XXL, SLAM, Scratch, Rides, Donk, Box, and Bubbles and among other titles. ...

Since 1997, XXL has competed with hip-hop powerhouses such as The Source magazine and Vibe magazine. It was started by former Source staffers James Bernard, Robert Marriott and Reginald Dennis, as well as others who wanted to create a better magazine than The Source, which they saw as compromised because Benzino, a Boston, Massachusetts-based rapper and associate of The Source publisher David Mays, were influencing the editorial content and rating system. Hip hop is a subculture, which is said to have begun with the work of DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and Afrika Bambaattaa. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Janet Jackson on the cover of Vibe in 1998. ... Raymond Scott (born October 24, 1965) is a rapper known as Benzino. ... David Mays is the co-founder and co-owner of The Source magazine. ...

Foxy Brown on the cover of a Summer 2003 issue of XXL

XXL's goal was to provide their readers with the best talent, thus they established the motto "Hip-Hop on a Higher Level." They scored major advertising after The Source was taken over by Benzino and launched a battle against Eminem. Hip-Hop labels Def Jam and Interscope offered the magazine most of their advertising and access to their feature artists. The sales increased with their February 2003 cover of Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, which was subtitled "The Real Hip-Hop is Over Here." After the cover, XXL's average readership increased. Image File history File links Xxlcoverfox. ... Image File history File links Xxlcoverfox. ... Inga Marchand, (born September 6, 1978) in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States, better known as Foxy Brown, is an American rapper of Afro-Trinidadian and Chinese Trinidadian descent[1]. Her ancestry and her exact place of birth have also been the source of controversy [1]. She... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known as Eminem or Slim Shady, is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning American rapper, record producer and actor from the Detroit, Michigan area. ... Def Jam Recordings is an American based hip-hop record label that operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Music Group, which is owned by Universal Music Group. ... Interscope Records is a record label currently owned by the Universal Music Group. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... For the currency amount, see 50 cents. ...

By 2005, subscriptions had increased to 800,000 with an average readership of two million.^{[citation needed]}. In August 2005, XXL achieved its goal of becoming the best selling hip-hop magazine.^{[citation needed]}. The magazine's editor-in-chief Elliott Wilson is also a member of New York City's "ego trip" collective which partnered with VH1 to create ego trip's Race-O-Rama! television special in 2005 and The (White) Rapper Show in 2007. VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division... Cover of Ego Trips final issue (Vol. ... ego trips The (White) Rapper Show is an American reality television series on the VH1 cable network. ...

In December 2006, XXL took the hip-hop producer/DJ magazine Scratch (another title owned by Harris Publications) under its wing, with Elliott Wilson acting as Editorial Director. It's now called "XXL Presents Scratch Magazine." Nas, The Game and will. ...

Other titles with limited runs have also been launched under the XXL umbrella, including Hip-Hop Soul, Eye Candy Magazine and Shade45 Magazine.

Album ratings

XXL's album rating system is one of the most recognized reviews in hip-hop community^{[citation needed]}. Journalists give albums ratings ranging from "S" (poor) to "XXL" (classic).

Only six albums have received an XXL as their original rating:

• The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill
• The Blueprint by Jay-Z
• Be by Common
• Late Registration by Kanye West
• Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse
• Get Rich or Die Tryin' by 50 Cent

A later issue re-rated some albums and gave XXLs to: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo album by Lauryn Hill of the recently reunited Fugees. ... Lauryn Noel Hill-Marley (born May 25, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, arranger, actress and mother. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Jay-Z (aka the Jigga, HOV and Hova, born Shawn Carter on December 4, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African American rapper/hip hop artist and record label executive; one of the most popular and successful rappers of the late 1990s and early 2000s. ... Be is a 2005 album by rapper Common, produced by Kanye West and J Dilla. ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ... Singles from Late Registration Released: July 4, 2005 Released: October 10, 2005 Released: December 20, 2005 Released: April 24, 2006 Released: June, 2006 Late Registration is the second major label album release from Roc-A-Fella hip hop artist and producer Kanye West. ... Kanye Omari West (pronounced /kɑn. ... Hell Hath No Fury is the oft-delayed second album from the Virginia hip hop duo Clipse. ... Clipse is a Virginia based (via The Bronx) hip hop duo. ... Get Rich or Die Tryin can refer to: The debut album of rap artist 50 Cent, released in 2003. ... For the currency amount, see 50 cents. ...

• The College Dropout by Kanye West
• Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan
• The Chronic and 2001 by Dr. Dre
• The Infamous by Mobb Deep
• Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z
• Illmatic by Nas
• The Diary by Scarface
• Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem
• Life After Death by The Notorious B.I.G. and Kanye West is the best rapper alive!!!, he's a legend lol! BUy Graduation in stores now!!!