Hit-Boy

26:15This is like four months ago. It's like recently. I got the Supreme MPC Live. Nas actually bought it for me. And I was just one day like, man, I need to crack this open. Matter of fact, no, my homeboy James Fauntleroy, writer extraordinaire, legendary artist, all that. He came by and played me some beats that he had made on the MPC Live. And he was like, bro, you got to get on this. And then that's when I cracked it up. And maybe a week later or a few days later, and I'm like, yo, this is fun. It makes the process way more even fun. You know what I mean? I already have fun while I'm making beats, but that's like make it almost like a cheat code.

26:53Did Nas give it to you for you to make beats on? Or was it sort of just like, hey, here. I was just like, it's a dope piece. Like, even if I never opened it, like, I probably could have sold it for however much. You know what I mean? But I'm like, nah, I got to get it in. Have you made anything yet with MPC that you feel like is going to make it to a project? Yeah, for sure. Already? Yeah, for sure. I don't play. I look at myself like a department store, just like a store for real. When you come through, you're going to find something, whether it's the jacket, the shirt, maybe the whole outfit, the shoes, something.

27:28You're going to find something that works for what you're doing. Nine times out of ten, I just kind of like, let me just keep cranking out product. And it's like the latest stuff I do, I make sure I play it for the artist that's coming to work with me. And it just kind of always connects somehow. Are there artists that you ever make something for where you feel like you seek them out to show them something specific? Like you feel like this could really work for this person? Yeah. I mean, especially more early in my career. Like now, I mean, well, if I know I'm not locked in with Nas, I'm going to get in that zone.

28:00Like after we do three, four records, it's like, okay, something switches in my brain where it's like, I know where to take it for the rest of the time to keep it in this linear thing, but still be dynamic. Rob Markman So you still locked in with Nas? I'm super locked in. We was in the studio last night. Probably going to be in the studio after we done with this podcast, man. It's just like, we just like, it's honestly, I feel like we still working on the first album. Like it's just been like a progressive thing. I've seen people work on albums for five, six years, and if we was just now about to come out the album, people would just be even more mind blown because of the progress.

28:36But it was good that we had been just making the projects, dropping them. We getting this live feedback. We getting all this support, all this respect. He's up my respect level just in music in general. And people looking at him, it's like, wow, you can age gracefully and you can still keep in hip-hop you can still keep it fresh still cutting edge modern at you know i'm saying whatever age and it's not even about that it's just about what you guys are doing is timeless dude it's crazy appreciate that man it's crazy i gotta say like i think jay-z did that similar thing with 444 made it feel like you don't have to be the newest thing artist to make something that resonates or impacts and vibrates.

29:23But you guys did it KD, KD2, Magic, KD3, and have every project be flawless. It was really a point where it's like, those are just so next level, incredible. How do you even choose one? It's like having three Illmatics. Crazy, man. I just seen somebody on Twitter say something about the first KD, and I'm like, damn, we had some joints on there. It was like a different... I feel like every song we make is like a real song with some type of structure, some type of... It might be a new way of thinking about it, but it's just like something that's gluing it together as an actual song. You know what I mean?

30:04I feel like we've progressed into really him just digging into that bag of just getting raps off, but still keeping a structure to where people can enjoy the song and it's not just three minutes of rapping. You still got a hook. you still but he just like just flashed back like and took it to a place that people of what people really want to hear from him how are the concepts coming up like i'm thinking off this new phone like michael and quincy like that as just a concept he actually uh had that idea for a little minute like for probably like some months and he would just talk about it i didn't know exactly what because i feel like most people would have just sampled either some off thriller or off the wall or just something that kind of like was a similar aesthetic to those.

30:49But we took it left field and had like the break beat with the dirty acoustic bass and then the horns and chord changes and just like, you know, really having fun with it. So we had the concept for a minute, but there wasn't a beat attached to it. Yeah, because I was thinking about how to approach it. Like, I never want to be surface level and just be like, okay, cool. I'm going to go sample a Quincy song or sample a Michael song. to do just sample body heat or something right yeah nah it's like just come with a new wave damn yeah did you grow up a Nas fan like growing up on the west coast I grew up on the west coast Nas was respected I respected Nas always yeah but it wasn't the thing that I was always hearing coming right you know man that's funny because I just was having this conversation with somebody just about how things are marketed and the way people look at things.

