Transcript

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Summary

Club Shay Shay - Hitmaka Part 2 (February 11, 2026)

Podcast: Club Shay Shay
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Hitmaka (formerly Young Berg)
Duration: ~1 hr 40 min

Episode Overview

In this richly candid and entertaining installment, Shannon Sharpe sits down with multi-platinum producer Hitmaka (fka Young Berg) for Part 2 of their conversation. They delve deep into Hitmaka’s journey from artist to influential producer and executive, the intricacies of the music business, personal betrayals, complex family issues, and the realities behind his notorious rebrand. This episode is packed with behind-the-scenes stories from Hitmaka’s rollercoaster career, advice for aspiring artists, and his unfiltered thoughts on relationships, music industry politics, and personal healing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Transition: From Young Berg to Hitmaka

Reason for Stopping Rap Career
- Hitmaka explains how industry “blackballing” after a personal incident redirected his public artist career. He emphasizes that many didn’t recognize his songwriting/production skills at the time ([02:15-03:15]).
- Quote: “I’m the victim. Like, how y’all mad at me, nigga? Like some niggas did some bullshit to me. ...So that happened. And a lot of people didn’t understand that I was writing and producing my records. As an artist, right?” – Hitmaka [02:18]
Birth of 'Hitmaka' Brand
- The genesis of “Hitmaka” as a production moniker was spontaneous, originating from a self-motivating moment in the studio ([03:30-03:55]).
- Quote: “One special day, I just went in the booth and ...I just was like, ‘Hitmaka.’ I just said it before the song and then it just clicked. God dropped that gem on me and got me out there, and that’s been it.” – Hitmaka [03:32]

Behind-the-Scenes Industry Stories

Working Behind the Scenes vs Center Stage
- Hitmaka compares his career path to actors who become directors, and affirms he’s “bigger behind the camera than I was in front of the camera” ([05:00-05:20]).
- He still creates, ghostwrites, and mentors other artists, believing the true legacy is impact.
Being Blackballed & Relationship with Jeezy
- Shares being excluded from a video (“Double Cup” with Jeezy, Ludacris, and Juicy J) despite having crafted the hook ([05:33-07:18]).
- Quote: “How I’m good enough for y’all to get on this song with me doin’ the hook ...but I ain’t good to be standing next to y’all. ...I was climbing out the grave.” – Hitmaka [05:46]
Gucci Mane’s Diss and Later Collaboration
- He was dissed by Gucci Mane (“try me like I’m Young Berg ...”) and later worked with him successfully as a producer. They never formally addressed the issue ([08:23-09:30]).
- “It was just something that happened. ...It would be like, I’m gonna step over you like Tyronn Lue, you know what I’m saying? Like, it was just one of them.” – Hitmaka [09:04]
T-Pain Studio Fallout
- Details creative and personal miscommunication with T-Pain which led to a falling out, and their eventual reconciliation ([09:34-13:03]).
- Quote: “He took me off the song and... let Bow Wow sing your part. ...I let him have it. He said he was gonna kill me in his house.” – Hitmaka [12:32]

Hitmaka’s Production Philosophy & Rebrand

Intentional Work Ethic
- Credits “ten toes in” dedication, learning from setbacks, and a low-ego, high-output mentality for his industry resurgence ([13:16-15:28]).
- Quote: “Imagine being praised... and then now nobody fuck with you. ...I had one shot to kinda penetrate pop culture again. I was like, yo, I’ma stay low and keep firing.” – Hitmaka [14:00]
Top Rebranders in Hip-Hop
- Ranks himself alongside Joe Budden (rapper to podcaster) and 2 Chainz as having “the most successful rebrands” ([15:28-15:35]).

Studio Process and Collaborations

Not a 'Build from Scratch with Artist' Producer
- Prefers bringing finished beats and songs to the studio versus building live with artists, taking inspiration from Pharrell and Swizz Beatz ([18:55-19:20]).
- Quote: “You gonna come talk to me, we gonna press play on some ideas and we gonna see where you get in and how you fit into this situation.” – Hitmaka [19:20]
On Talent and Freestyle Culture
- Surprised by Ty Dolla $ign’s versatility.
- On MC methods: “Nobody writes anything down anymore... It’s all punching.” – Hitmaka [22:01]

Industry Win-Wins, Producer & Songwriter Credit

Approach to Collaboration & Executive Production
- Values teamwork over auteur one-man-band culture (citing Quincy Jones, Diddy, LA Reid, Kanye) ([26:31-28:34]).
- “Collaboration is always key. ...How can I possibly executive produce nine albums and compete ...by myself?” – Hitmaka [27:25]
Song Splits and Producer Credit
- Advocates for “pop splits” (equal division among main contributors) as fairer than “nigga splits” (where producer takes 50%), explaining the math and reasoning ([39:18-40:40]).

Sampling and Song Clearance

Successful Sampling without Expensive Clearance
- Many “samples” are actually replays, avoiding expensive master clearances ([33:40-35:56]).
- Hardest clearance? Michael Jackson. “Transparency” with Chris Brown couldn’t be cleared due to the Rod Temperton estate ([37:03–37:59]).

