Seattle’s Lil Mosey makes XXL Freshman Class of 2019, a coveted nod for rising teen rapper

Lil Mosey’s wild ride keeps getting wilder.

On Thursday, prominent hip-hop publication XXL Magazine released its annual Freshman Class list — an always debated roundup of the top hip-hop artists on the rise — with the Seattle breakout earning a coveted spot. XXL placed the teen star alongside the critically acclaimed Tierra Whack, Southern rappers Gunna and DaBaby, Comethazine and Houston flamethrower Megan Thee Stallion. Also making the cut were YBN Cordae, YK Osirus, Roddy Ricch, Rico Nasty and polarizing L.A. rapper Blueface, who won the fan vote.

Though not exactly a surprise, it’s a big spotlight for Mosey in recognition of the Mountlake Terrace teen’s rapid ascent. Just a year and a half ago, Mosey was largely unknown even in his hometown and has since racked up hundreds of millions of streams and YouTube plays with melodically woozy hits like “Noticed” and “Kamikaze.” After the video for his breakout “Pull Up” exploded online, Mosey landed a major-label deal with Interscope Records, which released the 17-year-old’s debut album “Northsbest” last fall.

The rising young rapper has since maintained a heavy touring schedule, which included Rolling Loud festival slots and a headlining date at Showbox SoDo this spring.

As his spotlight began to grow, Mosey stirred up the local hip-hop community with comments he made during an interview last year that appeared critical of the local scene (though he later walked them back). Nevertheless, Mosey’s fast-track to stardom has made him Seattle’s biggest hip-hop export since Macklemore, amassing a legion of young fans along the way.