31:43You know what I mean? I always had a super major respect for Nas, but working with him and digging into his discography, listening to how the albums was sequenced, I listened to all his intros, just back to back to back to back, just trying to capture that energy. And I really got more of an appreciation for who he really is and what he's contributed to music in general. You know what I mean? So I always had major respect for him, but I just like grew to really understand like, oh, this dude is, you know what I mean? Because I was on the West Coast, so it wasn't as much other than the hits. If I were with the world and stuff like that, we'll play on the radio.

32:22All the time. You know what I mean? But I didn't, like, you know, my family's super West Coast, so they didn't just have his albums on repeat. But I did have friends who, you know, if I was the Jay-Z guy, I got a homeboy who was the Nas guy, and we've back and forth, take over Ether, whatever. you know what I mean? But that's like, I don't know, like probably sounds like for you too, for me that like, both of them didn't enter my world as like, beloved, beloved artists until like that, that beef time, like Ether and Takeover, et cetera. But like, you know, like Illmatic, when you talk to anyone from New York, that's just like, hands down easily.

32:55But it's like, for me, it's like, I think. 94, Def Roe was going insane out here. So it was no really. Doggy style. I was like, swallowing that up. Yeah. You know, but I get it now though. I get it. And his longevity just speaks to what he's always been. He's been doing this since he was 16, 17. For him to be 49 is just like still rapping at a high level, projecting his voice at the highest level. His voice sounds, I think, the best it's ever sounded. Crazy. So when you guys are in sessions, will you guys discuss his approach on a song, like the way he's attacking a song, a beat, or his cake? Yeah, I mean, it's both ways.

33:37Sometimes I'll come in and, you know, I might be like, yo, you should start rapping at this bar. Like, it might not be the one or it might be just like an off place and then I just let him just take it from there. And he usually spark another idea for me. Like, sometimes with the hooks, he'll record something and I'll just take the last word of what he said or last line of what he said, fly it back and kind of just structure a hook and then let him finish it out. and it just makes it easy. Wherever he going, I'm going and we just making it work. So you'll structure a hook out of something that he maybe intended as a verse.

34:10Exactly. I heard stories about Dre doing that for Snoop back on the Chronic and Doggy style. Snoop would just freestyle something but it intended that's the verse but it'd be like... It's about that pocket, the way it's hitting the pocket. As a producer or whoever, if you're a song maker you would just hear certain things that maybe the artist's not paying attention to and it's like I'm trying to take advantage of all this shit. this is not like that's your job to like hear what they're not open to it he opened to my ideas so and uh that's that's that's where i'm empowered just like him being able to see my vision when it when i play a beat it might not even be all the way done but if i'm excited about something and i got a chord structure or some drums and put it together and like he down to write to it he down to rap on it so just that baseline like unfinished yeah kernel of an idea that's it because most, you know, especially now in the new age, if it don't sound like the type of rap caviar or the number one song, some artists won't even pay attention to it.

35:11They don't want to build and really make a song. Most, not most, but a lot of artists. Yeah, I mean, that's a real vulnerable place for you to be as a producer. Yeah, earlier in my career, I'd sit there and just go through as many beats as it took, but now it's like, man, if we got to go past maybe five beats, you should just go find another producer and we'll reconvene. Just come pull back up on me and we'll lock in when it's time. Because I feel like if I'm going to have an artist come in, I'm going to play them something that I can hear them on. And if we not on the same wavelength, then that just is what it is.

35:46Yeah. The Rihanna joint you did on Anti, that was one that it took a while, right? I did two on Anti, Pose and the song Woo. and that was a build. That was a process. I had the basis of it though when we sat down. I was in a room with Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Ty Dolla$ign, and The Dream and I just had my I had the contact sort of NPC and I was just playing with them guitar stabs and just came up with that pattern and everybody in the room just went crazy started humming melodies and writing to it and it just got built out progressively. That's got to be a hell of a feeling to have that room start vibing off what you're playing yeah i just remember like weekend singing melodies travis coming up with his wave and it came together but it was a rihanna session so you knew whatever was would end up for that project for sure okay okay a couple of songs from the the last few nons records i want to talk about just to having premiere cut on wave guys that was ill That's because it was like a collective thing.

