The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: Joe and Jada – The Alchemist & Hit-Boy on ‘Goldfish’ Collab & Wild Drake, Eminem & Jay-Z Stories
Release Date: October 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This special episode shifts to a hip-hop roundtable, as Fat Joe and Jada host production giants Hit-Boy and The Alchemist. They dive into their careers, powerhouse collaborations, and the new project "Goldfish" (an album and film). The conversation is equal parts mythmaking, shop talk, hilarious war stories, and reverent reflection on the music industry’s past and future.

Key themes include:

• Creative processes and career highlights of Hit-Boy & Alchemist
• The art and business of beat-making and collaboration in hip-hop
• Iconic stories involving Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Eminem, and others
• Industry pitfalls, publishing traps, and lessons learned
• Camaraderie in hip-hop and what unity means in a competitive game
• Sneak peeks and deep dives into the “Goldfish” project

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hip-Hop Legacy & Introductions

• Fat Joe sets the stage, announcing the guests as "Beethoven and Mozarts of the 25th century" (03:31), acknowledging their decades of impact on the culture.
• Hit-Boy and Alchemist reflect on how their beats have defined eras, with Jada noting, "Every end of the year list is… Alchemist, Hit-Boy. Like top producer list and shit... I got hella respect for bro and obviously legendary. And I'm getting to learn from... a student in this." (06:41)

2. Behind the Beats: Production Stories and Iconic Tracks

Biggest Hits:

• Niggas in Paris (Jay-Z & Kanye West):
  "I was just a kid excited, making beats... I had flew out here to New York. I did some records with hov and ye... None of them became anything, but the beat for N****s in Paris I had emailed Ye, like, months prior. Wasn't thinking about it at all, he hit me like 'Bro, we just did this song out in Paris, and when this shit drop, your life about to change.' Nigga was right." – Hit-Boy (07:17–08:14)

• Sicko Mode (Travis Scott/Drake):
  "I did the first part of it... Me and my boy Rogét produced that... I had to hold that beat for two years." – Hit-Boy (08:20–08:56)
  “When we heard Sicko Mode, just as fans, that was unfucking real... Heavy rotation.” – Fat Joe (09:06)

• Click (Kanye, Jay-Z, Big Sean):
  "First time I heard that, I was... in the Hamptons working on Beyonce album. And Ye brought the final version through right before he put the album out. They all snapped on that shit." – Hit-Boy (10:01–10:23)

• Feeling Myself (Nicki Minaj/Beyonce):
  "She invited me to the stool... Next thing I know, Nicki was on it. She used that shit for the album. They did a video..." – Hit-Boy (10:26–10:48)

• Drop the World (Lil Wayne feat. Eminem): “That was probably the first, like, platinum song I had produced... That was before streaming and all that, so I’m on the iTunes charts watching that just go up and it went to number one. I’m like, damn, that was crazy for me.” – Hit-Boy (10:52–11:16)

• Backseat Freestyle (Kendrick Lamar):
  “That was one of the first beats I played him... He was on tour. He texted me like, 'Bro, we got one. It’s on the album for sure.'” – Hit-Boy (11:22–11:55)

• Goldie (A$AP Rocky):
  “That was really, bro, like, first single on a major label type shit... a pivotal moment.” – Hit-Boy (11:56–12:20)

• King’s Disease Trilogy (Nas):
  “He pulled up for three years straight. We did six albums." – Hit-Boy (12:20–13:16) “We put out 80 songs in three years.” – Jada (13:14–13:16)

3. Industry Realities: Publishing, Money, & Betrayal

• Both Fat Joe and Hit-Boy share stories about being locked in bad publishing deals for years.
  "14 years, man. And you didn’t slap him?"
  – Hit-Boy/“Couldn't—never saw him!” – Fat Joe and Hit-Boy (14:04–15:17)
• Fat Joe’s infamous story about getting his first big check and immediately losing the Lexus he bought with it (16:08–17:47)
• Jada: “I signed the deal one year out of high school at 19. I mean, 50 racks sounded like everything at that time.” (15:59)

4. Producer Camaraderie, Competition, and Respect

• Alchemist and Hit-Boy discuss how top producers respect, rather than compete with, each other.
  • “Producers like we all fuck with each other. Like I used to hit him up like damn, you kicking my ass. I gotta go crazier.” – Alchemist (51:19)
  • Fat Joe: “That’s what’s the biggest attribute to the LOX... their unity and their loyalty. And people love that.” (51:53)

5. Wild Studio & Industry Anecdotes

• The Producer’s Dilemma: Producers holding back certain beats for “Hov” or other stars instead of giving them up in sessions:
  "They be playing some shit, and they be like, 'Oh this is for Hov...'" – Fat Joe (32:52–33:26)

• Mobb Deep & The Alchemist:
  “Murder Music is when I got down [with them]... it was gradual... they let me in the mix.” – Alchemist (35:51–36:57)

• Battery Studios & the ‘Apple Trick’:
  "It was you and Pun at the studio... I came to play beats, and there was... a hammer on the table, allegedly... Pun put an apple on his [head]... Joe took the hammer and made the apple move." – Alchemist (34:10–35:01)

  • Fat Joe: "They never let me rent Battery Studios again in my life." (35:01)

6. The “Goldfish” Project: Album and Film

• Title & Concept:
  “Life be like that. We be stuck in a bowl, just going in circles and shit sometimes, you know what I mean?”
  – Jada (46:11–46:15)

• Collaboration & Features:
  “Conway got a solo song on there... We got Bodie James... my pops, big hit... Havoc...” – Jada (49:41–50:00)

  • Album began as a one-off collab and grew naturally, emphasizing producer-artist synergy over forced collaborations.

