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 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.
GRAMMY Award-winning artists and producers Hit-Boy and TheAlchemist have just released their highly-anticipated collaborative album GOLDFISH – out now via EMPIRE, alongside an accompanying music video for “Ricky”. Born out of years of collaboration between two of Hip-Hop’s most prolific producers, including last year’s 3-song 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”, GOLDFISH is a unique offering from the duo that finds both artists rapping and producing in tandem across 15 tracks. Preceded by its two lead singles, “Business Merger” and “Celebration Moments” (feat. Havoc), GOLDFISH showcases their unmatched versatility and diversity as all-around artists while boasting select features from fellow acclaimed wordsmiths and producers, including Havoc, BoldyJames, ConwaytheMachine, JonathanHulett, Jay Worthy, as well as Hit-Boy’s father, BigHit. Revealed in an interview with Fat Joe and Jadakiss, the project’s title and themes captures the deeply human feeling of being stuck in a metaphorical bowl, going in circles. The accompanying music video for “Ricky”, directed by Issac Garcia, is a cinematic exploration of the duo’s friendship. Arriving on the heels of this project is an supporting short film directed by Abteen Bagheri, which is set to star both Hit-Boy and The Alchemist themselves, as well as Danny Trejo, Rory Culkin, Blake Anderson (Workaholics), Simon Rex (Red Rocket, Scary Movie 3), Marshall Manesh (How I Met Your Mother, Will & Grace), Slink Johnson (Adult Swim‘s Black Jesus), UFC Champion Shara Magomedov, rappers Big Hit, Conway the Machine, Lefty Gunplay, and actresses Essyona Peschong and Sarah McDaniel. 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, the GOLDFISH film has been screened at sold-out private events in New York and LA, and will be shown during a special screening at ComplexCon in Las Vegas this weekend (10/25), with appearances from Hit-Boy, The Alchemist and the cast. Watch the new teaser HERE.
The forthcoming GOLDFISH project will cap off a run of prolific collaborations from the two world-class producers, and serve as the next drop 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), the posse cut “Start Dissin'” (feat. BabyTron, AZ Chike & Spank Nitti James) and “N.T.AB.” (feat. Lefty Gunplay & 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 will also serve as Executive Producer for streamer N3ON‘s upcoming album, for which they created a 2-day writing camp and experiential event that featured Sexxy Red, Diplo, Iggy Azalea, Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, and generated over 1 Billion views across all platforms in the first 24 hours. 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”.
