XXL magazine's coveted "Freshman" cover issue has become the subject of hip hop debate for weeks on end since it's start in 2008. However, 2014 candidate IamSu! doesn't consider his exclusion as much of a slight, he recently revealed to BET.

"Not making the XXL cover didn't affect me like that," he said. "I'm not really tripping off stuff like that." 

The "Only That Real" rapper is coming off a successful 2013, including a team up with West Coast rapper Problem for their Million Dollar Afro mixtape/tour, appearing on Sage the Gemini's Billboard Top 10 platinum-selling smash "Gas Pedal" and guesting on 2 Chainz' "Livin" from B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time.

But while Heartbreak Suzy may feel confident in his accomplishments, some are riding for him to get his full recognition. Veteran rapper and Oakland native Mistah F.A.B. took to his Twitter account to speak his piece, "California was neglected by the @xxl this year @ItsaPROBLEM @SageTheGemini @iamsu not being on the freshman cover was BULLS--T," he wrote.

There are more who agree. "The fans rallied up and gave them [XXL] a piece of their mind on how they felt and what should have went down," IamSu! said, making note that he had prior knowledge about him not making the cut, but was still overwhelmed by the public outcry and influx of support from music peers and fans once the cover was revealed.

Check the video below to see what else the HBK leader had to say, including how Beyoncé influenced "Only That Real" (which features Sage the Gemini and 2 Chainz). The song is his new single off his Sincerely Yours debut, which also boasts features from Too $hort, E-40, Dizzy Wright and more.

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(Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)