Checking In With Hitmaka

Summary

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New Rory & Mal

Episode: "Checking In With Hitmaka"

Date: October 16, 2025

Guest: Hitmaka (formerly Young Berg)

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Episode Overview

This episode of New Rory & Mal features a candid, humorous, and insightful conversation with super-producer Hitmaka. Hosts Rory Farrell and Josh 'Fatz' Adams dive into Hitmaka’s journey from industry infamy to hit-making legend, discussing topics ranging from viral media moments and reality TV chaos to modern music industry challenges, artistic reinvention, and the dynamic state of hip-hop. Bursting with behind-the-scenes stories, hot takes, and reflections on growth, the episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about navigating hip-hop’s wild terrain in 2025.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recounting the Viral Cam Newton Interview

[02:27–05:51]

• The episode opens with laughs over Hitmaka’s recently resurfaced (but actually old) appearance on Cam Newton’s podcast, where Cam asks him outlandish questions about women he’s dated.
  • Hitmaka reflects on being uncomfortable and how online attention can twist narratives:

    “Am I just a character on the Internet? ...I said, I didn’t eat a hamburger, a hot dog, or a sandwich. They sent me death threats... like, ‘you bitch ass nigga, you never had a sandwich.’” (Hitmaka, 05:51)

• The crew parodies the state of podcasting as “crazy” and highlight the clickbait, viral-driven nature of modern interviews.

2. Shock Value & Social Media Algorithm Chasing

[06:51–08:45]

• Hitmaka critiques today’s media landscape:

  “It’s all shock value at this point and everybody just saying shit to get into the algorithm... People gravitate more to negativity than positivity...” (Hitmaka, 06:51)

• He points out how clips are recycled to create new drama even from old content (“that Cam Newton interview was eight months ago”), underlining how virality trumps substance.

3. Producer Tag Games & Legacy Building

[08:47–09:38]

• Hitmaka shares he’s been taking his producer tag off radio records to “confuse motherfuckers,” emphasizing that presence and visibility are everything now.
• Despite 10 years of annual #1 records, he jokes about ghost-producing and considers rebranding due to overexposure—"I’m tired of hearing my own tag."

  • “I had a number one every year for 10 years straight... I thought about changing my producer name and just ghost producing over a whole different name.” (Hitmaka, 08:54)

4. The “Messy” Rebrand via Reality TV

[09:38–14:35]

• Hitmaka describes how his public image pivoted with Love & Hip Hop, revealing the behind-the-scenes “arranged relationships” and engineered drama.

  • “When I got there, another woman... was my girlfriend on the show. We filmed for three months... when I got back [from Miami], they fired [her] and dropped me at Hazel E’s house.” (Hitmaka, 12:19)

• Explains financial realities for artists on reality TV, with delayed payments and the pressure to be entertaining versus authentic.

5. Navigating Industry Comebacks and “Messiness”

[14:35–19:24]

• The table discusses how controversy propelled Hitmaka’s comeback but that ultimately the work (“18 number ones, 350 million records, 27 billion streams”) defines lasting success.
• On helping artists and fielding drama (“messiness”), Hitmaka stresses persistence:

  • “...My career, what I’ve been through to be where I’m at right now, you just not happy with yourself in life. ...Like, I came from the dirt with this and had to change and revamp a whole...” (Hitmaka, 31:19)

6. Artist Discovery & Missed Breakouts

[21:15–24:44]

• Talks about developing young talent—both successes and near-misses (e.g., Malibu Mitch, female writer arrested for trafficking).

  • “[Malibu Mitch] was in a very bad production deal... fell out with [Atlantic A&R]... unfortunately, it ruined that moment. But I think timing is everything.” (Hitmaka, 24:29)

• Names Mariah the Scientist as a female artist he’d like to work with if “she got a budget.”

7. Producer Beef and Making Peace with Hit-Boy

[25:14–31:26]

• The crew unpacks a past tiff between Hitmaka and Hit-Boy over a leaked podcast snippet that stoked industry “competition.”
  • On reconciling:

    “We just actually spoke for the first time in Vegas... it was never about nothing. Like, for real. For real.” (Hitmaka, 27:32)

• Highlights the competitive but collaborative spirit among producers, and the sometimes toxic nature of industry gossip.

8. Current State of Rap & Female MCs Dominating

[37:00–42:35]

• Hitmaka and the hosts admit it’s hard to name five top male rappers under 35, while women are leading the genre:

  • “I think right now with the ladies, I mean, shit, they running shit... like, who are the top five male rappers in the game right now? Excluding all legends, any nigga over 35?” (Hitmaka, 37:05)

• In-depth debate over which female rappers are most relevant and whether the current era is peaking or plateauing.
• Mention of new female talent (New York La, Gilly’s daughter) being executive produced by Hitmaka—“She will be one of the biggest stars next year, hands down.” (Hitmaka, 44:12)

9. Industry Evolution: A&R, AI, and Catalog Moves

[44:46–53:53]

• Discuss A&R’s decline and the music execs with “music man” intuition who are now being replaced by data people.

  • “Artists want to be criticized by people that are actually doing what they're doing in real time, not some guy in front of a computer...” (Hitmaka, 51:49)

• AI in music: Real concern over quality of AI-made music and questions about its place in the industry.

  • “We just did a writing camp... he played me an entire song, lyrics, beat... in two minutes. Later, me up. And this wasn’t trash.” (Hitmaka, 47:47)

• Catalog sales discussed (“It was a bunch of tech companies buying up everybody’s cat[alog].”).

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On viral content:

  “We’re in the circus, bro. ...If you don't go viral, then people feel like it never happened, bro.”
  —Hitmaka (08:11)

• On his reality show experience:

  “So they like brewing up the fucking gumbo before you even get into this shit...”
  —Hitmaka (11:22)

• On competitive producer culture:

  “I'm not A&R enough for the A&R's, and I'm not producing enough for a producer. Where the f*** am I? I'm just, what am I doing? ...Did I just hit a lick out of nowhere?”
  —Hitmaka (29:18)

• On credit and catalog:

  “What you think? I got Spectrus and all the other boy, like, I live in a five million dollar house in Miami. No mortgage, no nothing. ...I could really retire right now. I don't have to do another song.”
  —Hitmaka (49:50)

• On AI in music:

  “He played me an entire song, lyrics, beat with the flip of the sample. A whole everything in two minutes. ...And this wasn’t trash.”
  —Hitmaka (47:47)

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Notable Segments (Timestamps)

• [02:27–05:51] — Discussion on Cam Newton's viral segment/interview gameshow.
• [06:51–08:45] — “It’s all shock value at this point...” on the state of modern media.
• [12:19] — Love & Hip-Hop “arranged relationships” anecdote.
• [21:15–24:44] — Talent development; stories of missed artist breakouts (Malibu Mitch, etc).
• [25:14–31:26] — Producer drama and reconciliation with Hit-Boy.
• [37:00–42:35] — Ranking current rappers and female MCs; the “plateau” of women’s rap dominance.
• [44:46–53:53] — Industry shifts: declining real A&Rs, rise of data-driven execs, catalog sales, and the emergence of AI.
• [47:47–47:59] — Beat-making with AI; “...this wasn’t trash.”
• [54:25–66:13] — Rapid-fire (This or That) song choices and wildest career stories (Ray J, Shaq bailing him out, etc).
  • [65:02] — “Shaquille o’ Neal bailed me out of jail.”

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Song & Producer Stories ("This or That" Segment)

[56:26–66:13]

• Hitmaka picks between his own records, revealing stories behind “Bounce Back,” “Dangerous,” “John,” “Rule the World,” “Sexy Can I,” and more.
• Wildest story: Arrested during the “Sexy Can I” video shoot and bailed out by Shaquille O’Neal.

  • “Shaquille o’ Neal bailed me out of jail. I can't make this up, bro. ...I knew I should have known the record was going diamond when Shaq came and picked me up.” (Hitmaka, 65:15)

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Emerging Artists & Final Thoughts

• Hitmaka teases a busy release schedule (“21 songs coming out on Friday,” [66:29]), highlighting upcoming projects with Ty Dolla $ign, Tink, and New York La.
• Expresses intent to move into label/major exec work to support the industry’s next wave, aiming “to be a blessing to other people and really change people’s lives.” [51:13]

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Summary Takeaways

• Hitmaka’s journey is a template for adapting and thriving in the ever-changing music industry—rebranding, battling public perception, and remaining prolific.
• The music industry’s structure is at a crossroads: viral soundbite culture collides with an A&R system losing its “music people,” as tech and analytics dominate creativity.
• Female rappers’ dominance is recognized, but the crew hints the “explosion” era may be plateauing, even as they spotlight new stars.
• AI’s influence emerges as both awe-inspiring and “scary” for creators.
• Hitmaka continues to work with everyone (“I’m on everybody’s album”) and sharpens his role as a builder of new talent, while readying his next industry chapter.

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For anyone who wants an unfiltered look into how hip-hop, media virality, and industry game have evolved—and how the ones who survive it get wiser, funnier, and infinitely more interesting—this episode exemplifies the best of modern podcasting discourse: real, rapid-fire, and remarkably resilient.

Transcript

[Hit-Boy]

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[Rory Farrell]

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[Hit-Boy]

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[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

All right, Ready? Are we keeping that? No, no, no.

[Hit-Boy]

You can.

[Rory Farrell]

We do a rolling start though. Yeah, this.

[Sponsor Announcer]

All right, you ready?

[Rory Farrell]

No, this is the intro. We already started.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

We started.

[Rory Farrell]

We started.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

All right, listen, man. Yes, sir. How you feeling, bro?

