Joe and Jada – The Alchemist & Hit-Boy on ‘Goldfish’ Collab & WILD Drake, Eminem & Jay-Z Stories

Podcast Date: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Fat Joe, Jadakiss (Jada)
Guests: The Alchemist, Hit-Boy

Episode Overview

In this electrifying episode, hip-hop legends Fat Joe and Jadakiss sit down with powerhouse producers The Alchemist and Hit-Boy to chop it up about their highly anticipated joint project Goldfish—an album and a film. The conversation is packed with untold industry stories, behind-the-boards insights about hits for Jay-Z, Kanye, Drake, Nas, and Eminem, and real talk about surviving the music business. Expect candid reflections, wild stories, and plenty of laughter as four icons celebrate decades in hip-hop.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Origin and Collaboration for "Goldfish"

[06:20, 44:11]

• Fat Joe immediately jumps into how natural it feels for Alchemist and Hit-Boy to finally collaborate, given their dominance on producer lists in recent years.
• Hit-Boy: “Every end-of-the-year list…be like Alchemist, Hit-Boy, top producer lists and shit. So for us to tap in, it just, you know, it made sense.” [06:39]
• The new project is both an album and a film, featuring Conway, Boldy James, J Worth, Big Hit, and Havoc. The partnership was organic—stemming from a track they did together years back.
• Alchemist: “It started from a record that we did together…he saw I just did a verse on the Larry June…he was like, ‘Yo, would you get on this joint?’…We did a record and it went up.” [48:15]

2. Deep Dive into Hit-Boy’s Legendary Productions

Flashbacks and Studio Stories [07:03–15:41]

• "N****s in Paris": Hit describes making the beat as a kid, flying to New York, sessions with Jay and Ye, and Kanye's prophetic call:

  "He hit me like, bro, we just did this song out in Paris, and when this drop, your life about to change. Nigga was right.” [08:04, Hit-Boy]

• "Sicko Mode":

  "Travis hit me like, bro, I got a session with Drake. I need you to send me some bombs. And I sent the ‘Sicko Mode’ beat. That nigga FaceTimed me the next day, going crazy…But he was like, we’re gonna have to hold this shit to the next album. So I had to hold that beat for two years.” [08:22, Hit-Boy]

• Other Hits: Sessions and stories behind “Click,” “Backseat Freestyle,” “Goldie,” and work with Nas on King’s Disease.
• Nas’ relentless studio ethic detailed:

  “That N**** pulled up for three years straight. We did six albums.” [12:36, Hit-Boy]

3. Surviving the Business: Deals and Publishing Nightmares

Authentic Industry Real Talk [13:41–17:24]

• Joe and Hit-Boy detail their struggles with early publishing deals:

  “I got robbed for like 14 years… He wasn’t giving them the permission for me to be on a soundtrack and he wanted double the money. And I never seen him.” [14:02, Joe]
  “I signed the deal one year out of high school… 50 racks sounded like everything at that time." [15:57, Hit-Boy]

• Anecdotes about losing money, including Fat Joe’s saga with a stolen Lexus after his first advance.

4. Producer Perspectives and Evolution

Alchemist’s Journey & White Mafia Jokes [19:24, 54:43–56:36]

• The Alchemist reminisces on Fat Joe being the first major artist to rap on one of his beats (the “Tequila Sunrise” remix for Cypress Hill, 1996).
• The importance of trusting your gut, chasing the passion over “age limits,” and never losing the thrill:

  “I still feel like I could get better. I feel like we got unfinished business…It’s not a young man’s sport. They gotta stop talking about that.” [54:43, The Alchemist]

• Joe jokes about Alchemist being part of a “White Mafia” in hip-hop alongside Eminem, Paul Rosenberg, and others, digging into how industry alliances work.

  “He got like this…y’all got a White Mafia bing bong…Who reaches out—Eminem or Paul?” [56:41–57:24]

5. Wild Studio Tales & Hip-Hop History

Inside Scarce Sessions, Old School Gatekeeping [31:21–39:39]

• The struggle of rappers getting “A-level” beats, with producers saving their best for certain MCs.

  “I used to hate these producers…They come in the studio to bring us beats, and they be playing some shit. They’d be like, ‘Oh, this is for Hov…’ Like, what you giving me, I’m chopped liver?” [31:21, Joe]

• Unbelievable stories:
  • An apple-on-the-head gun stunt with Big Pun during a studio session.
  • Early crew rivalries and how being in certain collectives shaped opportunities and resistance, especially when Joe joined up with LL Cool J and got some blowback from Diggin’ in the Crates purists.

6. The Making and Meaning behind "Goldfish"

Creative Process, Spitting vs. Producing, and Album Details [44:11–49:48]

• The “Goldfish” title metaphor:

  “Life be like that. We be stuck in a bowl, just going in circles and shit sometimes…It’s a couple meanings when you see it…” [44:11, Hit-Boy]

• Both artists rap and produce, breaking traditional barriers:

  “I was making my own songs before I made beats…and the beat shit was just on some fun shit for me…replaced playing video games with making beats, ‘cause the FL studio looked like Tetris.” [44:30, Hit-Boy]

• Authenticity is key:

  “I don’t care where the beat came from, long as it’s knocking.” [44:54, Fat Joe]

• The album is in sync with a movie, intentionally eschewing a compilation feel, focusing instead on chemistry and unity.