36:54When Rocky came through to do his verse, he was like, yo, we should get Premiere to scratch on this. And it was like, yo, me and Nas was low-key already kind of thinking like that. So it just made sense. Who hit Premiere? That had to be Nas. Just tapped in with him, and he did it off the love, you know what I mean? Just went in and made it sound like authentic Premiere vibes. Did you have any notes on it? Nah, I didn't. And it was solid. One take. So you do EPMD. How did the EPMD concept for the Ryan Coogler film? Judas and the Black Messiah. Yeah, Judas and the Black Messiah. How did that concept come up for that?

37:34I just had the beat. And when I was walking the stool, I was playing it loud. And he just started coming up with flows and set the EPMD line and just went from there. We just built it out. And it was for King's Disease 2. That was supposed to be a record on there. It ended up being a remix on King's Disease 2. But the original was just, it was supposed to be for the album. And I was involved in Judas and the Black Messiah, kind of like heavily on the executive production side. So I actually put a record of my own with me rapping on there called Broad Day. They was just like, yo, we need more records.

38:13I just started submitting joints and EPMD. They was like, this is perfect. They ended up doing the video and all that. That's amazing. But then when did you guys decide you want to still keep it for the record? We just love the joint. And Nas, I guess, was, I forgot how the Eminem thing came about. But he just was like, man, we should throw Eminem on it. Reached out to him. He did the joint quick, you know what I mean? Hopped on it. EPMD didn't even know that Eminem was on it until it was about to drop, you know what I mean? So that was an ill moment, just like it all coming together and everybody from their own era just getting their respect.

38:53That's one of those records, man, where it's like, again, that's why these projects are so incredible, man. Like just getting premiered on that magic joint. But when you have - Warren Hill on KD2. Yeah. You know what I mean? That's something like, okay, as a producer, you just like don't, first of all, she don't even like rap like that much no more. She doesn't do anything much. So it's like for me to have a premier Lauryn Hill rap verse on one of my beats, that's just ew. Yeah, when's the last time you heard a Lauryn Hill verse? Like a new Lauryn Hill. She went in. She went in and for bars, bars.

39:27It was like two verses put into one. How did that come up? They just cool, Nas and Lauryn Hill. So through them talking, I guess they wanted to do a joint. and when we made the song, Nas was like, this is the one we got to put Lauren on. Did he have his verse already? Yeah, he did. He did. He had his verse and sent it over and she literally did it within days. Did you think it was really going to happen? I didn't personally, but it just came together, man. It was ill. Again, even resisting the temptation to do the obvious, which would be to do like if I ruled the world, too, you know? That concept was dope for her too because she do be on her, you know, nobody's just like out the way type vibe as far as I can see.

40:16And yeah, it just brought the concept all the way home. And she recorded it? She recorded it in her own space, but sent the vocals in and yeah, it was just a moment. What about Death Row East? Death Row East, that was the first song we did for KD too, man. That set the tone, like that concept is powerful. It's a moment that a lot of people, a lot of internet talk, a lot of podcasts, people telling their recollection of what happened at Bryant Park between Nas and Pac and Death Row and Nas click. And he just gave you a straight like POV of what really happened. How much was Death Row and Pac and Johnny J?

40:55How much was that like all part of your consciousness? I downloaded that DNA from just hearing it all the time. Like that was like massive on a commercial level and underground. Everybody rock with the death row stuff, Snoop, Pac, all that. And doing that song, I just was like, man, I need to tap into as much as I can, as far as Pac producers go. And then I just already watched documentaries and stuff on Johnny J. And I was like, that's the producer I need to channel the most on this song. Rob Markman What made you feel that? Rob Markman Because it just reminded me of a Tupac beat like death row type of vibe like that melodic kind of guitar stuff with the groove over it it just yeah it had that energy it's an incredible beat man appreciate that locking in with nas for those records you locked him with soul child it's really rare these days and it's funny like i guess it maybe it goes back to even ilmatic when like nas having all those incredible producers on his first record right really kind of seem to popularize like having a bunch of different producers on your record.