[Hit-Boy]

I feel great, man.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yo, listen, man. You came in, you walked in, man, and we got right to the shits. You and Cam knew it, man.

[Rory Farrell]

What y' all doing?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

And I. With Cam new. I love Cam Newton. I thought the conversation was great, but I was like. As soon as I opened my phone and I saw Cam Newton and Bird, I said this. I didn't even hear what y' all.

[Hit-Boy]

Was talking about, okay?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I said, this is about to be crazy.

[Hit-Boy]

It was a setup, bro. So I went, no, I'm bushing. But I went. And they just had very good producers, I guess. And, like, towards the end of the shit, he just did his own little game show. Like, who you Fuck, Volume One.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

First of all, that's a sick game.

[Hit-Boy]

And I was kind of taken back.

[Rory Farrell]

He was on Drink Champs to Go Tupac or Big and take a Shot on Cam show. It's a little different.

[Hit-Boy]

This naming shit that ain't even famous. I'm like, whoa, how did you do that?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Me and Rory was talking about that, and I was like, you know, that's kind of. Because, you know, Cam was just talking about him wanting to know who his lady, like, if she has anybody that he may know any of his peers, if she dated any of his peers.

[Hit-Boy]

I like that.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I didn't think it was anything wrong with that. I said, I can understand that. Like, Cam being an ex NFL player, you know, into sports. If there's anybody you may have dated, let me know, because we gonna be in the same room. I don't want it to be uncomfortable. You know how that goes. So I thought it was on brand for him to have a conversation like, okay, name the women that you slept with. So Rory was like, no, that conversation was absolutely crazy.

[Rory Farrell]

I think you handled it well. I could see you were a little uncomfortable, though.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

Because that's kind of nuts to just look at somebody like, yo, you beat.

[Hit-Boy]

Like, whoa, I don't even know you my first time. What are we talking about, bro? And they went crazy. And I definitely got some calls. People weren't excited about it, but I tried to do the best, you know?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

I mean, because. Am I technically lying on my dick if I say I didn't beat?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I mean, but I think I lied.

[Rory Farrell]

On my dick a lot in that. In the opposite way, though.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

I didn't fuck.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah. I'd be like, I'd never dated her or not.

[Hit-Boy]

It's documented. The only reason they know is because it's on the Internet.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Yeah.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah. No, in that case, if it's already public knowledge, then I don't think that's.

[Rory Farrell]

It was on. It was on VH1. Yeah.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That conversation. I Was just like, yo, hit maker gonna find a way, boy. To just end up in the headlines, bro. On some.

[Rory Farrell]

Yo, look at. Look at the jobs in America now. Somebody, the night before that episode sat down at their laptop and researched the people.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, never mind.

[Rory Farrell]

Never mind all the health insurance for that.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Never mind all the hit records. Like, he ain't asking, yo, what's your favorite top 10 that you got?

[Hit-Boy]

So 350 million records. 18, number one.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

27 billion streams. And you want to talk to me about it?

[Rory Farrell]

Is the head that super is what I'd like to know.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Podcasting is crazy, man.

[Rory Farrell]

While that was happening in your head, was there a name that you were hoping he didn't say, and then he.

[Hit-Boy]

Said he was like, fuck, multiple everyone. I didn't even want that. I didn't know that that was a segment in the show. I thought we had a great podcast. And then it ended with that.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I feel like you have been doing a great job of not being, you know, not being messy.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Cause at one point you kind of had this thing like, oh, shit, he about to go on camera and talk some shit. It's about to be crazy. But I feel like in the recent last couple years, anytime I've seen you, it's really been music focus. It's been like, what you've been doing, the great shit you've been doing. So to see that cam back and forth, I was like, oh, he still got that dog in him.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah. But I'm kind of like, at this point, like, am I just a character on the Internet? Cause like, on some real shit, I'm not like that in person. But like, bro, I said, I didn't eat a hamburger, a hot dog, or a sandwich. They sent me death threats like, nigga, like, they're in my dm, like, you bitch ass nigga, you never had a sandwich.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's why I'm like, whoa, you should.

[Rory Farrell]

See their views on mall and Pepsi. Cause it's fucking crazy.

[Hit-Boy]

Anything I say, they gonna twist it and turn it.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

But you understand you actually grew up in front of the camera.

[Hit-Boy]

Exactly.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

You were one of the first people before viral was a word.

[Hit-Boy]

Exactly.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

You were one of the first people to go viral. But now, as being in the industry as many years as you have, having the legacy that you have, what do you think about the current space as far as media and podcasts? And do you like this era, this generation of how or the things that artists have to do to kind of promote and roll out? Do you? Or do you kind of feel like we need to kind of tape off of this a little bit and go back to some older formats of doing things.

[Hit-Boy]

I just think it's all shock value at this point and everybody just saying shit to get into the algorithm. Like when Dame Dash is on the shit and he's saying to us, hey, I'm doing all this crazy shit to stay in the algorithm and he's Dame Dash, then what the fuck do we expect a 19, 20 year old kid to be doing? And I just think that people gravitate more to negativity than positivity. Like, yo, if we come up here and we have a great conversation and we don't talk about how I bag Melissa Ford and we don't do this, this, all this other stuff or whatever, then we don't go viral, right? But. And it's like the interview never happened. Now if I come up here and I say some dumb or whatever, then it's like everywhere. That Cam Newton interview was eight months ago.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Really?

[Hit-Boy]

Yes, bro. I didn't just do that.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Oh, so it just thought that was last week?

[Hit-Boy]

No, it was eight months.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Okay, now wait, they just released it or.

[Rory Farrell]

No, it was released eight months ago.

[Hit-Boy]

It's been out, bro. And then you just reshuffled the clips.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Crazy.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah, bro, but.

[Rory Farrell]

Hi.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

So I hold.

[Rory Farrell]

That's a whole nother conversation since that interview.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

But how does that make you feel? Like when it's something like that, that you did eight months ago starts to go viral today and like, you may be in a relationship, you may have found a lady that you really love and you like, how does that make. Like this is like, I gotta deal with this shit? Like, that's so old, bro.

[Hit-Boy]

We're in the circus, bro. Like, it just is what it is at this point, I'm telling you. Like, if you don't go viral, then people feel like it never happened, bro. So it's almost like, check it out, right? If I just lay back and I'm just in the studio, I don't post no videos of me creating in the studio with these different artists. Niggas gonna say I fell off. I purposely have taken my tag off of all the records that are on the radio right now just to confuse motherfuckers to where it's like, what's going on. It's where they go check the credits and they see what's really happening. But it's like this shit just different now, bro. Like, it's just all based on.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Why would you do that, though? Like, why would you take Your tag off.

[Hit-Boy]

I mean, I'm tired of hearing my own tag. I don't ran this. I had a number one every year for 10 years straight.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

But I mean, I thought about changing my producer name and just ghost producing over a whole different name.

[Rory Farrell]

Yo, suffering from success is hilarious. Like, yo, I'm just so. I'm so sick of this.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I'm tired of hearing my tag, man.

[Rory Farrell]

Like, number four is my favorite number anyways. I don't even know why I try to do this type of. Do you think. Do you think you're. You're, I guess, rebrand and comeback. Do you think the messiness helped with it? Yeah, outside of, like, the actual stats of what we know, because it. That was even a slow burn of like, oh, wait, Hit makers Berg. And, you know, I'd like to think us as podcasters specifically played a hand in exactly in your rebrand.

[Hit-Boy]

Y' all did.

[Rory Farrell]

But do you think the messiness is really what helped push that forward?

[Hit-Boy]

Well, the rebrand kind of started on love and hip hop. So when I did that. And, like, the crazy part is that I didn't know that, like, love and hip hop was like guilty pleasures for, like, a Nicki Minaj. And like, that. Like, I knew at that time her and Mona Scott had business. Remember, they had the mixed moscato. And yeah, I knew she was aware of what was going on. And then once I was working with Nikki and she was just like, yo, like, you're hilarious on this. You could say my name, say you working with me, say you doing this, that, and the third. So at that point, I was in the thick of some bullshit when I was rebranding. Like, I. I literally came back to la. So this is what really happened. I was living in Atlanta and I was miserable because Atlanta was real clicky at the time. Like, it would be polo and them over there, and it be such and such and them over there, T Pain. And I wasn't like, nigga, I thought I had Ebola at the time because niggas just wasn't with Young Bird. Like, it was like, nah, don't let him in. Don't do this, don't do that.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

So was it the stigma that you had with you? Like, it just felt like you was messy or.

[Hit-Boy]

No, it wasn't about being messy. I was the first person that went through trials and tribulations on and shit like that or whatever. So it just wasn't a good look to be around me. Like, it was just like, I wasn't cool. So at that Point. I'm like, damn. I wrote this record at a studio and I fucking sent it to Vincent Herbert's cousin and he ended up getting a record to Vincent Herbert and Tamar Braxton, which Tamar and Vince had that TV show at the time and they had all that shit going on. They flew me to LA and I did the record for him and that's what prompted me to move back to LA and like be on loving hip hop. That's when the girl Hazel E and Ray J and Autumn reached out to me like, yo, you could do this, da da da. It would be great tv, It'll be good for us. And that's how it just started. And then at that point, once it said action on that shit, it was all bullshit. From there it was all black. Yo, bro, you never can make this shit up. I started the show and this was so fucked up. And maybe I am being messy right now. I won't name those names or whatever. But the show started so, like, it was a mixer meeting and like Mona and them are all there and they show you all the girls on the show and they're like, who you slept with on this ca? And it be like, her, her, her, her, blah, blah, blah. So they like brewing up the fucking gumbo before you even get into this shit. So when I got there, another woman who's also very popular now and very famous or whatever, who I won't say her name out of respect to whatever situation is, she was my girlfriend on the show. So we dated and she was my girlfriend. We filmed for damn near three months. I went to Miami to work with Puff when he was doing like money making Mitch that album, whatever. And when I went to Miami, me and a girl that fell out and then fucking when I got back, they fired show and then they just dropped me at Hazel Le House. Like, yo, like, hey, yo, literally when.