• Film Tie-In:
  "First it was about us. And then we were like, nah, fuck that. Let's get a script, put some bread up and shoot a movie to go with this album... Not just a conventional music movie. It's a real beginning, middle, end type shit. Got Danny Trejo, Simon Rex, Conway...” – Alchemist & Jada (64:24–65:04)

7. Reflections on Hip-Hop Camaraderie & Age

• The guests reject the “young man’s sport” narrative:
  "I don't care about none of that. It's not a young man's sport. They gotta stop talking about that." – Alchemist (58:51–59:57)
• Fat Joe admiration:
  “You moving, man. I'm proud of you, man... When your sneakers are melting. I got. You so on fire when your sneakers...” (78:27–78:31)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On ‘Niggas in Paris’ changing his life:
  “...When this shit drops, your life about to change. Nigga was right.”
  – Hit-Boy (08:13)

• Kanye, Jay, and Hit-Boy creative process:
  “Did some records with hov and ye... None of them joints became anything... but when I emailed [the Paris beat] to Ye, he hit me later like your life about to change.”
  – Hit-Boy (07:37–08:14)

• Fat Joe on studio politics:
  “I used to hate these producers... They be like, ‘Oh, that’s for Hov’, ‘That’s for Big’... What you giving me, chopped liver?”
  – Fat Joe (32:52–33:42)

• Fat Joe on creative camaraderie:
  “I set a lot of trends in this game.”
  – Fat Joe (31:52)

• Alchemist on Eminem's work ethic:
  “You think we work hard. I've never seen nobody work like him to this day. The level... he's in the studio right now. I could put bed every day, I'm telling you.” (63:14)

• Fat Joe on Taylor Swift:
  “Taylor Swift got me fooled. Because we all know you be waiting to meet people...and you like, you know, this guy ain't shit... But since she came around, I said, man, this is a nice girl. She’s a fucking nice person.” (66:25–66:54)

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment | | --- | --- | | 02:12 | Hit-Boy & Alchemist introduced; legends in hip hop production | | 06:41 | Mutual respect, producer camaraderie, creative growth | | 07:17 | Hit-Boy breaks down “Niggas In Paris” | | 08:20 | “Sicko Mode” session story | | 09:06 | Fat Joe on the impact of “Sicko Mode” | | 12:20 | King’s Disease/Nas collaboration process | | 15:59 | Hit-Boy & Fat Joe on bad early publishing deals | | 16:08 | Fat Joe’s first check and the lost Lexus | | 32:52 | The producer “beat holding” phenomenon | | 34:10 | Alchemist’s “hammer and apple” Battery Studios story | | 46:11 | The meaning behind “Goldfish” album title | | 49:41 | Goldfish features and collaborative philosophy | | 51:19 | Alchemist on healthy producer rivalry & camaraderie | | 58:12 | Fat Joe on Alchemist's mainstream recognition; values of longevity | | 63:14 | Alchemist on Eminem’s relentless work ethic | | 64:18 | Goldfish film concept; movie stars involved | | 77:48 | Exclusive: “Business Merger” track preview | | 78:27 | Fat Joe gives flowers, closing highlights |

Memorable, Funny, and Heartfelt Moments

• Battery Studios Apple Story:
  "Pun put an apple on his head. Joe took the hammer... made the apple move. I tell that story..." – Alchemist (34:10)
• Lost Lexus checking-out:
  “They stole that the first day I went to Fun Master Flex birthday party. Robbed the whole garage... three months later, I'm like one day to getting my $50,000 check back. They find the fucking Lexus. I wanted my 50,000 back.” – Fat Joe (16:08+)
• On early deals:
  "50 racks sounded like everything at that time." – Jada (15:59)
• On Eminem’s perfectionism:
  “He sent the same verse 30 times... but like with a different tone or cadence...” – Fat Joe (63:40)
• On not meeting idols:
  Fat Joe heartbreak after a rude Bruno Mars encounter, flipping expectations about industry heroes. (68:10–71:32)

Preview: 'Business Merger' (Goldfish Album Track)

"Eyes closed in my heart open just to get this off my chest and left my heart broken... If you can't stay down then stay where you at..."
– An exclusive listen and breakdown with Hit-Boy, Alchemist, and Jada (74:39–77:43)

Conclusion

This episode delivers a deep, unfiltered look at the high and low notes of hip-hop’s business and creative worlds. Listeners gain access to the mindsets and work ethics that fuel two of the most influential producers of their generation, and the stories behind some of rap’s most celebrated anthems. The show closes with a call to check out the Goldfish album, its accompanying film, and gratitude all around for the collaborative journey.

Final Quotes:

"Goldfish, man. The album, the movie, the experience. Make sure y’all get it on all platforms."
— Hit-Boy (78:02)

"You moving, man. I'm proud of you, man."
— Fat Joe to Hit-Boy and Alchemist (78:27)

For more episode summaries, follow The Herd with Colin Cowherd.