41:56But yeah, what you're doing now is rare, man. Appreciate that. Yeah, I mean, yeah, just that's the flip side of that. Now it's like he started off working with just a bunch of different producers. Now he's been locked in with me for three years, and it's like, don't seem like we stop at no time soon. Like, we really having fun with it. So where are you finding the time then? So, you know, within 13 months, it's KD2, it's Magic. It's KD3. And now you're out with your own record. Right. Surfer John. And the Soul Child record. Music Soul Child record. Like, where are you finding the time, man? I just got to just go.

42:35Just like, don't, don't, don't. Not to say don't think, but just like really any type of energy that I can put into being in a studio and just progressing with my sound and just helping other artists. Like, I'm on that, you know? this is what I worked for to have artists trusting me on this level. Now that I got that, it's like I got to like really hold that up high and take advantage of this, like these opportunities. How natural does rhyming still come to you? Does writing and performing? Man, this is like getting so much easier, I would say, just because I've been in a studio with people like Big Sean, like with, you know what I'm saying?

43:17And I executive produced Detroit 2 for Big Sean. I did a project called What You Expect, an EP with him. I mean, being around Benny the Butcher, I produced his album, Burden of Proof, in 2020. That was just kind of heavy on the underground. And working with Nas, man, I'm working with some top-tier artists. You just named some of the most premier lyricists. They watching and being fans and studying just as far as what I'm doing on the production. And I'm doing the same on the artistry end. So that's just helping me cultivate a whole just next level of myself. Have you always been writing on the side?

43:57Yeah, for sure. I've always been dropping projects, dropping singles. Just like, you know, that's always been my passion. But it's like the beat making aspect of it is so much fun to me that I just took a liking to it. You know what I mean? I feel like if I would have been chasing trying to be an artist all these years, who knows? You know, it could have worked out, couldn't have. But now it's like I have an ultimate cheat code. Like I could sit in a studio and make songs all day. Soon as one of the greatest artists live and, you know, leave the studio, whoever that may be, you know what I mean?

44:27I'm able to start recording my own stuff. They done left that energy in the studio. I watched them put bars and lines together. And, you know, it's just like it's just helping me with my own structure. That's incredible, man, that you're able to sit there and watch the people at the best of the best. Yeah. And having just like the mind to want to, you know, look at it a different way. I'm in there really trying to learn. I'm trying to get better every day. I ain't wasting no time. We're going to take one last quick break and then come back with the rest of my conversation with Hit Boy. I firmly believe when it comes to the holidays, you fall into one of two camps, someone who loves holiday music or someone who won't admit they love holiday music.

45:09There's something about a voice you love singing that familiar opening phrase, maybe it's Donny Hathaway, maybe it's Mariah Carey, that just flips a switch and you're instantly back into that warm and cozy headspace only the holidays can bring. For me, that feeling pairs perfectly with a cup of Starbucks caramel brulee latte. That's their signature espresso with steamed milk and a rich caramel brulee flavor topped with whipped cream and a crunchy caramel brulee topping. It's like the sound of the season, but in drink form. And that's really what this season's about. Little moments of pairing, little moments of connection.

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47:12Every December, we start singing. At church, around the fire, in our cars, with the radio turned up. But have we ever stopped to ask, where did our favorite Christmas carols come from? And what makes them so magical? I think it's probably one of the most perfect tunes to play and to sing. The voices are converging, they're adding this more complex and chromatic harmony, and it gives us that climactic arrival point. Hark is a podcast about the meaning and the making of Christmas carols. Get into the spirit of the season and listen to Hark, the stories behind our favorite Christmas carols. Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and at americamagazine.org.