[Rory Farrell]

I doing arranged marriages is hilarious, bro.

[Hit-Boy]

When I got back from Miami, dropped.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

You at the house.

[Hit-Boy]

Yo, when I got back from Miami, this what they said. They sent me a text. They like, yo, wear some gym shorts, tank top, T shirt. I'm thinking, I'm going to play basketball with soul boy, one of these.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

And they drop.

[Hit-Boy]

So at that point I'm like, yo, I quit the show. I'm not going to do this. You know what I'm saying? Trick you into a bro, nigga. Mona Scott appeared like Cruella Deville out of the thin air, like American, like Stevie Jeff loving hip hop Hollywood. We fired such and such. Just go in there and be Yourself. So when I'm in the episode and I'm like, yo, you're not my girl. You never been my girl. It's reality. Like, you know, like, I was just dating.

[Rory Farrell]

I don't even know you.

[Hit-Boy]

Now, granted, I'd already known Hazel, and she brought me to the show and all the other stuff, and we got much love and respect for her, but it was insane. They fired this beautiful girl off the show, who I was actually.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

And then they just dropped me in there. And then that's how that happened. And then at a certain point, I was just like it. Like, this what it is and this what it is. And I think in her mind, she was like it too. And it just was a snowball effect from there, you know what I'm saying? And it got wicked. I mean, that's the only way to.

[Rory Farrell]

Be successful on Love and hip hop is to say, fuck it. Because why even do it? Like, if you're just gonna kind of just play the middle. Yeah, you can't.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

You can't do love and hip hop and try to have this moral ground. And.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah, it just. I don't like the quiet one in the corner.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

It's like, it's not gonna work.

[Rory Farrell]

What's the point of doing?

[Hit-Boy]

Especially when the finances come into play? Because it's not like we're getting paid, like, for shooting. We'll shoot for nine months and you don't get paid. I'm talking about head to toe in Zara. I'm spending every dollar in Zara to have a decent outfit or whatever time. Cause was up. Ain't nobody really had no money at that time.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

And then you don't get paid into the episode airs. So if you're not in the episod for nine months, you could have been doing that if they clipped you from it. You don't get paid, you know, $3,200. Yeah, that is.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

Now, come here, Hazel. Come here.

[Hit-Boy]

Hey, Hazel Lee. I'm looking at the camera.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I love you.

[Hit-Boy]

I respect you. You are a great woman. That was 2014, 11 years ago, going on 12. It's no smoke. And I'm glad to see everybody's moved on and being successful.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I respect that. But that's just wild knowing that that's how that started. Like, they literally dropped you off there. Now if I go back and look, I could be like. I could see why Bird came across as an on this. Like, I don't even know what y' all got me in here doing. Like, y' all dropped Me off at some girls and I don't really.

[Rory Farrell]

You're leaving out a big part of his story, though, that we didn't address. Leaving the money making Mitch sessions to then be dropped off at Hazel.

[Hit-Boy]

Remember I went viral from the puff shit when I was talking to Ray J and you was like, what did you say that when I was doing them sessions, the money making mission? That's when he said that wild to me.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Oh, okay. See when he puts it like that. Okay, so now we could piece it together, like. Oh, yeah. All right. So hit making. As crazy as y' all try to make him seem.

[Hit-Boy]

No, no.

[Rory Farrell]

And I don't think it's crazy that Diddy tried to hit on him. That checks out. I feel like. Checks out.

[Hit-Boy]

Yo, you never.

[Rory Farrell]

Did you not read the paperwork? That guy is nuts.

[Hit-Boy]

Yo, did you see what he did.

[Rory Farrell]

To that other producer?

[Hit-Boy]

He could. He ain't had to throw me nothing. I would have. He just couldn't been in a room. I would have took care of Cassie for him. You know what I'm saying? Free of charge.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, well, you got to pay me for that.

[Hit-Boy]

You mean on the house?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

This is what I do.

[Rory Farrell]

That would be your verse swap. You can have this be for free, y'.

[Hit-Boy]

All. For sure.

[Rory Farrell]

Easily.

[Hit-Boy]

I'll pay every co producer. Don't worry about it.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Man.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Everybody chilling.

[Hit-Boy]

I'll free him. You know what I'm saying? He's just a nasty. He'll be home soon, you know, and it is what it is.

[Rory Farrell]

He needs to sit down for a little bit.

[Hit-Boy]

I hope he disappears in thin air and just like, it doesn't ruin his legacy anymore.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

So me and Rory was talking about that. Like, what do you feel like will be the route he takes when he is released from prison? Does he jump right back into the industry to the mix? Or does he go to Bali and live on a Beach for 10 years?

[Hit-Boy]

I would hope that he go like TD Jakes, you know what I'm saying, and just clean up his image, go lean into religion. But there's a strong chance he might come out gangsta gay.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Gangsta gay is crazy.

[Rory Farrell]

Like Omar gangster gay.

[Hit-Boy]

I'm talking about the wire, nigga.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

But, yo, but do you feel like people.

[Rory Farrell]

Ivana has been a gangster gay for his whole career.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

But that's what I'm saying. Do you even feel like people.

[Rory Farrell]

Not for play Play.

[Hit-Boy]

No.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Like, do you think people even care?

[Hit-Boy]

What now? I think when he get out, he'll be 60 years old. I just think that he needs to finish the rest of his life off peacefully, to be honest. That's what I wish for him. And I got mad respect for his kids. I actually, with Christian and all them. I've done all Christian records a lot of different. So when I say this, I feel bad when I go viral after the fact, because it's like they don't deserve, you know what I'm saying, to get the ricochet or whatever it is. But I just don't know how to lie, bro. Like, if y' all ask me a question, I'm gonna say the truth, right?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

If.

[Rory Farrell]

If he gets out and hits you to work, would you work with him?

[Hit-Boy]

Absolutely not. All money ain't good money.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's a fact. Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

I mean, but if he was rehabilitated by the state of New York, you don't think. You don't believe in.

[Sponsor Announcer]

You don't.

[Rory Farrell]

You don't believe in our judicial system.

[Hit-Boy]

No, I don't.

[Rory Farrell]

He should be fine when he gets out of there.

[Hit-Boy]

Recently again. Come on, man.

[Rory Farrell]

He's still the mayor.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

It's crazy.

[Rory Farrell]

What else you've been working on? I mean, I didn't know you took your tag off anything. Now I gotta go look at the credits to see what the.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, like, why would you now. Don't know the you doing, man. Like, I mean, I think I can kind of still hear your sound, though. Like, I think your sound is your sound. Like, you could take the tag off, like, but I could. I could still hear your sound, though.

[Hit-Boy]

What if I'm everything? I don't know. I'm looking my gram. I don't even know, bro. I'm in the matrix right now. For real. For real. So to be honest. Shit. All projects I'm on probably got. I got like, four on Ty Dollar Sign that come out Friday. Probably did like, eight on Chris Brown new album that's about to come out. Shit. I'm on YFN Lucci new album. I'm on Everybody. I'm Joey Badass. Everything G Herbo. Anything that's dropping, that's coming out, I'm on it.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

I mean, it ain't a year that I don't have a hundred placements. Like, it's been that way for, like, three years, four years.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Whatever happened to that record when we was in the studio you played with, man, that was crazy. I think it was TI Cardi.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah. That was supposed to be for my producer album, but it's just song.

[Rory Farrell]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

That is it. Two Chains was on it. I did it with Take Heath and a few Other co producers. But it's just so hard to do a producer album, bro. Like, I know Rory can. You know what I'm saying? Like, when you're not the artist in the lead of doing an album, it's so many different moving parts and shit. You'll get frustrated with it. And it kind of like, I. I service such a law, a large crowd of artists, that it's kind of like to stop that. To do a DJ Khaled album, you literally have to stop working with people and just work on that.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

And it's just like, not beneficial. Like, if I'm getting like 30, 40 grand a record. Like, am I gonna stop getting 30, 40 grand a record when I'm doing a hundred of them a year just to work on my project? Right.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah. Nah, don't make sense.

[Rory Farrell]

Because I thought you were going to lean into that route. Forgive me. What's the name of the record? Lotto's on it?

[Hit-Boy]

Thought Box. Yeah, I was on that.

[Rory Farrell]

That. No, that record is that record?

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah, it's platinum. I love that it's on that. But I mean, that's when I kind of, like, parted ways with Atlantic Records. So at that time, like, just being transparent, La Rita offered me a label deal while I was working for Atlantic Records, and they never offered me a label deal. So I did all these big records for all the artists that were on Atlanta Atlantic, but they never approached me with a label situation. So when I went to Craig, I'm like, yo, this offered me $2 million to my pocket. Like, yo, I need to get this 2 million. Like, I don't care what. And he was like, you know what? Your family, we're gonna give you the deal. Just give us some time. And then they end up giving me a deal. They end up giving me more money than what LA was gonna do or whatever. But I just think it was because it was more chasing the ambulance instead of just being, like, proactive, like, oh, this nigga's killing it. Let's give him his own joint venture. Let's do it. It was. Cause somebody else offered it to me, and it just wasn't like, the best situation for me.

[Rory Farrell]

So Empire made more sense moving forward.