7. The Attached Short Film

Behind the Film, Artistic Ambition [60:11–61:02]

• The film is not just a series of music videos—it has a full narrative with actors like Danny Trejo, Simon Rex, Conway, shot on 16mm film:

  “It’s a real beginning, middle, end type shit…some high-level art.” [60:56, Hit-Boy]

8. Cultural Shoutouts and Miami Nights

Tales from the Strip Club, Yankees Game, and Bruno Mars Encounter [45:49–47:34, 64:07–68:05]

• Candid, hilarious recaps of misadventures at Starlet’s, and a Yankees game bet gone right…or wrong.
• Bruno Mars Story: Joe’s bittersweet tale of finally meeting Bruno Mars, asking if he was Puerto Rican, and Bruno responding aggressively before storming off.

  “He got up—the f*** you mean? I’m a real Puerto Rican from Bushwick, Brooklyn. Don’t ever ask me shit in your life.” [65:08, Joe]

• Reflection on how meeting people you look up to can “break your heart.”

9. Eminem & Jay-Z Stories: Work Ethic, Perfectionism, and Support

Mad Respect for Eminem [59:07–60:08]

• Alchemist: “You think we work hard. I've never seen nobody work like him to this day…the level that, like, right now he's in the studio right now.” [59:07]
• Joe shares that Eminem once called to talk him out of retirement:

  “It was Marshall…he talked to me for two hours, like, ‘Yo, Joe…you still got it.’” [57:39, Joe]

• Eminem sent “the same verse 30 times” for the “Lean Back” remix, each with tiny differences:

  "It was the same verse, but he would say the word a little different...and it’s like 30 times. Is this the one?" [59:52, Joe]

• Jay-Z (“Hov”) credited with helping Hit-Boy out of a restrictive publishing deal:

  "Ho pulled that power play…got me an end date…’cause I didn’t have no end dates on my [publishing]." [13:54, Hit-Boy]

10. Legacy, Camaraderie, and Respect in Hip-Hop

Producer Camaraderie, Unity, and Tour Hopes [49:15–50:15, 74:03–74:43]

• The mutual respect between top producers is stronger than with lyricists; producers “all f*** with each other.”
• The podcast wraps with a toast to Goldfish, snippets from the project, and talk of possible touring.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Kanye’s warning:

  “We just did this song out in Paris, and when this drop, your life about to change. Nigga was right.”
  — Hit-Boy, [08:04]

• On industry politics:

  “I used to hate these producers…They come in the studio…‘Oh, this is for Hov…’ Like, what you giving me, I’m chopped liver?”
  — Joe, [31:21]

• On talent aging:

  “It’s not a young man’s sport. They gotta stop talking about that…Why can’t we all be at the top together?”
  — The Alchemist, [54:43]

• On beat-sharing issues:

  “Fuji La…made for Fat Joe. Lauryn Hill came like two hours later and was like, ‘Oh, no, not Fat Joe. This is my shit.’”
  — Joe, [40:14]

• On the meaning of "Goldfish":

  “We be stuck in a bowl, just going in circles and shit sometimes…”
  — Hit-Boy, [44:11]

• On Eminem’s perfectionism:

  “He sent the same verse 30 times...with a different tone or cadence...He’s a perfectionist.”
  — Joe, [59:52]

Important Timestamps

• [06:20] – Discussion of Hit-Boy & Alchemist's dominance and partnership
• [07:15] – Hit-Boy on making “N****s in Paris”
• [08:16] – Process behind “Sicko Mode”
• [12:23] – Making the King’s Disease trilogy with Nas
• [13:41] – Hit-Boy & Fat Joe on bad publishing deals
• [19:24] – Alchemist reflects on Joe rapping to his first major beat
• [31:21] – Stories about producers saving beats for “Hov” or “Big”
• [39:39] – Clearing up the legendary “Bring It On” beat situation
• [44:11] – The meaning and ethos of “Goldfish”
• [47:34] – Recap of wild times at Starlett’s and Yankees game
• [54:43] – Alchemist on evolving and longevity
• [57:39] – Joe on Eminem’s encouragement during tough times
• [59:52] – The perfectionism behind Eminem’s verses
• [60:11] – Film concept and shooting “Goldfish” movie
• [74:03] – Plans for a “Goldfish” tour and project wrap-up

Final Thoughts

This episode is pure, unfiltered hip-hop storytelling. Alchemist and Hit-Boy’s chemistry is palpable, both as legends in the game and as hungry artists never content to rest on their laurels. Fat Joe and Jada keep the conversation breezy and hilarious but never shy away from real talk—about industry pitfalls, creative evolution, and the highs and lows of legendary careers.

Don’t miss: Live exclusive playbacks from “Goldfish,” back-to-back gems about Jay-Z, Drake, Eminem, and honest lessons about longevity, loyalty, and knowing your worth.

“We just make good songs together, you know. And this just, you know, just became something, you know what I mean?”
— Hit-Boy on the creation of "Goldfish" [48:52]