For nearly two decades, Hit-Boy has been the mythical hand shaping the sound of Hip-Hop as we know it. The 3x GRAMMY Award-winning artist/producer has crafted era-defining records that have stood the test of time. From the 5x Platinum “Drop the World” (853M+ Streams) with Lil Wayne and Eminem (2010) to RIAA Diamond-certified tracks like “N***as In Paris” (3.5B+ Streams) with JAY-Z and Kanye West (2011), “XO” (800M+ Streams) with Beyoncé, and “SICKO MODE” (6.2B+ Streams) with Travis Scott and Drake (2018), there’s a reason why “Hit” is in his name. Working with a wide range of artists that also includes modern-day Hip-Hop royalty like Kendrick Lamar and Nicki Minaj, as well as Pop stars like Ariana Grande and new artists like Doechii, has only amplified Hit-Boy‘s reach. His range is unmatched, and as a sonic chameleon, Hit-Boy helped score the blueprint of modern rap music while still continuously evolving his sound. In 2020, he became the chief architect behind Nas‘ renaissance, executive producing the GRAMMY Award-winning King’s Disease trilogy –– earning critical acclaim, industry validation, and a cemented reputation as one of the most decorated producers of his generation. But beneath all the Platinum and Diamond plaques, awards, accolades, and millions of records sold and streamed, was an artist biding his time. Now free from his 18-year deal, Hit-Boy‘s new release “What’s the Deal?” marked the first step of a new era –– stepping fully into the light for the first time not just as a producer, but as a man with a message — and an all-around musician geared to rewrite his own code.
The Alchemist grew up in Beverly Hills and began his career in nearby Los Angeles and is one of the most revered and prolific rap producers of his generation. The Alchemist crafts sample-heavy, tough, yet detailed beats suffused with soul. His extensive discography, dating back to the early 1990s, includes tracks by the likes of Dilated Peoples, Mobb Deep, Nas, Ghostface Killah, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Pharoahe Monch, Royce da 5’9″, Fat Joe, Ludacris, Big Daddy Kane, Stat Quo, The Game, Lloyd Banks, Curren$y, Jay Worthy, Action Bronson, Anderson .Paak, Styles P, Boldy James, and Ghostface Killah. He’s so valued as a collaborator that he has been behind collab albums billed with the likes of Prodigy (Return of the Mac, 2007), Oh No (including Gutter Water, the duo’s first album as Gangrene, 2010), Curren$y (Covert Coup, 2011 and again in 2022 with critical favorite Continuance), Freddie Gibbs (Alfredo, 2020, and recently Alfredo 2, 2025), Roc Marciano (The Elephant Man’s Bones, 2022), and Big Hit and Hit-Boy (Black & Whites, 2024). One of his highest-charting albums, the Larry June collaboration The Great Escape, appeared in 2023 and reached the Top 40 of the Billboard 200, and he shared albums that year with MIKE and Earl Sweatshirt. This year he teamed up with Larry June yet again, this time bringing 2 Chainz into the collaboration with the Billboard-charting album Life Is Beautiful which hit the Billboard 200 charts at number 89.
Fresh off their release of “Business Merger”, GRAMMY Award-winning artist and producers Hit-Boy and TheAlchemist have just announced Goldfish, their upcoming joint album and accompanying short film. Available on streaming platforms via EMPIRE on October 24th, the forthcoming Goldfish album will feature Hit-Boy and The Alchemist rapping over each other’s beats, with both the album and the film being executive produced by the duo. The short film is set to star both Hit-Boy and The Alchemist themselves, is directed by Abteen Bagheri, and features appearances from Simon Rex, Danny Trejo and others. Goldfish is a scripted film about a squad of hit men disguised as carpet cleaners attempting to leave a life of crime in a chaotic flurry of events. Watch the new teaser HERE. The official Goldfish rollout began last with the release of the project’s lead single and music video, the aforementioned “Business Merger”, which unfolds over a laid-back, meandering beat that fuses Hit-Boy‘s hard-hitting rap delivery with The Alchemist‘s drums, flutes and horns. Coming up, the duo will host a special screening of the film on October 8th in New York City with other pop-up activations throughout the week. Hit-Boy is also serving as Guest Curator and speaking at Advertising Week NY on October 9th. Hit-Boy, The Alchemist and the cast of Goldfish will appear at ComplexCon in Las Vegas on October 25th to premiere the film.
The forthcoming Goldfish project will cap off a run of prolific collaborations from the two world-class producers, following last year’s 3-song collaborative EP THEODORE & ANDRE, split production credits on Benny The Butcher’s 2024 album Everybody Can’t Go, and the 2023 collaborative single “Slipping Into Darkness”. “Business Merger” is also the latest of rapid-fire releases from Hit-Boy since gaining independence for the first time in his career earlier this summer, with the help of his close friend and collaborator Jay-Z, who helped him exit the 18-year publishing deal in July. The newfound independence has inspired an influx of creativity and freedom for Hit-Boy, releasing singles like “What’s the Deal?”, the Cheaters-inspired “Eat Couch” (feat. Spank Nitti James), “Wheel of Fortune” (feat. Peezy) and the new posse cut “Start Dissin'” (feat. BabyTron, AZ Chike & Spank Nitti James). On top of his recent production credits on Jay Electronica and Westside Gunn‘s “Best Wishes”, as well as TiaCorine‘s “Backyard” (feat. JID), Hit-Boy also produced two tracks off of Lefty Gunplay‘s latest album Ghetto Heisman released last month –– “Suavemente” and “Foreign In A Tank Top”. With the next chapter of his career in high gear, Hit-Boy is embracing his influential role as an all-around creative and artist in modern-day Hip-Hop while hitting a hard reset and amplifying his creative freedom, on which Hit-Boy shares,“I’ve never felt more empowered as an artist… after 20 years in the game, I feel like I’m just getting started”.
The Alchemist:
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Hit-Boy:
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