[Hit-Boy]

Well, I mean, to be honest. And I don't. All right, let me be super executive with this answer. Ghazi had worked with Atlantic Records. Like, you know, they, He. They upstream from Empire at certain points. So, like, Ghazi did Bodak Yellow, he did Broccoli, he did all these different records, whatever. And I don't think they. He felt like they handled him the best in that situation. So I randomly just went to meet with Ghazi about something totally different, and we got to have a dialogue. And that's what at that point, it was. So turmoil at Atlantic. I wanted to give them the money back that they gave me. And then like a mentor of mine, like, that's the music business. You don't get nobody no money back.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Right.

[Hit-Boy]

But I was that mad, like, at the situation.

[Rory Farrell]

Just fake recoup until they drop you.

[Hit-Boy]

Exactly. And then Ghazi came through like a G and bought me out my deal.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Oh, that was real.

[Hit-Boy]

And that's how I went to Empire.

[Rory Farrell]

How do I ask this without being super messy, but this is a conversation I've been wanting to have with you, so let's have it on mic.

[Hit-Boy]

Okay.

[Rory Farrell]

You had a very talented writer, artist. She did some reference joints for you. And then one day, Mole comes up to me and says her name, which we won't say, and says, you know, she just got arrested for drug trafficking.

[Hit-Boy]

You know, she's out. I just seen it recently too.

[Rory Farrell]

I saw that. I saw the IG activated. Shot her a dm.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Yes.

[Rory Farrell]

Welcome.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Let me see. I said.

[Rory Farrell]

I said, welcome home.

[Hit-Boy]

Me free you to his backwards.

[Rory Farrell]

And I were the only ones keeping her name alive.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Rory. Rory Hitter said this for my up north getting full of that Jack.

[Rory Farrell]

You a even send her a kite, though.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

No, I didn't. I definitely did.

[Hit-Boy]

She's still beautiful.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

She still has talent.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Very talented.

[Hit-Boy]

I don't know how close I can play her because of the situation, but that was wild.

[Rory Farrell]

That was the last person. And maybe it was stereotyping because you just had the most innocent face ever.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

To know that she was moving bricks across the country in a U haul.

[Hit-Boy]

I never knew that. I just thought that she had a rich, like, boyfriend because she was always like. Even when I got her a deal with Atlantic, like, she, like, she was pulling up SL Benzes and like that or whatever. But I'm thinking it's a dude that she sleeping with that was financing.

[Rory Farrell]

She missed 17:5.

[Hit-Boy]

Jesus. Yeah.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That was the wildest girl crazy you had. But you've been known to have, like, a lot of talented artists that I be like, damn, what happened with Shorty? That was with Berg. Like, she. She never really popped or I never really heard much from her. And then I look up and it's like, y' all not working together no more like, you had some really, really talented artists early in their careers. Who was the one artist that you like. Damn. I'm mad. That never transpired to what we thought it would have been.

[Hit-Boy]

Mm, shit.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Cause I ain't gonna lie. Just throwing. Honey. I don't know what y' all relationship is now today, and I hope I'm not.

[Hit-Boy]

Nah, you good.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

But Malibu Mitch.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

She's incredible.

[Hit-Boy]

She is incredible.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I remember when you was at Jungle City.

[Hit-Boy]

I think I was playing a bunch of shit.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

And we walked in and I'm like, yo, who the fuck is that? And she stood up from behind the board. I think she was writing back there, listening to the beat, and she was like, that's me. And I was like, there's no way this small girl sounds like that. Like, her voice is very aligned with Fox a little bit.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah, for sure.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

But to see her and then to hear her and know that she's writing that shit, I thought she was incredible. Then she's still doing dope. She making dope records. She put out a joint with, I think, Jeremiah.

[Hit-Boy]

I did that one too.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Fire. Like, what's the relationship like with you and Malibu?

[Hit-Boy]

It's great. I mean, it's not a bad thing. So she was my first signing at Atlantic Records, and I was very happy to be a part of it. But in reality, she's just like. I think she just got out that deal now, and this is almost a decade later. But she was just in a very bad production deal, like a nasty Nast. Then she fell out with the person who I did to deal with at Atlantic. So then they fell out, and then they kind of like, they went on some other shit, you know what I'm saying? Like, they wanted large amounts of money. They wanted this. It was just a nasty relationship that I had, wasn't privy to because when I signed her, I thought that everything was smooth sailing. But you know how that shit go, bro. And it just like. Unfortunately, it ruined that moment. But I think timing is everything, bro.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Oh, absolutely.

[Hit-Boy]

I think she got an opportunity to pop back out. But I mean, well, now she's out that deal, so I think it'd be way better.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Is there any artist that you haven't worked with, particularly on the female side, that you like, Damn, I gotta get in the studio while we gotta get some joints together.

[Hit-Boy]

I wanna do some shit with Mariah the scientist. I like her music.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Okay.

[Hit-Boy]

Shit. Whoever got a budget, you got a deal, nigga. Let's go.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Whoever got a budget? Whoever paying Whoever cutting the check.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah, like, I don't got no pics. Like, this shit is strictly business for me. So it's like. It ain't like I'm running around here. Nah, we don't. You don't. You don't match my aesthetic. Like, nah, like, fuck that.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Whoever got the budget, whoever's talented, let's run it. Now, you and Rory had a little tift.

[Rory Farrell]

Yes.

[Hit-Boy]

Me, Rory broke my heart, bro.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Like, what was that about? Cause we had spoken. I was like, yo, what the fuck happened? And then me and you spoke, and he was like, yo, I didn't even know that. It was nothing.

[Hit-Boy]

That, like, me and Rory did escape the room together. We got. I gave so many unbelievable snippets to you guys. You guys were my A R's before I was an A and R. And then now my dog lined me up.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yo, why you lined up Berg, man? What's up, man?

[Rory Farrell]

Do we talk about it? Bet. Fuck, we can talk about it on this episode. But we did.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

We talked about BT briefly. Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah. I was with Hit Boy in LA at Chalice, and he was just playing me shit. And he was putting out the record with Alchemist, the first one, and played me his producer control, if you will, where he was naming names. And I. I hit Berg after I heard it, and I was like, I don't think there's no disrespect. Like, I was gonna post this clip, but I called him first, thinking I was being a good friend and going. And Hit Boy was in, you know, like a good. He's like, it's no static. Like, I'm just whatever. But then when I posted it, Bird called me and cursed me, the out when I was at lax.

[Hit-Boy]

I was so mad.

[Rory Farrell]

Curse me the out while I was at lax.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I didn't know it was gonna be that. I didn't know the clip was that.

[Rory Farrell]

You know, which I still give him credit of one of the better digs that somebody has said to me where I'm getting yelled at. And I wanted to laugh because I thought it was a great joke. He's like, you could use the relevance. I was like, God damn, that one stuck.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

In such an eloquent way. You could use the relevance.

[Rory Farrell]

But then once we did talk, I did get his perspective because there was a line in there that I kind of ignored that was, like, personal to Berg. So I understood. I got it at that point. But my intentions weren't that. But I made a mistake. I apologized for the entire thing.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I mean, well, y'.

[Sponsor Announcer]

All.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Y' all good now. I just wanted to kind of just bring.

[Hit-Boy]

How did it go from there, though? I Think I went to Hot 97 and I said some shit like, Hit Boy is a legend. But this radio shit, this my shit.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

This what I do.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

Like, he good at what he do. And then it was all downhill from there.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah. But, Josh, y' all still cool, though, right?

[Hit-Boy]

We just actually spoke for the first time in Vegas, and I was really just casually walking up to get a new key for my hotel room by myself at the bar.

[Rory Farrell]

It always goes to Vegas.

[Hit-Boy]

And then I'm standing in line, and the motherfucker, like, tapped me. And I turn around, it's him, his security, and a couple other girls. And he like, bro, you know, that shit ain't really about nothing. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, bro, it was never about nothing. Like, for real. For real. And he was like, man, you know, let's exchange numbers. Let's really, you know what I'm saying? Tap in this, that, and the third. And then I think, like a day or two later, he like, yo, I did Rory and I spoke about you or whatever, and I'm like, that's all I love. I'm gonna do Rory. Am all too. And speak highly of you. Because I think that that's. That's dope. That it ain't got to be no. You know what I'm saying? It's all really just music. Me and him. He ain't no street. I ain't no street.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

He's one of the coolest guys you wanted.

[Rory Farrell]

The coolest.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

So when I saw that, I was like, I hope that don't.

[Hit-Boy]

Why you think he was so perturbed about me, though, saying it? It's because our names are similar. Is it because. I think.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I think a lot of that is. A lot of it is just. You know, when I may be looking at my phone and hear somebody say something about me, who I'm with, what they gotta say about it. A lot of that adds to it. Why he talking crazy like that? And it's like. Then you start to take on some of that energy. Like, yeah, he talking slick. Like, what's up with homie? And it's like. But it don't. When you really get to it, like, you said you seen him in the hotels. Like, bro, that shit ain't about nothing, bro. And it makes more sense for y' all to be cool and actually work together. Cause y' all are both two super talented dudes that have owned the charts and the airwaves for however many years. Why not, like, talk about it? Like, yo, that's nothing. Let's get to this bag. Let's make some money together. Let's make history together. To me, that makes more sense. Cause both of y' all are two of the coolest niggas ever.

[Hit-Boy]

The only thing that hurt, he said, I did coke. And I'm just like, damn, n. When did I start doing coke? Like, yo, nigga put coke on you. That's crazy.

[Rory Farrell]

Like, insult my drums. But cocaine.