48:04We're back with Hit Boy. How was it being around as a producer MC, how was it being around Ye in your good music years? When I first moved to Atlanta, after I signed my deal with Polo, that was my college years. And the years with Kanye was like, oh, I got a job that's at a high level, but I got to still learn. You know what I mean? I still got a lot of learning to do. Understanding this thing moves quick and you have to move fast you got to be efficient you got to be on top of it at all times and that's really what that taught me like you got to be putting like he was sleeping in the stool like wake up same clothes be start recording start whatever like chopping up samples i'm just like that's the level yeah it's almost like yeah seeing um having watched that genius documentary and just seeing some footage of yay in the studio almost reminds me like when you see those little clips of like Pac in the studio.

49:00Like, it's just the energy's on 100. Like, there's work to do. Like, let's do the work. He not in there playing and he ain't gonna be nice about it. He not gonna be polite talking softly. He's gonna let you know, like, you fucking up. Like, do this shit the right way type shit. You know what I mean? Did you ever catch that wrath? The first time I sat down to make a beat with him was the song Lift Off or Watch the Throne. He had me trying some drums and some other instrumentation. This is when I don't think I had ever really got a session from nobody and they told me to basically rework it and strip things away.

49:36He kept telling me to strip these drums away, but I couldn't really understand exactly how he was saying it. So he start kind of firing up on me to where I had to really look at. I'm like, we just met, homie. You know what I mean? So it's like, yeah. But that just taught me like, nah, bro. Yeah, I remember his exact words. I just kept forgetting to mute the drums or something was going on. He was like, these drums are going to be the death of me. I just remember, I'm like, it's that serious, bro? I'm like, that's crazy. You know what I mean? But that's his passion. That's why he got 20-something Grammys or however many and is respected on that level.

50:16It's because he's not playing. You don't seem like the kind of person to ever be like that, but have you moved from that time? have you moved closer on the spectrum of like just sort of more relaxed to like oh yeah for sure we didn't have our we've been super cool i mean we ain't in contact like that right now no but i just mean like creatively for you like have you moved closer towards that like kind of almost perfectionist kind of vibe in the studio in my own way in my way i'm just like a much more chill personality than he is yeah even though we both geminize he a june gemini me me and biggie got the same birthday oh wow and um yeah but i definitely like you know like shit gotta get done yeah yeah when niggas in paris became what it became yeah what was that feeling like for you it was ill because kanye had been telling me like through emails because i was the one song i didn't hear off the album i had heard most of them songs and i had heard like the song i had did other songs that i was excited about that i'm thinking gonna be on watch the throne none of them made it anywhere and Niggas in Paris was the one random beat out of maybe 60, 70 beats I had sent Kanye through email.

51:25And he somehow pulled it up when it was in Paris and they must have been lit vibing and played it. And it just turned them up. So, yeah. But he was, I hadn't linked back with him for like a month and a half, two months. I was out in Cali. He was in Paris and wherever. And when I went to, they had the listening party at the Observatory in New York. crazy stars on the ceiling and all that, playing the album super loud. He brought in some crazy speakers. I just like, the first two songs played, got to Niggas in Paris, everybody in Observatory stood up, DJ Khaled was next to me, and just everybody was vibing, just like, oh, this the one going crazy.

52:06DJ Khaled's vibing too, that's the vibe. Right, right. So I'm like, man, yeah, it just worked out. Damn. Yeah. As a young producer at the time, that really being your first, like you called it earlier, your first real big hit, did that put pressure on you, undue pressure on you, or did it make you feel like, all right, now everything's going to be hits, or what did it... Man, it's all that, all the above, you know what I mean? That's how I got to that point to where, you know, I had to have that surf or drown moment. That was from niggas in Paris to that, that was 2011 to 2017, just was like this all the way until it got, you know what I mean?

52:40You really feel that way? Yeah, I do, personally, just for the... You're still making good records and all that. Still making records like, you know, Sorry even came out 2015-16 off Lemonade. And, you know, I'm working with these people, but I'm seeing a way I'm not getting the respect. I'm not getting, I'm getting, you know, I look on Twitter. I watch, I pay attention to socials. I pay attention. I'm looking at what people are saying. Like, where Hit Boy at? Hit Boy fell off. Hit Boy this, Hit Boy that. Mind you, it's like, I got records that's been recorded with, you know, Jay-Z and Beyonce on them.