Modern Music Industry Realities

Streaming Earnings vs. Traditional Revenue
- Streaming doesn’t enrich most artists; real money is in radio, branding, and touring ([50:49-52:24]).
- Quote: “The money is in radio, Shannon... It would be a drop in a bucket compared to where they getting other finances from.” – Hitmaka [51:10–52:24]

On Ghostwriting and Gender Dynamics in Music

No Problem With Ghostwriting
- Open about writing for both male and female artists (often penning female verses), and addresses the gendered double-standards in the industry ([41:29-44:23]).

Relationships, Personal Life, and Therapy

Mixing Business & Pleasure
- Candid about navigating relationships in the industry, “Making a song is a sexual experience. Creating music might be the closest thing to sex possible, but just leave it at it.” – Hitmaka [66:24]
- Warns against mixing business and pleasure lightly.
Betrayal & Robbery Ordeal
- Shares extensive details about being set up for a robbery by a woman during LA’s COVID lockdown ([67:44-72:31]):
  - “She came out with that shit. My lawyer had ...cameras at my house, so I was able to put on my Instagram to show multiple men passing guns through my shit...” – Hitmaka [76:59]
  - Emotional and logistical aftermath, selling his first home, her attempt at extortion, and ultimately being vindicated by video evidence.
Thoughts on Love, Family, and Emotional Boundaries
- Reflects on the desire for family/kids, the difficulty balancing career and healthy relationships, and his struggle to forgive family.
- Profound personal discussion about his complicated relationship with his mother—issues of abandonment, financial conflict, and missed connection. Openly admits a difficulty forgiving, despite “ponying up” for family when he can ([84:48-94:53]).
- Quote: “I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen my mom in 20 years.” [93:20]
- Quote: “I’m a cold n**** once you cross me. ...We talking about graces. Come on, she’s 60 something years old and I’m 40. What graces are we talking about?” – Hitmaka [95:16]
Therapy and Vulnerability
- Explains why he sought counseling—lack of safe spaces for men to express, shame around vulnerability, and gendered double standards on emotional honesty. ([82:23-84:05])

The Industry—Respect, Rivalries & Recognition

On Artists Taking/Shelving Songs
- Confirms it happens daily, but he now has the leverage to resist less prominent artists offering more money when exclusives are promised to A-listers ([46:20-48:13]).
- “I could do that now. When I was a smaller producer, I couldn’t do that. ...You gotta work your way up to be a staple in the business to where you can make decisions like that.” – Hitmaka [47:23-48:08]
Hollywood and Relationship Overlap
- Why celebs “pass around” the same women: “What’s in proximity to you is what’s in proximity to other rapper and producers.” – Shannon Sharpe [64:20]

Advice and Reflections

On Life and Enoughness
- Hitmaka and Sharpe get introspective about wealth, ambition, legacy, and what it means to “have enough” ([53:38-55:55]).
- Quote: “There ain’t no difference between 50 million and 100 million. ...When is it enough?” – Hitmaka [53:41]
On New Artists and Legacy
- Praises Leon Thomas, Kalani, Dream Doll, Tink, and Gilly’s daughter, New York La, as stand-out new talents ([32:07-33:06]).

Closing: Producer Mount Rushmore

Hitmaka’s Top 4 Producers All Time:
- Quincy Jones, Kanye West, Jermaine Dupri, Pharrell ([99:34-100:11])

Memorable Quotes

On the Music/Game:
- “You never outshine a master, bro. 48 laws of power. That’s the big dog. Stay away.” – Hitmaka [25:24]
On Collaboration:
- “Collaboration is always key. ...How can I possibly executive produce nine albums...by myself?” – Hitmaka [27:25]
On Forgiveness:
- “Oh, I don’t forgive or forget.” – Hitmaka [98:46]

Recommended Listening Timestamps

[02:18] Why Hitmaka stopped rapping and was blackballed
[05:00] Reflection on behind-the-scenes creative power
[05:46] Story of exclusion from Jeezy video
[08:23] On being dissed by — and later working with — Gucci Mane
[12:32] Breakdown with T-Pain and how they patched up
[13:16] How the Hitmaka rebrand worked
[18:55] How Hitmaka works with artists in the studio
[22:01] Changes in songwriting/recording process (“Nobody writes anything down anymore.”)
[39:18] Pop splits vs. “n**** splits” in song credits
[41:29] On writing for female artists and gendered dynamics
[51:10] The real money in music (not streaming)
[66:24] On mixing business with pleasure—“Making a song is a sexual experience...”
[67:44-72:31] Detailed story on being set up, robbed, and the aftermath
[84:48-98:47] Therapy talk and Hitmaka’s relationship with his mother
[99:34] Mt. Rushmore of producers

Summary Tone

Conversational, unfiltered, deeply honest, and often humorous. Both Sharpe and Hitmaka keep it real, trading wisdom, war stories, and hard-earned lessons with a mix of levity, street-level candor, and hard truth. Hitmaka is open about career mistakes, betrayals, emotional blockages, the price of reinvention, and the value of both collaboration and personal boundaries.

This episode gives listeners a rare look behind the curtain of hip-hop creation, industry politics, and the messy reality of chasing long-term success — both professionally and personally.