[Hit-Boy]

Then he said something. He like, that nigga's not a producer. He's an A R. I'm like, so I'm not. I'm not A R enough for the A R's, and I'm not producing enough for a producer. Where the am I? I'm just, what am I doing? What do I do here? Like, am I just a. That just hit a lick out of nowhere? Like, what are we talking about?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

It's so funny here. Dudes, like, talk about like this, like, how. When they be any perspective places, like, what, like, what is this about?

[Rory Farrell]

But, I mean, you start to notice that with producers, like, like when you get in the studio with them, they're just as loud and active as the rappers and the podcasters when it comes to this competition. They'll just do it in more of a music nerdier way of like how someone EQs their drums will be like a slight. It's how they talk shit. Yeah. Yeah. So I think Hit Boy, you saying like, yo, you'll work with somebody with a budget and someone that you fuck with. You're super active. Hit Boy, I think is the exact same way. You are two of the A list producers that do that. Most producers don't do that shit at all. So I think because you guys are so active, they're put some type of competition or some type of slight. When he heard like, yo, I do the radio, he can do the other. But y' all are both putting out every day.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

True.

[Rory Farrell]

So maybe that's where he started to.

[Hit-Boy]

Feel like, I talk a lot of, though. Like, I'm not. I'm not mad at him. You know what I'm saying? I talk a lot of. But I, like, I. I kind of like.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

But you're not a bad person, though. No, not a bad person.

[Hit-Boy]

And not only that, I like talking shit and delivering.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

Like, that's what I. You know what I'm saying? Kind of like, that's my thing.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Let's be competitive. Let's talk shit.

[Hit-Boy]

And I still think I'm. You know what I'm saying?

[Rory Farrell]

Like, you should feel that way.

[Hit-Boy]

Am I supposed to say no hit boy is better than me? Like, I wouldn't expect him to say that if they asked him about Kanye and it's a nigga that he did niggas in Paris with his biggest record. But I think that moving forward, any that's hating on me, my career, what I've been through to be where I'm at right now, you just not happy with yourself in life. Like, this ain't like my. I'm like Rudy damn near for the like, yo, this bounce back story. Yo, this bounce back story.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Rudy as far Berg is definitely hip hop Rudy.

[Hit-Boy]

Like, I made it. Like, what are you mad at me for? Like, like I came from the dirt with this and had to change and revamp a whole.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Your rebrand and your story is definitely like, like so like for the people that don't. I don't know how you don't know Berg's story by now, but like it's definitely one of the ones where you like, damn. Like, he really been at this for years. Like, literally grew up in the industry, no worry.

[Rory Farrell]

And now, Ma, I know you are thinking about upgrading to the all new iPhone 17 Pro. You constantly are talking about it because it's designed to be the most powerful iPhone ever, which is again, something you always tell us. But are you also thinking about the traffic on your way to the store or transferring all the money bag data that you have in that phone? Well, good news for you, Maul. When you order a new phone online with Boost Mobile, they'll send an expert to your home or work to deliver your brand new iPhone 17 Pro and get you set up on Boost Mobile within minutes.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

No hassle.

[Rory Farrell]

No hassle.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Visit boostmobile.com to get started. Delivery available for select devices [e-mail] terms apply.

[Rory Farrell]

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[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I like that.

[Rory Farrell]

This coming Monday, it's jets in Miami. They're both 0 and 3, so have a blast betting on that one.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

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[Rory Farrell]

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[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

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[Rory Farrell]

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[Hit-Boy]

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[Sponsor Announcer]

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[Rory Farrell]

This is an ad by BetterHelp. October 10th is World Mental Health Day and this year I think we should take the time and focus our attention on thanking our therapists, the people that we dump all of our problems on every day. That just have to go out in the world and digest all the nonsense and insane things that we say to them. We need to say thank you to the therapist, check up on your strong friend. I'm sure it takes a toll on them as well. This year, BetterHelp is shining the spotlight on therapists, people who truly make the world a better place. If something keeps you up at night, just go get a therapist, dump that problem on them, and then we'll celebrate them on the 10th. BetterHelp therapists work accordingly to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US with over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. And it works with an average rate of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. The World Mental Health Day. Let's celebrate the therapists who've helped millions of people take a step forward. If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first [e-mail] Rorymal that's betterhelp.com Rorymal this is.

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[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

How do you feel about the current scene with the female MCs?

[Hit-Boy]

Um, I think right now with the. The ladies, I mean, shit, they, they running shit. Yesterday we was having a real conversation. Who are the top five male rappers in the game right now? Excluding all legends, Any Nigga that's over 35?

[Rory Farrell]

Oh, I don't know.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Young boy, five male rappers.

[Hit-Boy]

I feel like Young Boy is ambulance chasing too, because now everybody just hip to this. He been doing this for years, you know what I'm saying? They see the show now. Now it's a lot of ambulance chasing and dick pulling.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Damn.

[Rory Farrell]

I mean, even with Young Boy, though, like, his numbers, I. I'm admitted, like, I don't listen to Young Boy like that, but I've always known his numbers were insane, like, astronomical.

[Hit-Boy]

Bro, I love Young Boy. I can't a that listen to NBA Young boy though, know.

[Rory Farrell]

Oh, you're taking a. That's a lot of women. I'm hot now.

[Hit-Boy]

I only.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I'm good. I'm cool.

[Rory Farrell]

Okay, but what specifically happened that made you change your mind on. On that?

[Hit-Boy]

It's just a. It's just a thing like, you know, like it's. It's too young for me. Like, I feel like I'm old now. You know what I'm saying? Like, yo, like, this ain't. It ain't my lane. But I would say, like, how we saying young boy gunna.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah, Kodak.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I'm trying to think one of my favorites.

[Hit-Boy]

One of my favorites too. But I'm just talking about right now, like, that's going crazy. Yeet, fam. That's the white boy. You trying to throw some.

[Rory Farrell]

I'm just.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I don't listen. I throw some white love.

[Rory Farrell]

I don't listen to you. I'm just trying to think of.

[Hit-Boy]

I don't listen to Yeet either.

[Rory Farrell]

No disrespect, but he does crazy numbers if we're doing top five.

[Hit-Boy]

Culturally.

[Rory Farrell]

Oh, culturally, yeah. Yeet.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Damn. See, when you. But when you. When you frame it like that, I really. I really can't. Because once you say under 35, I'm like, I'm stuck. I'm like, oh, yeah, Who? Travis.

[Hit-Boy]

But he's a legend.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah, he's teetering the legend status.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah. And I don't look at him as a rapper neither. He's an artist. He's just an all around. Yeah. Cold.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

I mean, yeah, I'm stuck, but I'm 35. So.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

So who's the next. So who's the next superstar in red rap?

[Rory Farrell]

Nobody.

[Hit-Boy]

I don't know. Male. I don't know right now.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's scary.

[Rory Farrell]

So what. What brought that question up? When talking about the female rappers you could name.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah, you could name 10. What's the top five female rappers right now?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Go, Nikki. Well, not. No, no leg. No. Legends. Is Cardi considered a legend?

[Hit-Boy]

You could leave them in there.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Go ahead.

[Hit-Boy]

Who's number one?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Nikki to me.

[Hit-Boy]

I agree.

[Rory Farrell]

Nikki, Cardi, Meg.

[Hit-Boy]

I'm going. Glorilla.

[Rory Farrell]

Oh, yeah, of course. Yeah, for sure.

[Hit-Boy]

I actually think that. Hot take. I think Glorilla's album is better than Cardi B's new album.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I didn't think. I didn't Glorillas yet.

[Hit-Boy]

I mean, the previous one that just came out.

[Rory Farrell]

She's the best current female rapper.

[Hit-Boy]

Couple. Couple joints.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

A couple joints in there. The. The. The Pleasure Principle joint. The Janice joint was. I feel like that was a record you could have did.

[Hit-Boy]

I like that one? I think I like the other one with the random. I don't know what the girl's name that's singing the hook on it, but it's a. It's a random girl. Like, damn, I forget her name. But I like.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

It's a couple joints.

[Hit-Boy]

I like the one that Lotto just remixed the. Ooh, this shit. Yeah, it was kind of hard. But, I mean, I don't know, as a man, like, who's the last female rapper that you can just really digest a project from? That's who I'm interested in working with. I don't know. Like, too many women rappers that I feel comfortable playing. Oh, that. That's. That. I feel like she a legend, too.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Though, to me, I would say incredible.

[Rory Farrell]

To that point, because I'm the same way. Like, as much as I like Cardi, I know Cardi doesn't make music for, like, I would say Dochi and Lil Sims would be the closest that I.

[Hit-Boy]

Felt like as a Dolce. And I love Top Dog. I love Dochi. But that content. My G. I'm not playing it.

[Rory Farrell]

Oh, I'm.

[Hit-Boy]

I like talking about her. Is. Is. Is gay. And this, that, and the third or whatever is very. It's very. Not in my Ferrari.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

It's not. All right, get out, get out. Get the out. Don't ever tell me it's not in my Ferrari.

[Hit-Boy]

It's not in my Spectrum. It's not in my McLaren. It ain't even in my cyber truck.

[Rory Farrell]

You don't have anxiety in your Ferrari.

[Hit-Boy]

No, no, no, not at all.

[Rory Farrell]

If you hit a pothole, you have some. Some anxiety.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

We got chickens. No play in a rari.

[Hit-Boy]

But it shouldn't, though. I'm a man.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

I think it's kind of, like, questionable if I do pull up planet.