53:11And I've, you know, got stuff with Travis Scott and all that. But it's like the niggas in Paris situation definitely like just like was a crazy ride because like I attracted, you know, different label deals and stuff like that that I was able to get a lot of money from but didn't know what to do with it. Didn't know how to move. Didn't know I had to have the right infrastructure and the right, you know, just team around me and all that. And that was the learning curve. That was the you have to give this back to the game to get it back triple. You know what I mean? Yeah. And I just kind of programmed myself to, you know, because it's like after that, you want to chase that.

53:46And then you start to feel like, damn, this song ain't being performed 10 times. This song ain't played all day on the radio. So I fell off or whatever the case is. And you want to chase that feeling, but you can't do that. You got to understand that everything is going to have its space. Like me and Nas, and granted, we haven't really pushed for this. We ain't had no giant radio record or nothing like that, but I get way more respect off of anything I ever did on radio off this Nas stuff. All those things feel so much bigger than any radio play. Crazy. Bigger than any of that. It's insane. Are other rappers from Nas's era, are they looking at you in any way to, thinking that they could replicate some of that magic?

54:30Oh yeah, I had a few people reach out, but it's like, it got to be right. You know what I mean? I worked on, I mean even Game is like after Nas obviously, but just like from that era of like real super hardcore rap. I did like six songs on Drellmatic for Game. Yeah, just like I feel like that was a, I mean it's like he based kind of Drellmatic off Illmatic. So it's like he definitely was inspired by Bro and that was just Ill to like, you know, have it all come full circle because I had worked with him before in the past. Do you want to do more R &B? Yeah, for sure. I mean, bruh, I don't know what playlist they'll be putting Don Toliver in, but I look at him as a singer, you know what I mean?

55:11I did two songs on his album, did a single on his last album as well. So, you know, I'm doing these projects, but I'm also still getting my joints off and working with different artists. Did something on the Beyoncé album, even though it was electronic, she still is on some Queen R &B vibes too. Hey, Danny, can you play Thick?

55:39Are you in the studio with Beyoncé when she's recording this? I was in the studio to play her the beat, and I heard some early ideas. But this song was made in, well, the beat was made in 2014. So it went through a whole transformation. I don't even remember what the original concept. I don't even know if it was the thick concept. But she flushed it out and turned it into a joint. And I actually got the link with her before the album came out. Heard some joints. She played me this final version. And I was like, man, it's just like crazy that, you know, it took eight years for this to become what it is now.

56:15All right, man. I was just going to say, because from the time I've heard that, I was trying to imagine you. Oh, like watching her record? How do you? Does Jay got to be in the room? Like, how does that? I didn't watch her record that, but I have seen her record before. I was watching Beyonce record. It is what you think it is. You know what I mean? Like real genius level, real thought out, getting a song and just like doing it the exact way that the person, you know, might have gave it to her as like she going to flip something and move parts around and really like she is like a producer, writer, artist, all that.

56:51Yeah. So you made that 2014. Right. I made the beat 2014 with the bridge and all that, with the chord changes I played. Yeah. And back then, did you know it was going to be more of like a dance-oriented? No. That was way back because we had recorded a lot of songs back then. That was the one that saw the light of day eight years later. Wow. That's wild. Yeah. It wasn't like definitely not no electronic or like, you know, that type of way back then. Well, it's incredible that you also, like, I mean, you've talked about it a couple times here. And it's something, it's actually something I didn't think about too much until I was listening to your new record.

57:34And I was listening to Slippin' in the Darkness, which, again, I thought was going to be a sample of Slippin' in the Darkness. You don't go for the obvious. But I remember, I think, all right, that's going to be that sample, put it on, but oh, it's not. And then the beat flips. That's a different beat. Later, I realized it is Alchemist's beat. and you, I don't know if it's on some friendly shit or like what, but you call out a couple producers. Right. But in a way that to me was like interesting. Like you're like, yeah, you could do this, but can you chop soul? I ain't heard you without an 808.