[Rory Farrell]

But then again, what has there been female rappers, like?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Because when it's the same age, I'm telling you, that's what it is, bro. Cause I say the same shit. I'm like, bro, I'm not playing none of that. Not because it's not good music. I'm not saying that. Not because they're not talented. It's just not for me. I can't pull up playing that. And I don't think that they're making that music, expecting somebody like me, 44 years old, to be pulling up playing that.

[Rory Farrell]

But even, like, we listened to Kim Quiet Storm verse, but, like, we weren't Banging Notorious Kim.

[Hit-Boy]

But the music, though, had an album that you could play from top to bottom. What's the one with China White and all that on there? The COVID is white and she's in, like, a purple outfit or whatever.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

She's the last girl that you could really play, like, a whole joint and not feel uncomfortable.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah. Like, it ain't gonna be too much shake, shake, shake in it. It's like.

[Hit-Boy]

But that was before it was all ass and pussy. Now it's just all ass and teeth.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah. You know the whole game. Most of these bitches. Ass and teeth.

[Rory Farrell]

XL teeth, too. They got the big teeth.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Oh, my God. They go kill us.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

I feel like for the past five, six, seven years. Yes. The women have been running everything. I think that's starting to plateau, though. I think we're. We're leaving that era.

[Hit-Boy]

Era.

[Rory Farrell]

It's all starting to fizz out where we know it's going to be Meg Lotto, Glorilla Cardi, Nikki Sexy. Like there's not an influx the way it was before. I think that era is done.

[Hit-Boy]

I miss Meg a little bit. I love her delivery. I think her delivery is super special and solid, like, out of.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

We was at Broccoli Fest last year, and I was telling Rory when she did the. The Plan B record when Meg did that. I'm looking around.

[Hit-Boy]

That's me. About talking. No, Tag, you did that.

[Rory Farrell]

I actually did not know that song.

[Hit-Boy]

What are we talking about here?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I did not know you did that.

[Rory Farrell]

That doesn't even, like, sound, I guess, sound like your traditional sound.

[Hit-Boy]

Shout out to my brother, Rob Holiday, who's also signed to me as well.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's crazy. I didn't know you did that record. But when she did that record in that stadium, I told Rory. I was like, bro, I was not expecting them to respond to that record like that. They went crazy. Like the girls that. They went crazy at Brock Lee.

[Hit-Boy]

I put y' all down. This a girl. Okay. Her name is New York La. She's Gilly's daughter or whatever.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, she's on. She got a record with that I like with. I don't know if it's Bryson.

[Rory Farrell]

No, she. She's on.

[Hit-Boy]

She's on.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah, but she's. She's super talented.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

Her solo stuff is crazy. Too.

[Hit-Boy]

Crazy. I'm executive producing her album. We just closed a major label deal. Shout out to Gilly. Shout out to her. They can announce where we close the deal. And I ain't gonna let the cat out the bag, but her Album's done. Everybody's on her album. I'm talking about everybody.

[Rory Farrell]

No, she's, like, legitimately legit.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Like, every time I've heard, I'm like, okay, she's. I like her.

[Hit-Boy]

She's the one.

[Rory Farrell]

Gilly first posted her long, long time ago. Even before the Brent, I thought he was just posting some dope artists. I didn't even know it was his daughter. I was like, oh, yeah. He signed somebody.

[Hit-Boy]

Like, yeah, she really good people, man. Gillian, his wife, too, and his daughter. They did a good job with her. She's amazing, and I think she will be one of the biggest stars next year. Like, hands down.

[Rory Farrell]

Even, like, her alternative is crazy, too.

[Hit-Boy]

Like, she does.

[Rory Farrell]

She can do pretty much everything. Yeah, I met her at Super Bowl. Super cool chick. Like, yeah, she's gonna be a superstar.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah. Anytime I've heard her, I was like, I like her. Like, she. Her sound is dope. What do you think about this Jay Don kid? Is he. Is he the next one?

[Hit-Boy]

I love Jay Don. You know, he was signed to Nick Cannon before L A Reid. This nigga Nick Cannon has everybody. Like, how he had Kalani and all other shit. But that's when I first initially met Jay Don, and then, I mean, I just got strong belief in whatever L. A Reid do. You know one thing L. A Reid do, he will drop the bag.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Oh, yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

He's going, once he believes in you, he's gonna make sure that shit goes. I think that it took a little bit of time because maybe aesthetically, how tall he is and how much dancing he does for people to get accustomed to that and lock in with that, But I think he found his lane. I like that record that he got out.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, I like him. But everybody's like, yo, he's the next Chris. And I'm just like, you know when you hear that and then you start looking you like. I see the talent. I see the talent. But when you introduce this to me and say, this is the next Chris Brown, I'm like, all right, wait, hold on.

[Rory Farrell]

That's kind of a wild.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's a big. To me, that's unfair to Jay Donson.

[Hit-Boy]

It's like what Hov did with Bleak.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

The new, unapproved Jay Z. Yeah, we can't do that. Those shoes are. Leave those over there. Don't even try to step in those shoes. But then. And looking at them and looking at a couple videos, like you said, I'm like, okay. Tall dances. It's a little like you a little too tall to be dancing like this, bro, but I see the talent.

[Hit-Boy]

No, the nigga is literally like taller than Steph Curry. Like, the nigga is literally a fucking NBA point guard.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

Like, he's like at least 6, 3.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

6, but he dancing like Chris. Like, he moving and I'm just like little, little awkward at first on the eye, but then listening to it, I'm like, he's definitely talented. Like, there's no doubt about it. The kid got talent.

[Hit-Boy]

I got belief in Usher, Larry Jackson and LA Reid. You know, Usher signed them too, so they gonna figure that out.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, definitely gonna figure it out.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah, they did okay with Bieber.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, yeah, they got that one right.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah, Usher, he's, he's a track record when it comes to what do you think of Timberland and, and his new AI artist video that he just did? He dancing next to a fake person.

[Hit-Boy]

And I got so much respect for Tim. I, I. Next question. I don't even want to share with my. Just out of how much I.

[Rory Farrell]

His real answer went like this. I got a lot of respect for Tim.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah, I just got so much respect for Tim. Like, and, and his, and his wife and everybody and they, they family. I can't say nothing.

[Rory Farrell]

But I mean, all right, even I saw him and Guru going back and forth on Instagram in a respectful way. Like, Tim can handle, I think the critiques of it without Guru answering that.

[Hit-Boy]

Question and me answering question is two different people.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

For sure.

[Rory Farrell]

For sure. But I mean, his peers and people that he loves and respects have been critical of him in this entire thing. Like, he's wrong. No, he is like, I think this is obviously you can never up a legacy like his because he's one of the greatest that's ever existed. But, but this is some of the goofier latter career I've seen in quite some time. And I get with it dapping with the times. I'm not completely anti AI, but are.

[Hit-Boy]

You up on the SUNO or whatever? Yeah, bro, that me up. We just did a writing camp in Vegas for Warner Chapel and ran from 1500 and nothing was showing me this. And he like, yo, what name a song, a sample. I'm like, yo, Ron Ozy between the sheets. He like, all right, bet. He like what you want the song to sound like? I'm like Tyler Afrobeat this down the third. He like sing a melody into the phone. He like, all right, bet. One minute later, he played me an entire song lyrics beat with the flip of the sample. A whole everything in two minutes later me up and this wasn't trash.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's, that's scary.

[Rory Farrell]

No, I mean, that's my real issue with AI. Some of this should be dope. That's the problem. The fact that it's good. It's like, whoa, all right, we gotta chill with this.

[Hit-Boy]

It was decent.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's scary, man. Yeah, I don't the, like, that to me is like now we just all the way saying the art of it all. Like, I, I, I'm never on the side of it. The art N. I mean, but for.

[Rory Farrell]

Me too, like with, with Tim's AI artist, like she, they, whatever the, what we. What's the right word to call a AI person?

[Hit-Boy]

A robot.

[Rory Farrell]

What you like? All right, that, that he has, she has sucked in all of catalog. Like an entire music catalog, all his shit. Like, she now knows that he should.

[Hit-Boy]

Be paid for that.

[Rory Farrell]

That's fucked up that Tim is even like partaking in something where his peers are affected.

[Hit-Boy]

Hey, fam, listen, I know you don't want to.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's your guy. But I'm just saying, like it has to be the money that tech it gave him.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Like, it.

[Hit-Boy]

Well, yeah, if you are kind of like trying to push that software to the forefront and that type of vibe, then you need a spokesperson for who else better than one of the biggest producers of all time?

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah. And I mean, we speculated why everyone was selling their catalogs for, for years and years. And I think we were right with our theories. But let's not act like it wasn't for this AI back catalog shit too.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

Oh yeah, because it was a bunch. It was a bunch of tech companies buying up everybody's cat. You think somebody just randomly has 400 million for the dream, like on a Tuesday, right?

[Hit-Boy]

And he's on a board of hypnosis too. That's why he was talking so crazy to Sean Garrett, cuz. Remember Sean Garrett in the verses? He like, he sold his catalog and this other thing, he like, nigga, I own your catalog. Catalog. Because he's on the board of hypnosis. When he did his buyout for his deal, they put him on the board.

[Rory Farrell]

That's crazy. That's, that's, that's like game going up and saying, I'm the CEO of Revolt. But it's true.

[Hit-Boy]

Yo, bro, I ain't gonna lie though. The dream good.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yo, it is nasty out here, man.

[Rory Farrell]

Has anyone approached you on the publishing?

[Hit-Boy]

The catalog?

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah, catalog.

[Hit-Boy]

What you think? I got Spectrus and all the other boy, like, I live in a five million dollar house in Miami. No mortgage, no nothing. It's all over. I could really retire right now. I don't have to do another song.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Oh, that's why you took your tags up. You like, I'm home. This is the home stretch. I'm good.

[Rory Farrell]

I'm in Florida, I gotta pay taxes.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Cool, man.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

I'm all the way home.

[Hit-Boy]

I'm trying to figure out my out like. Cause in 40, you know what I'm saying? Like, I ain't gonna lie. Me and Rory was talking about this before this shit. Like the toll that it takes on your body to be in a studio to drink six nights a week, smoke six nights a week to them long hours. It's catching up to me, bro. I've been doing this shit for 20 years. So I'm gonna go back inside the building one because I think that there is not one A&R with the exception of couple I know that you can specifically give any music to. As a producer and a writer myself, I don't know one to send a song to that can get. Get it to the. To an artist that I want to any A and R. So it to me is like it's not cool no more. It's too much ambulance chasing, it's too much job security worrying about like I'm. I'm. I'm gonna go back in the building and really like change people lives. Like when I first got in the building, it was really for me to like, like on like I'm me, I was letting people know I'm him. Now the next chapter of my career is just to be a blessing to other people and really change people's lives, which I've done already, but just really lock into it or whatever and still go to the studio and work on the projects that I'm executive producer for. But not just to go 100 placements a year, you know what I'm saying? Like that type.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah. I mean you were bringing up LA Reid and I was gonna ask like if he was the last like music man exec in the business. And I actually love to hear that you want to go back into a building because that's what I feel.

[Hit-Boy]

Anytime I'm about to go, ain't no one I'm about to go anytime.

[Rory Farrell]

Well, yeah, the want some people don't even want to go near a fucking building anymore because it's a mess in there. But when people typically ask what's wrong with majors, I always say is they have no music people in there. Like a RS are legitimately good at data now.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

Which is like, all right, cool. I guess that's a part of it. And you have to adapt. But there's no music people in there. Like, L. A Reid was a music person. Like, yeah, that is why he was so good at his job. Not because he fucking knows P L Like that. He's a fucking music guy.

[Hit-Boy]

To me, it's like artists want to be creative. Criticized by people that are actually doing what they're doing in real time. Opposed to somebody getting data and saying, why something ain't working because of data. It's a different conversation. Talking to some guy in front of a computer or talking to the guy in a studio that you actually respect his work, you respect the songs that he did. The artist will be able to be able to be artists develop better because it's. The person that's developing them is the one that's seen a game, that's lived through this shit. And you could pinpoint different records and different moments. Like, oh, okay, he's doing. He understands me. It's not like a disconnect. You know what I'm saying? So when I go back in, it's gonna be like, well, I'm going back in very soon. I'll announce it, like in a couple weeks. But when I do it, it's just gonna be just because ain't nobody doing it. This shit is trash.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Hit-Boy]

Like, they didn't groom. Like, how we talking about the next class of rappers. They didn't really groom or allow the next class of A and R's and shit like that. Cause I remember when we was at Atlantic, we had the all star team. Me, Orlando Warrenberg, Sean Barron, Dallas Martin. It was a. It was a bunch of. But you know, like, I guess the. You know when. How the revolving door once was when you see the. The Kaiser regime with Def Jam and then it transfers to Warner and you know what I'm saying? Like, it ain't happening like that for anr. They fired everybody.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah. Which is kind of weird too. Like, even when Kaiser, Juliano and them went to Atlantic to start the new regime, like their A and R's at Def Jam were people like Irv Gotti, like, producers for sure. It's. It's weird that it. They didn't want to keep up with that even in this time. I understand. I know it's fucking data. But even now was like, why would that not be a focus hit boy?

[Hit-Boy]

Go inside the building. You pick a building, I'mma pick a building. All the different people, that's A listers that really respect the. That want to be involved into that. I think that we offscore in the building. Yeah. I think that Empire hired Hit Boy after I left or whatever. I think they did a partnership as well too. I don't know if it's still.

[Rory Farrell]

And I'm Even when they would do the legal payola with DJs. Like, DJs are music people. Yes. They should be hired in your building to tell you what the is going to work and what's not going to work. Exactly. That is. Is done now it's place listing like for sure, bro.

[Hit-Boy]

That gotta come back asap.

[Rory Farrell]

Before we let you go, I want to ask do you have any information on the RICO case that Ray J is putting together with the federal government for the Kardashian cartel? Yeah, that they're trying to.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yo, that's my.

[Rory Farrell]

I love that. Can you put us in contact with Ray J? We want Ray J on the show so bad that.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Don't give up.

[Rory Farrell]

I love Ray J. Rado give a.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Flying about anything, anybody. He gonna do what he wants, say what he want.

[Hit-Boy]

See, Ray is a real smart. See, a lot of people think he was glitching like this whole time all this year, but he was really trying to get into that space with them people. And now you see Kasa not and all them with him. He made his way into his space, bro.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

It's like. Like. But Ray has been.

[Hit-Boy]

He.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

He's again, before this all viral thing became a thing. He was that.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Like he was doing all of that type of. That's why I understand when Soulja Boy be saying that a lot. I know what he means.

[Hit-Boy]

What do you mean?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah, he be like, when I did that, like, he was the first to do a lot of this just has new names now. Like, y' all started something different now.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah. Soulja Boy was the first viral song.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Absolutely. First ringtone.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Hit and all of that. Like, he was the. He was the first behind a lot of that.

[Rory Farrell]

And I mean, Ray J, everything in our culture, he was the first. I'm like. Like literally everything first.

[Hit-Boy]

He did everything first.

[Rory Farrell]

I'm trying to think. I'm thinking of every category. I'm pretty sure Raymond J did it first. If you really go through it, yo.

[Hit-Boy]

Bro, that nigga's a legend. You know how long I've known a. So like, bro, we have done. What's so crazy? Our record. I got three records that's about to be diamond and that's one of them.

[Rory Farrell]

Like just a full Ray J project.

[Hit-Boy]

No sexy can I is about to be Diamond.

[Rory Farrell]

Damn.

[Hit-Boy]

The song with me and Ray J.

[Rory Farrell]

Which is a classic record. Yo, everyone that's listening now, stop what you're doing, pause this podcast and go back back to the Chris Brown and Ray J Blood mixtape. Oh man, it's one of the greatest.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Mixtape of all time.

[Rory Farrell]

Like why all of us just like stop talking about Chris Brown and Ray J doing a Blood mixtape together.

[Hit-Boy]

It was like 16. He locked in with CB for a blood anthem.

[Rory Farrell]

Every record is fired too.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yo bro, Ray J is crazy.

[Rory Farrell]

We did this little this of that segment. We did it with with JD we done it with JD we did with Hit Boy. I felt like there was one more either way did we do awesome. But yeah, we grabbed some of your records where you have to pick which. Which one you would pick out of the two. We'll start with Bounce Back or Dangerous.

[Hit-Boy]

I say Bounce Back because it's about to be Diamond. That's what my second.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That would be fair. That would be fair to pick.

[Hit-Boy]

But I think that Dangerous did something incredible for Meek. This when he first got out of jail. And like this was radio smash that kicked off everything for him again.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

Now Dangerous was a joint.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah, I. I think I got a lot of dangerous women after me after that. But bounce back. We bounce back on that one just because how organically it happened.

[Rory Farrell]

John or rule the world.

[Hit-Boy]

Wow. I probably say John cuz it's the bigger, bigger record but. And nobody knew. I don't have a tag on that record too. Shout out to Al the producer. That was a crazy story. So John was a song. I went to work with Polo da Don and this back when Roscoe Dash was signed to Polo da Don. So me and Roscoe Dash did a song over the John beat that night at Interscope Studios in la. And then somehow some way, shit, I guess Polo just took him off the song and sent the beat to Wayne. And then that's how it turned up being John.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah. I didn't even know you did John until years and years later. Do you still have the you and Roscoe Dash version?

[Hit-Boy]

I wish I did.

[Rory Farrell]

That's gotta be somewhere on YouTube. Somebody took that hard drive.

[Hit-Boy]

Somebody leaked that shit for real.

[Rory Farrell]

The first time you heard it was with Wasn't like on the album or.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah, I know I wasn't. I wasn't. I wasn't lit like that. My tag ain't even all that. I had to do the follow up after the fact. Yo get my lawyers on it. I need my credit you talking about.

[Rory Farrell]

But then didn't another version of that end up on Teflon?

[Sponsor Announcer]

Don?

[Hit-Boy]

Somebody did a similar beat. Yeah, but it wasn't that. It sounded like the. The. The Diet Coke of John.

[Rory Farrell]

Yeah. What was the name of that. That Ross? It was like the second record. I think on South London, it was.

[Hit-Boy]

The second record, Dan.

[Rory Farrell]

Damn, it was hard. But the John B. Yeah, was. Yeah, you could tell the difference when you played them back to back on it. The one or favorite?

[Hit-Boy]

The one was that record that I was telling you that Vincent Herbert flew in. It flew me back to LA and kind of like started my whole LA run. But I would have to go favorite just because, man, like, y' all don't understand. Them Nicki Minaj sessions was amazing. And to me, just the work that I put into that record, like, a lot of people don't know that. I forget her name. Candace, her last name. She used to be signing Neo. That's her doing the sample shit. You know, that you need to write up Ride Up, Ride Up, Ride Up. It's Aaron Ray doing the fucking. The backgrounds and all that other shit on the record. You know what I'm saying? So that was a crazy time, like, for real.

[Rory Farrell]

I mean, just judging off Nikki's Twitter as of recent, I could only imagine what a private studio session session with her would be like. I mean, obviously there's NDAs on NDAs in that, but what. What is a typical Nicki Minaj session like?