58:06I can't just ask questions and say what I personally haven't heard. Like these dudes can have a hundred boom, bad beats in a stash that I just ain't heard, but I just made a statement saying that, you know, that's a sound I haven't heard from them. But look at Magic. look at, oh, go to Travis Scott, go to Kanye West, you're going to hear every sound from me, you know what I mean? The questioning, though, it was brilliant because it really made me think, I was like, damn, you really can do so many different things. I guess I knew it. It was more so kind of like that, too, just promoting my versatility, promoting and just kind of carving a lane out for myself.

58:43Y 'all got to really pay attention. And that's what's been so tough for me is making a song like Trophies for Drake and then making something for whoever. It's just like - Rob Markman One train for ASAP. It's hard for you to connect that just generally, you know what I mean? Just on a human level, it's just not easy to keep up with a lot of shit. So if I'm all over the place, it's like, you know, Hit Boy isn't the household name because of that. And that's what I feel like, you know what I mean? And now it's getting more to that point, but I had to create a linear thing, which is now me just doing albums for people.

59:18none of the beats sound the same on the albums but you know I didn't so it just connects with the brain a lot more and that's one thing that also makes I think you doing a full album work also is that it doesn't necessarily sound like one producer like from like it doesn't sound like the same bag of tricks every song you know or whatever it's like oh every song sounds varied it sounds like there's a lot of movement musically throughout the records having fun man taking advantage And just like I said, like I always tap into my younger self. Like, man, if I had this opportunity however long ago before I got on, like I would have wanted to mash out.

59:57So I need to keep that same energy. That has got to be crazy for your younger self to be four records in with Nas. Unbelievable. Many collaborations in with Beyonce and Drake. I was on Beyonce's last three albums. It's like, man, whatever she's seeing me, like I appreciate it. because it's like she pulled me in. Like Beyonce album, the Lemonade album, and then the Renaissance. And these are records that people are gonna be not just listening to, but like studying for decades. You know what I mean? They're not like fly by night records. Right, yeah, no, it's beautiful, man, for sure. Shout out to her, man.

1:00:37When people go back and look at Prince records and analyze every little thing, Michael records. My son, three years old, like I get in the car, He played kids songs. I'm like, what you want to hear? Michael Jackson. He think that's kids music, but that's how good it is. It's resonating with a kid all the way to a gangster, to a politician, to a lawyer, anybody. For the most part, you could feel Michael Jackson music. So it's like, I want to be able to contribute something to the game on that similar level. And that take a lot of work. It take a lot of locking in. If you had a vision for what artistically, maybe career-wise too, but where you're at five years from now?

1:01:19Man, just really giving back and creating more opportunities for where music is going and for kids that's trying to do their thing. I see my homeboys James Fondleroy and Lowrance with 1500. They got a whole academy. They got a school. That's something that I want to lock in and be able to teach. just like really inspire the next generation. It's like the game is getting crazy. Like I've been seeing it, I've been saying it for years that it's getting easier and easier to make beats and now they got the artificial intelligence. You could type in the sound, the vibe and it'll make the beat for you.

1:01:55I feel like it's only gonna get better. Anybody gonna be able to just have music at the tip of their fingers now and just like make it sound quality somehow. So... Does that make you worry? Nah, that's just like, I need to like link with some AI people and see how I can incorporate that into what I'm doing. It's just like, that's where the world is going. It is what it is. I don't ever try to be anti what's going on. It's like, I want to implement it and see how I can use my personal style along with some AI shit. You know what I'm saying? Speaking of the way things have changed in production over the years, I mean, you kind of even say it too on Surfer Drowned.

1:02:33it's like I haven't really seen you without a bunch of co-producers like the way that there's a bunch of the generous way of saying it is it's a more collaborative process the other way of looking at it is it's a lot of people getting points or whatever like I said it's like getting easier and easier to make music and some people are finessers that specific line that was for one person kind of attacked me out of nowhere and I'm just like I never seen one credit from you without a co-producer. Like, go look me up. You know what I mean? Like, you trying to downplay what I do, and that's just all that was.