[Hit-Boy]

Well, at that time, she worked at a studio called Glenwood that was in Burbank. So I would just go to the studio, and she was like the first person I seen with, like, the booth, like, just whatever her mood was. Like. I remember walking a booth. It was like a beach, like, had sand in the booth. Like, fucking beach balls, boys. Like, they was on some crazy shit. She. She was the first person I seen with a gigantic sign with their name on it inside the studio. And fucking for me, like, she would just be there sober, doing whatever she doing. I would be getting overly drunk and fucking smoking weed. And then she just let me. Gave me free reign. At one point, she was just like, yo, this is juice. This is my studio. Just go crazy. Do whatever you want to do. So with favorite in general, Jeremiah came to the studio. I was in another room. She was in her room. She booked me another room. And I was with her engineer while she was doing whatever she was doing. And Jeremiah was like, hey, yo, Burrak, I got like seven minutes before I need to go to lax. I'm like, nigga, what the fuck you even come to the studio for in the first place? Like, you got seven minutes to do him on. God, in my life, nigga. He went in there, he did one takedown and somehow some way he said, I just wanna be your favorite. I'm like, that's it stopped him, got it, chopped it up, copy paste, put it like four times and told him to dance around. And he literally left in those seven minutes. And that's how the hookah is.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's fucking crazy.

[Rory Farrell]

That's wild. That's super wild. For real. What's her process like? Nikki, as far as she like approaches.

[Hit-Boy]

Songs to me, it's just like. I think it's great beats. And then she, for me, when her collaborating, she would just have great beats and be like, yo, make some hooks for me. Do some shit that I like. Like even it's a song on her album called Shanghai. I'm on the song, it's me saying roll up on you and all this other on the actual record. So she was just like, go, go hook crazy for me. And then I just went hook crazy. And it turned out to be and whatever it is incredible.

[Rory Farrell]

Sexy lady or Sexy Can I?

[Hit-Boy]

Oh my God, I'm about to go. Sexy Can I just. Because I knew Sexy lady was a hit and like, y' all gotta like go back into them LA days. Like, like I was literally like wearing a. A chinchilla. My man, my manager at the time was the club promoter at the hottest club or whatever. I think it was called like Mondays or something like that. Shout out to TK and all them or whatever. And I used to go in club, they used to sneak the bottles in. We would go to Ralph's and buy a bunch of bottles before we went to the club. And my manager at the time was the promoter. So he would set me up at a table next to DJ Echo and they would bring the bottles out and I would wear like a full length chinchilla. In the middle of like summer or whatever in la, just wilding out, performing my song Sexy lady. And then from there it just blew to this phenomenon. Sexy Can I? I actually hated Sexy Can I. Styles P was supposed to be on Sexy Can I before me, remember, Ray J was signed a cotch and Epic Records being shadow was doing all video for Epic or whatever at the time. So Styles people to be on that. And I'm glad that Styles P wasn't on Sexy Can I seems like a weird choice, much less than a ghost, but.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Styles rapping Sexy Ken out to.

[Hit-Boy]

The haze I'm like, yo, so when they presented me the record Charlie Walk at the time, who, like, is. My God, this is like five, two, looks like Zoolander. He was the president of Epic Records at the time.

[Rory Farrell]

I know exactly what you're talking about.

[Hit-Boy]

And he was like, yo, you need to do this record for Ray J. And I'm like, I was just coming off a sexy lady, and I wanted to go to my song, the business with the girl Cash is singing the hook. And I'm like, nah, I want to go to this song. He like, no, you're going to do. This is going to be your biggest record. He's like, what is it going to take for you to do this record? I'm like, you got to buy me a chain. He like, for real? I'm like, yeah. I called Jason in Beverly Hills and I put him on the phone with Charlie Walker. And I'm like, yo, I want an Epic Records chain. Like, you got to make it. He made the chain. It probably came out my budget, you know what I'm saying? He got me the chain, and I'll never forget it. Me, Billy Jay Cap one. We walked from the Lowe's Hotel to Wet Willys in Miami, and we just threw bars around while we was doing. Just talking shit with my brothers and threw bars around. We wrote. I wrote all my parts with them probably on that walk. I laid my part at Circle House, where I still work at today. That's how crazy this shit coming full circle. And then from there, it leads us to the Epic studio session with me, Ray J, the girl Casha, and Tierra Marie. I didn't know it was Tierra Marie at the time. So, like, Ray J comes in the studio, I think we're at. We had a studio. We're at Chalice in la. And this when he just did his Vivid deal for the Kim Kardashian tape. And, like, he was. He was on this porn star. So the came in. He like, hey, yo, Park, I don't want to disrespect your lady, but you mind if I put these on the TV? I'm like, these. The put out all vivid DVDs of porn and like that. So now we're in a session. He got a gun, allegedly. He had a gun, a strap on the table. It's nothing but white women porno playing on this big screen inside this studio. And we're finishing the song. Sexy, Can I. So we in there and, like, there's a girl that's, like, talking so bad about Ray J, like, You trash. You get your weak ass out of here. And I'm like, who is this girl disrespecting Ray J like this? I ain't know it was Tierra Marie at the time. Like, it ain't cooked to me. I'm like, yo, the goes in the booth. He like, I gotta hit this last line. He like, ken, Dungeons, have some fun. And she. He like, nah, this is my stomach. Stevie.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

She like, get your weak ass.

[Hit-Boy]

From there. We delivered a record, and that shot up to, like. I think it peaked at number two on the Hot 100 or whatever. And it was like, yeah, why does Ray J and Youngberg have this record that all these white people like?

[Rory Farrell]

I mean, yeah, that melody is.

[Hit-Boy]

Yo, I went to jail on the video set of the video for what? The first shot of the day. We in Miami. I'm smoking a blunt. It's down to, like, a roach. I throw the blunt out of the. And the police that was on set to protect us came, picked up the roach and took me to jail.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

That's crazy.

[Hit-Boy]

All right, man, Shaquille o' Neal bailed me out of jail. I can't make this up, bro. Like, yo, bro, I knew I should have known the record was going diamond when Shaq came and pick me up.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Nigga, that is your greatest record.

[Rory Farrell]

Are you kidding me?

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Don't get no greater than that.

[Hit-Boy]

So go.

[Rory Farrell]

So hold on. Let's slow down for a second.

[Hit-Boy]

I got.

[Rory Farrell]

So you had Shaq's number memorized?

[Hit-Boy]

No. Ray J and Shaq had a. A. A business deal, and I think he was the investor on Ray J's project at the time. Okay. And he was a police officer in Miami. Bro came and built me out of jail. Come on, little man. And I went back on set 12 hours later, and it's like, I. I never went to jail.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

And sexy. Can I.

[Rory Farrell]

That's hilarious.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Oh, my God.

[Rory Farrell]

So I guess Kim has a type, then. Because I had heard at every Kanye session, all he would have was just porno on the whole time. Like, it would be. It would be.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

It's not that horny.

[Rory Farrell]

Assistance in PR Coming back to the Def Jam office, like, shell shocked. Like, yeah, we went to the studio, and it was just hardcore porn playing the entire time.

[Hit-Boy]

It's like, bro is different, bro.

[Rory Farrell]

Oh, that's a different type of horny.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

All right, Bird. Well, listen, man, we appreciate you. Next time you're in New York, you got to stop by.

[Hit-Boy]

Coming by.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Always a pleasure talking to you, man. We got no. We got to kick it off Camera, though. We got a lot of. A lot of we got to catch up on to talk about, man. Anything you got coming, anything you got dropping you on everybody's album.

[Hit-Boy]

Album for the rest of the year. 50 more. I said 50 songs will drop. I did that like a week ago or whatever. So probably like 43 more songs will drop on Friday. I got seven more coming out. And then. Well, actually, no, I have 21 songs coming out on Friday, so. Salute to Ronnie, my artist. Let me explain. This new album comes out Friday. Salute to Ty $sign his new album come out Friday. Shout out to Toy, Rashan, Nigel, my engine, everybody, my whole team, man. Like, we really, like, we in a groove right now. And salute, man. New York, la. Just wait for that next year. And also shout out to my artist, Tink, man, we got a new album that's about to drop as well.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

Fire. I'm coming down to Miami to kick it with you.

[Hit-Boy]

We got to, bro.

[Rory Farrell]

I'll be there end of the. End of the month. I'll be in Miami.

[Hit-Boy]

Yeah.

[Rory Farrell]

Two. Two weeks.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

There you go.

[Hit-Boy]

Black women everywhere for you.

[Sponsor Announcer]

There you go.

[Josh 'Fatz' Adams]

All right. I'm that. He's just Jing. That's hit maker.

[Sponsor Announcer]

No worry.

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[Rory Farrell]

What kind of man would let this happen to his family?

[Hit-Boy]

Inspired by shocking actual events I'm working.

[Sponsor Announcer]

On, the story about the Murdochs. Their abuses of power are playing out in real time.

[Hit-Boy]

Starring Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette and Jason Clark.

[Rory Farrell]

That's the only cheating if you get caught.

[Hit-Boy]

Hulu Original Series Murdoch Death in the Family New episodes Wednesdays on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for bundle subscribers. Terms apply. This is Rashawn McDonald from Money Making Conversations Masterclass. How can you grow your business from idea to industry leader? Bring your vision to life with smart business buying tools and technology from Amazon Business. From fast free shipping to in depth buying into sites and automated purchase approvals, Amazon Business delivers everything you need to achieve your goals. It's not easy to stand out from the crowd. Simplify how you stock up to get ahead. Go to amazonbusiness.com for support. This is an iHeart podcast.