1:03:11But I understand, like, Quincy might not even touch the drums or keys on any Thriller songs. Nah. You know what I mean? But we still revere him and respect him, and we know his genius. We know that he contributed something that really mattered to that project, to be the producer on every song and to be the executive producer. But you got Greg feeling games. You got the guy who is programming the drums and all that, but that don't make him anything less. So it's like, I'm not saying that it's not cool to work with other musicians. I do that. I got credits. I'd be generous with letting my homies come in.

1:03:45And if I hear something, it's like, yo, add a part to this. Maybe try some drums here. I'm still there conducting it, though. You know what I mean? If you give me some pieces, I don't really just let people just freely do their thing. I kind of just still got it, and that's what the genius part is. So I understand that's part of the game. Some of the younger, young, young artists, are you enticed by working with them? Oh, for sure. I'll be down to work with - I squire something, and I'm like, man, I could hear her on some of you. That's funny. No, it's crazy because before Munch, this before her following Drake and Drake following her, all this, I literally DM'd her, and she came to LA.

1:04:28and when she hit me up, I just was kind of just moving around and probably doing too much and wasn't able to link. And I was about to link her before the fame, before the real pop-off and shit. I seen the vision. I knew it was coming. Did you see it from off the Bust It Down challenge thing? How would you see? This is way back, bro. I just seen the way she looked. She had a look and she just had some tour in the video. Before the Red Fro and all that? This is some time ago. You know what I mean? I just was like, I hit her up. She sounded nice on you. And I'm like, y 'all want to tap me and gave her my number when she came in.

1:05:02When she came out, we just never linked. That's got to happen, man. Shit crazy, yeah. That's got to happen because she would sound real nice on your beats, man. Yeah, for sure. Man, well, thanks so much for being gracious with your time, man. No, for sure. And for all the music, man. Appreciate y 'all having me, man. It was set up. Before you go, I got to add one because it's important, man. how good Nas is sounding on your records. Shout out to David Kim, our engineer. He mixed all four projects. My homeboy, he mixed a lot of other stuff. Mixed most of my music, but it's kind of like a perfect triangle offense, you know what I mean, between me, him, and Nas as far as Sonics and getting, you know, everybody putting their all into what's going on.

1:05:45Like David is going to go the extra mile to just make sure the music is pumping and the vocal is just like sitting in the proper place. You're sitting perfect, man. Whatever people was hearing in the day where they felt like they couldn't lay their voice into your beats because it was too crowded, it's like whatever's going on now, man, it's like sonically perfect. Yeah, no, for sure. And that's what I'm working on. I just like want the music. I'm trying to get to that thriller level where it's like just like going into your ears perfectly and just hitting the veins and the soul. You know what I mean?

1:06:14That's what it does. And I'm telling you, like having Nas at 30 years later sounding better than he's ever sounded. It's like having Whitney 10 years ago coming out with her best record or something. You got someone with an iconic voice sounding the best that they've ever sounded. That's what I be telling Nas too. I'm like, bro, you could say ABC 123 on the beat and your voice is so cold that it's going to sound ill. So I'm like, the words and the way you putting it together, that's just like the mind blowing shit. Yeah. Well, much respect, man. Appreciate you. Yes, sir.

1:06:49Hit Boy for breaking down his production process and inspiration. You can hear all of our favorite Hit Boy produced tracks on a playlist at brokenrecordpodcast.com. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com slash brokenrecordpodcast, where you can find all of our new episodes. Broken Record is produced with help from Leah Rose, Jason Gambrell, Ben Taladay, Nisha Vencutt, Jordan McMillan, and Eric Sandler. Our editor is Sophie Crane. Broken Record is a production of Pushkin Industries. If you love this show and others from Pushkin, consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin Plus is a podcast subscription service that offers bonus content and uninterrupted ad-free listening for only$4.99 a month.

1:07:36Look for Pushkin Plus on Apple Podcast subscriptions. And if you like this show, remember to share, rate, and review us on your podcast app. Our theme music is by Kenny Beats. I'm Justin Richman.

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